Polk Welcome...
WE OFFER CHOICES! Most of POLK County is Urban or Suburban in nature, with some areas being Rural. Our sister county to the south, HIGHLANDS County, offers fewer Urban areas (mostly along 6-Lane US HWY 27 running north and south) and is more Suburban and Rural in nature.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS.
Florida Ridge Manufacturing LLC – Polk Mission Statement :
Our Mission is to enable the creation of more jobs in Polk County,
in the ridge area of Central Florida.
The mission’s strategy is to ensure a more even balance between the Services sectors and Manufacturing sectors. This should increase the diversity of job descriptions and the amount of people-skills within each of our many communities: be they cities, towns, villages or unincorporated areas in the county.
Florida Ridge Manufacturing LLC Privacy Statement*
Please read this Privacy Statement prior to submission.
Florida Ridge Manufacturing LLC Privacy Statement: We do not sell your information.
About Us...
Florida Ridge Manufacturing was founded with more than five decades of business, technology and manufacturing experience.
For a summary and further details of “WHO” we’re made of
> Click Here <
About The Ridge...
-
Clearly viewable from satellite,
- the white sands of the ridge are located in Highlands County and Polk County, and also extend north into Osceola, Orange, and Lake Counties.”.
-
“It is named for the city of Lake Wales,
- roughly at the midpoint of the ridge.” It is also, “geographically the midpoint of the State”.
-
“The highest point of the Lake Wales ridge
- is 312 feet above sea level and is also the highest natural point in peninsular Florida.” –Wikipedia:
-
Note the characteristics of the ridge
- on the pictures to the right of your screen.
-
On the west, left side,
- of the picture to the right of your screen, the ridge drops off steeply to US 27, in less than a half mile, where stores, lodging and other commercial businesses are available. This peak is the area where most ridge residences and the small incorporated towns are located.
-
From that peak,
- where the Scenic Highway still exists, are the old beds of railroad train tracks that used to service citrus packing houses during the first half of the twentieth century.
-
To the east, the slope
- is gentler, occupied by a mix of producing citrus grove and those that are no longer in production.
-
Land ends at the lake shores,
- running north to south on the string of large lakes, famous for fishing, sailing and other water sports. There are housing developments and some commercial businesses. There are large oak trees and great lake views. Polk County provides certain services such as Fire-EMS protection and law enforcement.
-
The Florida Ridge is
- a unique one-of-a-kind place to explore and get to know.
The most prominent and centrally located ridge in the state
“is a sand ridge running for about 150 miles south to north in Central Florida.”
Clearly viewable from satellite, the white sands of the ridge are located in Highlands County and Polk County, and also extend north into Osceola, Orange, and Lake Counties.
It is named for the city of Lake Wales, roughly at the midpoint of the ridge. It is also geographically the midpoint of the State. The highest point of the Lake Wales ridge is 312 feet above sea level and is also the highest natural point in peninsular Florida.
Note the characteristics of the ridge…
On the west, left side, the ridge drops off steeply to US 27, in less than a half mile, where stores, lodging and other commercial businesses are available. This peak is the area where most ridge residences and the small incorporated towns are located.
From that peak, where the Scenic Highway still exists, are the old beds of railroad train tracks that used to service citrus packing houses during the first half of the twentieth century.
To the east, the slope is gentler, occupied by a mix of producing citrus grove and those that are no longer in production.
Land ends at the lake shores, running north to south on the string of large lakes, famous for fishing, sailing and other water sports. There are housing developments and some commercial businesses. There are large oak trees and great lake views.
Polk County provides certain services such as Fire-EMS protection and law enforcement.
The Florida Ridge is a unique one-of-a-kind place to explore and get to know.
The Ridge & Manufacturing...
Manufacturing can thrive in the USA, along the Florida Ridges and further West towards Metro Tampa.
Above shows the heart of the Florida Ridge (Lake Wales – Polk Co.), along US Hwy 27.
What can our “Ridges” do for you?…
You can live on a Ridge and have your own manufacturing business there. Or you can live on a Ridge and have your business down the hill on US highway 27 or SR60. Or, you can still live on a Ridge, but locate your business further west, toward Winter Haven, Lakeland or the Bartow area, even as far away as the Tampa Bay Metro Area and Ports.
