May marked the 104th year of business for Citizens Bank & Trust. They have remained successful by building on the legacy of founder Latt Maxcy. Maxcy and six other businessmen started Citizens Bank & Trust in Frostproof in the 1920s with just $25,000. Maxcy was chairman and his brother, John, was president. The bank is […]
Nelson Kirkland, the founder of the Central Florida Media Group (CMFG), recently celebrated 14 years since the startup of his business. A Kathleen High Red Devil and a University of Central Florida Knight, Kirkland never strayed far from Polk County. Starting his career in advertising at The Ledger, he worked his way up to […]
SouthState Bank is the largest bank headquartered in Florida. It has recently taken a big leap into Texas and Colorado by acquiring the Independent Bank Group. The Independent Bank Group has $19 billion in assets and 92 branches in some of the largest markets in Colorado and Texas. The $2 billion purchase, still awaiting approval, […]
Polk Vision is looking for your input to help determine priorities for the next 10+ years through the Quality of Life survey. A community vision developed through the collaboration of organizations, businesses, governments, and individuals alike. Implemention of the vision is through an alignment partnership amongst stakeholders. In this fashion, Polk Vision interviewed local stakeholders […]
Bartow Economic Development Council hosted a groundbreaking ceremony in May for Skimlite, a manufacturing company providing pool equipment. The event commemorated the construction of Skimlite’s new 93,600 square foot industrial warehouse business complex located on Centennial Boulevard in Bartow. Constituents from all across Polk County attended the groundbreaking in support of Skimlite and their expansion efforts. […]
Thanks to an anonymous donor, Florida Southern College is establishing Polk County’s first School of Architecture. It will offer a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 2025, then add a master’s program in 2028. “The college recognizes that this new architectural program is a natural fit for our campus. It features the largest single-site collection of […]
The United Way of Central Florida and the Polk County Indigent Health Program have teamed up with CareerSource Polk to launch the T.O.T.A.L. H.E.A.L.T.H. MATTERS Initiative. This program offers residents an improvement in many aspects of their lives, leading to success in the workplace. The Total Health Matters program is funded by the Community Wellness […]
As Polk County’s population continues to attract new businesses and residents, keeping up with infrastructure needs remains critical. Quality infrastructure allows residents and workers to move throughout an area efficiently, therefore expanded roadway systems makes that better. In addition to increasing capacity, transportation planners also look at connectivity to get people from point A to […]
Keeping customers satisfied and ensuring employee safety made for a great 2023 for BrightView. “Our Polk County team has had a fantastic year in 2023. In addition to growing our business by over 40%, we have had zero lost time accidents while maintaining 100% customer retention,” said Eric Mizen, Business Developer for BrightView Landscape Services. […]
When Cole Springer and Jeremy Voss purchased Springer Construction in 2018, they were equal partners. The construction management firm did well during those years, experiencing revenue growth of 100% — from $11.9 million in 2020 to $24 million in 2022 – and increasing its workforce from 10 to 16, earning it a spot on GrowFL’s […]