A few miles west of Lake Wales, CSX has an inland, high capacity, container handling operation. It handles container freight to and from the Port of Tampa which is one hour to the west. Existing warehousing is available on this site and there is room for manufacturing facilities.
US27 is a north/south, mostly 4 to 6 lane highway that connects the Miami area to Lake Wales. From there US27 has a direct line north to the Sunshine State Parkway which connects to I-75. That connection is direct to Atlanta GA. Within a few miles of Lake Wales in Winter Haven is a passenger station for Amtrak. The station provides service several times daily to Amtrak.
Ideal areas for manufacturing also lie within the Hendry Ridge.
The most prominent and centrally located ridge in the state
“is a sand ridge running for about 150 miles south to north in Central Florida.”
Clearly viewable from satellite, the white sands of the ridge are located in Highlands County and Polk County, and also extend north into Osceola, Orange, and Lake Counties.
It is named for the city of Lake Wales, roughly at the midpoint of the ridge. It is also geographically the midpoint of the State. The highest point of the Lake Wales ridge is 312 feet above sea level and is also the highest natural point in peninsular Florida.
Note the characteristics of the ridge…
In Polk County, on the west/left side, the ridge drops off steeply to US 27, in less than a half mile, where stores, lodging and other commercial businesses are available. This peak is the area where most ridge residences and the small incorporated towns are located.
From that peak, where the Scenic Highway still exists, are the old beds of railroad train tracks that used to service citrus packing houses during the first half of the twentieth century.
To the east, the slope is gentler, occupied by a mix of producing citrus grove and those that are no longer in production.
Land ends at the lake shores, running north to south on the string of large lakes, famous for fishing, sailing and other water sports. There are housing developments and some commercial businesses. There are large oak trees and great lake views.
Polk County provides certain services such as Fire-EMS protection and law enforcement.
Central Florida Regional Planning Council...
What Regional Planning Councils Do
Florida Laws Referencing Regional Planning Councils
Florida’s regional planning councils are referenced in a
number of state and federal laws.
This list summarizes legal references to the Council.
Following the list are copies of specific agreements, statutes and rules applying to the
Central Florida Regional Planning Council.
The Central Florida Regional Planning Council’s (CFRPC) primary mission is to provide support to the citizens and counties of our region and to seek ways to improve the quality of life of the citizens of the Heartland.
Serving DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee and Polk Counties.
CHAPTER 160, F.S. The Central Florida Regional Planning Council was established in 1973 under chapter 160 and by interlocal agreement. The Council elected to comply with Chapter 163 in 1985.
CHAPTER 163, F.S. The legislation which provides for the duties of Regional Planning Councils. The legislation which provides for the duties of Regional Planning Councils. CHAPTER 163.3167 (4), (7) and CHAPTER 163.3184 (2), (8)b, F.S. Regional Planning Councils review local government comprehensive plans for consistency with the state plan and strategic regional policy plans.
CHAPTER 163.3177 (d) Provides for coordination of all development activities and services among local, state, regional and federal agencies.
CHAPTER 163.3204, F.S. Provides that all state and regional agencies cooperate with units of local government in the preparation of local government comprehensive plans.
CHAPTER 186, F.S. The legislation which provides for the duties of Regional Planning Councils.
CHAPTER 186.502 (3), F.S. Provides that Regional Planning Councils must address problems and plan solutions for issues and matter of greater than local concern or scope.
CHAPTER 186.502, F.S. Regional Planning Councils plan for and coordinate intergovernmental solutions to growth-related problems on greater than local issues and provide technical assistance, but shall not act as a permitting or regulatory entity.
CHAPTER 186.502, (2), (3) and CHAPTER 186.007 (7), F.S. Regional Planning Councils provide input to state policy development and in continuous review for updating the state plan and state agency functional plans.
CHAPTER 186.503, F.S. Defines “cross acceptance” as it relates to a determination of consistency with the strategic regional policy plan.
183.504, F.S. Expanded membership to include ex officio nonvoting members from Florida Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Protection, Enterprise Florida and Southwest Florida Water Management District. The Governor may also appoint ex-officio nonvoting members from MPOs and regional water supply authorities.
CHAPTER 186.505, F.S. AND S. 252.34 (3) Revised powers to include:
Perform coordination among other regional entities;
Establish and conduct cross-acceptance negotiation;
Coordinate land development and transportation policies that foster a region-wide transportation system; and Review plans of independent transportation authorities and MPOs to identify inconsistencies with local government plans.
CHAPTER 186.507, F.S. Regional Planning Councils must adopt a strategic regional policy plan that must address the following: Affordable Housing, Economic Development, Emergency Preparedness, Natural Resources or regional significance, Regional transportation.
CHAPTER 186.508, F.S. Provides guidelines for adoption of strategic regional policy plans and compliance with the state plan.
CHAPTER 186.509, F.S. Regional Planning Councils shall establish by rule, a dispute resolution process.
CHAPTER 186.511, F.S. Provides the process for Regional Planning Councils to evaluate the strategic regional policy plan.
CHAPTER 186.513, F.S. Regional Planning Councils provide an annual report to the Department of Community Affairs.
CHAPTER 186.515, F.S. Recognizes the duties of Regional Planning Councils as established under CHAPTER 163, F.S.
CHAPTER 380, M F.S. Regional Planning Councils provide review and comment on applications for development approval and development orders for development of regional impact and Florida Quality Development proposals.
CHAPTER 380.065, F.S. Provides that Regional Planning Councils will review development orders issued by local governments certified pursuant to Chapter 380.065
CHAPTER 380.05, F.S. Regional Planning Councils conduct review and make recommendations on Areas of Critical State Concern.
CHAPTER 380.21, F.S., Florida Coastal Zone Management Plan Regional Planning Councils carry out review and coordination functions for coastal zone management.
CHAPTER 339.155 (3) and CHAPTER 163.805 (6), F.S. Regional Planning Councils develop transportation policy under the Transportation Planning Act and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Act.
CHAPTER 341, F.S. Provides for Regional Planning Councils to have input into Florida high speed rail plans.
CHAPTER 373.0395, F.S. Regional Planning Councils review ground water basin availability inventories.
CHAPTER 377, F.S. Regional Planning Councils assist in state review of Outer Continental Shelf proposals.
CHAPTER 403, F.S. Regional Planning Councils complete the Regional Hazardous Waste Needs Assessment : as designated in the Water Quality Assurance Act and Hazardous Waste Facilities Permit Variance Review.
CHAPTER 403.705, F.S. Provides that Regional Planning Councils participate in the development of solid waste management programs and hazardous waste.
Other References
Governor’s Executive Order 83-150 and Presidential executive Order 12372
Provides that Regional Planning Councils review application for federal and state grants and act as the regional clearinghouse for Federal Administrative District VIII to review and provide regional comment on permit application under consideration of FDER (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. (FRED is an online database consisting of hundreds of thousands of economic data time series from scores of national, international, public, and private sources.)
Florida Administrative Code, 22E-2 Regional Planning Councils provide review and serve as a depository for 10 year power plant sitting plans.
Clean Water Act, S.208, Public Law 92-500 and Title 40 Regional Planning Councils participate in the completion and update of Area-wide Water Quality Management Plans, ensure public participation and serve as a depository of information on the sub state planning agencies.
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act Regional Planning Councils provide coordination and staff for district-wide Local Emergency Planning Committees and serve as the public repository for hazardous materials inventories under the SARA Title III Community Right-to-Know provision.
Federal Home Loan Disclosure Regional Planning Councils serve as a depository for federal home loan disclosure forms.
U.S. Bureau of the Census Provides that Regional Planning Councils may serve as Census Data Affiliates for the provision of U.S. Census data.
More About Our Company...
This is the “primary” website for
Florida Ridge Manufacturing, LLC
Manufacturing: The process of converting raw materials, components, or parts into finished goods that meet a customer’s expectations or specifications. Manufacturing commonly employs a man-machine setup with division of labor in a large scale production.
Definitions of Consultant and Sponsor
A consultant is a professional who provides advice and further purposeful activities in an area of specialization.
Consultant Peter Block defines a consultant as “someone who has influence over an individual, group, or organization, but who has no direct authority to implement changes”. He contrasts this with a surrogate manager, who is a person who “acts on behalf of, or in place of, a manager”. The key difference is that a consultant never makes decisions for the individual or group, whereas a surrogate manager does make decisions. Consultancy UK defines the role as providing “professional or expert advice in a particular field of science or business to either an organization or individual”.
John Gross is the principal Consultant.Sponsorship is a cash and/or in-kind fee paid to a property (typically in sports, arts, entertainment or
(CAUSES): Protecting the USA from CCP via “Manufacturing” on the Florida Ridge)
in return for access to the exploitable commercial potential associated with that property. While sponsorship can deliver increased awareness, brand building and propensity to purchase, it is different from advertising. Unlike advertising, sponsorship cannot communicate specific product attributes. Nor can it stand alone, as sponsorship requires support elements.
Florida Ridge Manufacturing, LLC is the SponsorThe web site is NOT a brokerage
This web site is NOT a brokerage. It does NOT offer any direct transactional capabilities, for compensation, such as would be paid between buyers/sellers and licensed real estate brokers/sales associates. It does provide information that could be used by individuals and businesses to, through their own research, identify properties that may be suitable for (or may become suitable for) manufacturing.Smaller manufacturing and support businesses
The federal government defines “small business” as several hundred workers. Our definition of smaller manufacturing and support businesses is: 10 to 50 employees, allowing a few more in a larger range. We support this size because it fits more easily into our communities.
Living On The Florida Ridge...
A native Floridian’s brief summary of residing in the ridge-area:
“Living in Central Florida all of my life, with the exception of college and early marriage, has been a real asset.
We have mild winters that allow for many outside recreational activities as well as outdoor home life. We don’t have to shovel snow, own heavy winter clothing, worry about frozen pipes, icy sidewalks, or cars that require warm up time to operate.
Life on the ridge has been less hectic with rolling terrain, lots of lakes, and beaches within an hour and a half drive. So many places to visit can be done in a day. Our summers are hot, humid and wet, so that is when we turn to swimming and water sports for recreation. As long as you have A/C you can remain comfortable indoors. When folks up north are fighting the snow and ice and winter fronts, we are outside in our free time, if we choose, riding bikes, walking, golfing- you name it.
For the most part, we have 8 months of delightful weather and 4 you would want to spend in the water when not inside. However our more constant breezes give opportunity to do lawn care in the late shadows of the day even during the 4 hotter months. We are spoiled in that when we do have a chilly or cold day, a sweater or jacket is all you need. Even on a cold day, by 3:00PM it warms up – not so during winter days in other states. Being cheaper to run A/C than heat is another plus. It is not often that we run the heat.
We enjoy green all year, flowers all year, more sunny days – lots of sunshine, and great outdoors all year. It is easy to take for granted that we can comfortably be outdoors at sometime during every day of the year except for wet weather. When it comes to hurricanes, those living on or near the ridge usually have less intensity of the storm and damage than those in the coastal areas.
Life in Florida is full of diversity. We have hunting and fishing, water craft and water sports, football in season, biking and hiking most all year, camping, gardening, golfing, tennis, running events. – you name it. Our climate is more conducive to more varied activities than any other. This is even a great place to learn to fly an airplane.
Born and raised in Highlands County, my roots stem from Polk County – just 2 miles to the north.
Visiting family in Polk County was an every weekend event. Longer days of sunlight allowed more family time for our day trips.
Although my husband has lived with me in Highlands County and raised 3 children, now middle aged, he was raised in Polk County, in Lakeland.
We are in the center of the state where major road networks cross North South and East West. Our stable economy offers a workforce trained, and trainable, in many levels. Infrastructure is here – bring in manufacturing to promote this country, USA, to be self sufficient. Manufacturing, which includes agriculture, in Florida’s interior, away from the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, could become the heart of Florida’s economy.
Do you like to see the color of the leaves changing? You can go up there and see them before the snow starts. Florida is unlike any of the other 48 states. You can work here and retire here without owning an ice scraper.” – Cindy G.
Citrus Built The Florida Ridge...
- Citrus has been the largest industry in Florida, second only to Tourism.
- Financially, citrus has been the largest industry in Florida, second only to Tourism.
- The state’s “Signature” crop
- Citrus is, according to most people in the industry, the state’s “Signature” crop. It was/is the top crop of Florida’s agriculture. How did it start? Seeds were brought from Europe in the 1500s and grew along the coastal areas. It is still being grown commercially in coastal areas. It was Branded/Marketed as east coast “Indian River” citrus, because of big east coast
volumes. A fair amount was grown on the western coast, the “Gulf Coast” region. However, the middle of the state, the “Interior”, with higher elevations on the sand hills had better soil drainage. Drier meant less root rot problems. Polk County, particularly on the Florida Ridge, was a favored place to plant groves in the 1800’s. Read “A short history of Bartow”, later in this web site. You will see how, when railroads came from the St Johns River/Orlando area and the northwest area of the state and met in Polk County the stage was set for commercial export to northern states. - Definition of Manufacturing
- Manufacturing: The process of converting raw materials, components, or parts into finished goods that meet a customer’s expectations or specifications. Manufacturing commonly employs a man-machine setup with division of labor in a large scale production.
- Please read the following short history of how citrus in Florida evolved.
- This is a short history of how “large scale” citrus was and still is. The history shows how commercial citrus would never have been possible without machinery, both in the groves and in the packing facilities and processing facilities.In Florida, oranges, grapefruit and tangerines were *Manufactured in the early 1900’s. Generally, they did not call themselves farmers and they did not say they grew their fruit in orchards. They called themselves “growers” and they grew their trees in “groves”. They picked, boxed, and put their products in wagons. They traveled on sand rut roads to railroads for shipment up north. Without the “large scale machinery” of the railroads, citrus would have only been available to the local market. As growing and selling increased, individuals, groups and families formed business groups, cooperatives, to build “factories”. They were “man-machine setup with division of labor in a large scale production”, Manufacturing *. They called them “Packing Houses”. The machinery included boilers that provided steam to drive flywheels that drove drive shafts and belts to move fruit to packers who, symmetrically, hand placed the fruit in boxes for shipment on the rail road. Until the 1950’s the only way for getting citrus products “exported”, (where we send them the product and they send us money), to other states was as fresh whole fruit that was either eaten whole or squeezed by the consumer. There was some pasteurized, single strength, large can, juice
produced in the 1930-40s and later. Frozen concentrated juice was developed in the late 1940s and embraced by our soldiers and sailors coming home from World War II. The demand and price for fruit immediately reversed. Because of the quick drop in demand for fresh fruit, the packing houses could not afford to pay their growers for their fruit at the rate they were use to. The juice processors were paying top dollar to fill the new juice demand. - Large processing plants were very complex high tech manufacturing facilities
- These large processing plants were very complex high tech manufacturing facilities. They used tall steel vacuum towers to extract water, oils and other byproducts from the juice. One of the first plants was a cooperative in Lake Wales that many packing houses around Florida joined. The new member packing houses retained their packing house facility capacity, but committed much of the individual grower’s fruit to the juice plant. This method allowed fresh fruit to continue to be produced and sold, as fresh fruit, to an, admittedly, smaller market. The balance of the grower’s fruit had to be sent to the processing plants for squeezing into juice.
- Processing plants had their own marketing systems
- Processing plants managed the packaging and shipping of their juice products with their own marketing systems. As with other agriculture “raw materials” oranges, cows or pigs, there were byproducts. Orange peel outer skin oil was captured along with other parts of its anatomy. What was left was dried in gas fired tumbling furnaces. The processed material was shaped into pellets that were used for cow feed.
- Fresh Fruit packing facilities had their own marketing systems
- Back to the fresh fruit side: Marketing organizations were formed to combine buyer orders. This allowed different kinds of fruit and different package types, from different facilities, to be loaded on one truck. This procedure ensured that all fresh fruit shipping boxes were indeed fresh. By tractor trailer truck it was possible for have fruit packed on Tuesday to arrive in
New York on Thursday. The overall demand for fruit for both processed and packing continued to grow for decades. - End of short history: Shift to 2020
- It is very important to understand and appreciate the knowledge and experience of grove owners, packing house owners and processing plant owners. Many of them span 60 years or more. Their talent is what enabled these business people to build their own (citrus related) manufacturing facilities. Or they may have partnered with others to build a facility.
- Times have changed
- While citrus acreage increased, particularly in Polk County an increase in different types of citrus diseases was on the rise. Controls were developed for each one. However, recently a disease called “Greening”, which so far has eluded an easy cure and has forced some growers to take groves out of production. The net result is there is more land available for growers
to switch some of their investment to manufacturing.
Florida Ridge Manufacturing partners with citizens, businesses and legislators to work with Planning Agencies and Authorities. The goal is to streamline federal, state and local laws to create more realistic and understandable development controls and fees.
*Recent Article*
(Updating)
For an article published on
Florida Ag and Hemp Potential
Small Manufacturing Facilities...
Manufacturing: The process of converting raw materials, components, or parts into finished goods that meet a customer’s expectations or specifications. Manufacturing commonly employs a man-machine setup with division of labor in a large scale production.
There are two major types of manufactured products:
Nondurable goods are any consumer goods in an economy that are either consume in one use or used up over a short period of time. It is considered by the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis to be within three years. And must be bought again in successive purchases.
Nondurable goods are also called soft goods or consumable goods. Some examples of nondurable goods are: food, laundry detergent, dish soap, light bulbs, paper products like paper plates and clothing.
Durable goods are a category of consumer products that do not need to be purchased frequently because they are made to last for a long time (usually lasting for three years or more). They are also called hard goods, consumer durables or just plain durables.
A washing machine is an example of a durable good — it takes many years and multiple uses to completely wear it out. The laundry detergent used in the washing machine is a non-durable good — when the bottle is empty, the detergent is gone and must be repurchased. Other examples of durables are hand tools, equipment parts, electrical parts, 5G Cell Phones, water proof cases for cell phones, steel rebar from recycled cars.
Materials Components & Parts...
The purpose of this section is to guide new small manufacturing companies on the local availability of materials, components and parts. This is if they plan to design and construct their own industrially zoned facility.
Examples of local providers of these items are:
Concrete Aggregate and materials
Meters, valves and instruments
Metals buildings
Air conditioning and heating
Backup generators with fuel supplies
Security systems
Lumber and fasteners
Once completed and production starts, inputs can include manufacturing grade hemp, bamboo and other agriculture products.
Public Schools K-12...
Polk County Public Schools 150 years old and currently 150 schools
- Polk County Public Schools’ history stretches back more than 150 years.
Today
- Today, Polk County Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the nation, encompassing more than 150 schools and serving more than 100,000 students through both traditional K-12 schools and a variety of other programs.
Built a reputation for educational excellence
- While expanding its physical footprint, Polk County Public Schools has also built a reputation for educational excellence, as evidenced by its more than 20 nationally accredited workforce academies, five Florida Arts Model Schools, and rising number of schools offering Advanced Placement and Cambridge International programs.
School safety guardian program
- In 2018, Polk County Public Schools garnered national attention for becoming
one of the first districts to launch a school safety guardian program. Developed
in conjunction with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the guardian program
ensures every campus has either an armed school district employee or law enforcement
officer on site.
Lakeland Florida Colleges and Universities
Largest Schools Near Lakeland, Florida
A large student population offers many opportunities to students, so you might
want to opt for a school with a large student body. Lakeland’s largest
school is Polk State College, which enrolled 10,657 students, all undergraduates.
Polk State College has over two times the students of the next largest school.
Southeastern University (4,538 students)
Florida Southern College (2,869 students)
Florida Polytechnic University (924 students)
Ridge Career Center (863 students)
Traviss Career Center (825 students)
Other School Options K-12...
This section is currently being developed. Please return soon for additional information.
Post-High-School Training...
- Florida Polytechnic University
- It is the state’s only public polytechnic university, and focuses solely on STEM education. Florida Poly opened
for classes on August 25, 2014 with an inaugural class of 554 students. Florida Poly resides on a 170-acre campus. The university’s Innovation, Science and Technology (IST) Building, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, is home to a 3-D printing lab, cyber gaming and media lab, cyber security lab, robotics lab, and a big data lab.
- Accreditation
- The university received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in June 2017. The university offers nine baccalaureate programs, two master’s programs and 31 areas of concentration.
- Industry Partnerships
- Florida Poly collaborates with more than 100 high-tech corporate, government and non-government organizations that provide guidance on curriculum development, assist with research and offer internship opportunities that stress real-world experience. Industry partners include Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Mosaic, Cisco and Harris Corporation.
- Research
- The Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research (FIPR) Institute is a Florida Poly research institution. The FIPR institute supports phosphate-related studies to improve the environment, protect public health and increase mining
and processing efficiency. FIPR Institute’s staff biologists, engineers and chemists also conduct in-house research, and the institute supports some non-phosphate topics such as energy and the mining and processing of other minerals.
Florida Poly’s Advanced Mobility Institute (AMI) is a university-affiliated technology research center focused on the development and testing of autonomous vehicle (AV) related technology. AMI is not only unique to the state, but also one of the largest university centers specialized on the narrow area of testing and verification of AV technology in the country. - Campus
- Florida Poly’s 170-acre campus includes the Innovation, Science and Technology (IST) Building, two residence halls, Student Development Center, Wellness Center, and Admissions Center. The University Trail, which connects the University to the Lakeland campus of Polk State College, is one of many biking trails connected to the campus.
- Polk State Corporate College
- The Polk State Corporate College, part of Polk State College, provides workforce training through eight institutes, including: Advanced Manufacturing Institute, Through the Polk State Corporate College, members of the workforce receive advanced training in areas specifically needed by their employers.
- Polk State Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center
310 Technology Drive, Bartow, FL 33830, Office: 863.669.2326
- Polk State Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center
Healthcare - Clinics...
Healthcare > Clinics:
Bond Clinic, P.A. is proud to be one of the oldest businesses in Winter Haven. Founded in 1948 by Dr. Benjamin Bond, the clinic has grown throughout the years from four doctors to more than 90 providers, encompassing 28 specialties. While many things have changed through the years, our values remain the same. We will deliver high-quality health care in a compassionate, ethical and efficient manner…
Providers
At Bond Clinic, we are committed to providing Polk County and the surrounding region with quality medical professionals.
To learn more about our providers, please click their profile below or your may search a specific specialty by using the specialty menu bar to the right.
Services
Bond Clinic is a multi-specialty practice that offers physician services across 25 different specialties and a broad array of services to help make your experience more complete and more convenient!
Bond Clinic, P.A.
500 E. Central Avenue, Winter Haven, FL 33880
863-293-1191
The Watson Clinic Mission is to provide comprehensive medical services of the highest quality, in the most cost effective manner, while constantly improving excellence in the best interest of patient care.
Watson Clinic strives to be your home for quality medical care. Since 1941, we’ve worked to create a healthcare experience that’s completely centered around you – offering the area’s largest team of experts across a diverse range of specialties that serve all of your physical, emotional and behavioral care needs.
With Watson Clinic as your medical home, a primary care provider (PCP) will coordinate whatever care you need. If that involves a specialist from a different department at Watson Clinic, we’ll find the right one for you and the transition will be quick, efficient and hassle-free.
Walk-in, after hours, and weekend care is available through our Priority and Urgent Care departments, as well as our XpressCare locations. In addition, our hospital-based doctors at Lakeland Regional Health are on-call around the clock to offer emergency services and specialty care should the need arise. An electronic medical record follows patients wherever you may go within the Clinic, allowing for a continuity of care, decreased time spent filling out paperwork, and more productive patient-physician communication. And with our patient portal, we empower you to discover a healthier tomorrow by providing easy and instant access to your medical records, prescription refills, online appointments, and a wealth of important information on a variety of health-related topics right from the comfort of your own home.
Watson Clinic – Urgent Care – Main
1600 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33805
(863) 680-7271
Healthcare - Hospitals...
Healthcare > Hospitals:
Bartow Regional Medical Center, part of BayCare Health System, is an acute care hospital serving South Lakeland, Bartow, Ft. Meade, Mulberry, rural south Polk County and northern Hardee County. Physicians and healthcare professionals at Bartow Regional Medical Center provide a variety of services. The hospital is equipped with four surgery suites and two gastroenterology suites. The emergency services department is staffed with board-certified emergency physicians and specially trained nurses, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to treat all types of emergency situations.
Bartow Regional Medical Center
2200 Osprey Blvd, Bartow, FL 33830
(863) 533-8111
Church owned facilities in Polk County elected not to be listed on this web site.
Our Vision, Mission and Promises
Mission
We deliver the best outcomes and safest care by placing people at the heart of all we do. We improve lives every day by promoting wellness, education and discovery.
Our Promises
At Lakeland Regional Health, people are of primary importance. That is why the value of caring is at the center of daily activity for our entire organization. We have adopted a culture of relationships and caring that uses a framework of Promises to guide relationships and care for self, patients and families, each other and the community.
Lakeland Regional Medical Center
1324 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland , FL 33805
(863) 687-1100
Founded in 1926, Winter Haven Hospital has an outstanding reputation for superior, patient-centered care. Our mission statement is “to improve the health of the people we serve, by providing the highest quality and most effective care and services — and to return value to the people in our communities.” By upholding this standard of excellence in all that we do, we are able to provide patients throughout central Florida with customized, state-of-the-art treatments in a comfortable environment.
Winter Haven Hospital
200 Avenue F Ne, Winter Haven, FL 33881
(863) 293-1121
Healthcare - Hospitals...
Major Healthcare Facilities In Highlands County
Church Owned Hospital(s) and affiliated offices and other Facilities
(addresses and phone numbers not provided)
Church owned facilities in Highlands County elected not to be listed on this web site.
Highlands Regional Medical Center
3600 S Highlands Ave, Sebring, FL 33870
(863) 385-6101
Patients & Visitors
Health Info
Health Related Services
Markland, Shannon, AP
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
863-273-9077
Gorsuch, John J., DOM
Acupuncture and Natural Health
863-386-5050
Livingston, Andrea, AuD, CCC-A
Audiology
863-386-9111
Asample, Jon DMD
Dentistry, General
(863) 000-0000
Chen, Kenneth DDS
Dentistry, General
(863) 657-0395
Chen, William E. DMD
Dentistry, General
(863) 314-9401
Forsee, Christopher DMD
Dentistry, General
(863) 382-9090
Galarza, Pamela DMD
Dentistry, General
(863) 657-0395
Owen, Ronald DBS
Dentistry, General
(863) 382-9090
Oxer, James E. DMD
Dentistry, General
(863) 465-2037
Seralde, Jere DBS
Dentistry, General
(863) 657-0395
Thomas, Tina M. DMD
Dentistry, General
(863) 382-0888
Willey, David E. DMD,PL
Dentistry, General
(863) 382-7676
Comfort Keepers
In-Home Services
863-701-9100
Positive Medical Transport
Locally Owned and Operated
863-655-0030
Hegland, Thomas, OD
Optometry
863-382-3900
Eye Specialists of Mid Florida, MDs and ODs
Eye Physicians and Surgeons
800-282-3937
Luepschen, Olga DPM
Poliatry
863-386-0055
Allen, Kendra BA,HIS
Hearing Aid Specialist
863-385-3497
Binneveld, Jammy HAS
Hearing Aid Specialist
863-451-5281; 863-659-1907
Kiefer, Roseann, BC-HIS, BA
Hearing Aid Specialist
863-385-3497
Reinshuttlee, Steve, BC-HIS
Hearing Aid Specialist
863-402-0094
Khurana, Anuraag. MD
Imaging
863-385-8000
Polselli, Ryan J., MD
Imaging
863-385-6655
Marabel, Raymond
Pharmacy
863-385-5689
Heartland Pharmacy
Lake Placid, Florida
863-659-1780
Van Rooyen, Karin, DPT
Physical Therapy
863-471-0012
Armstrong, Jim
Physical Therapy
863-471-0012
Tattersall, Deidre, LMT, CCst
Massage and Therapy
863-225-2652
Josefyk, Mary, APRN
Family Medicine
863-402-3429
Morris-James, Rashenna, APRN
Nurse Practitioner
863-386-4302
Reid, Wifford L., MD
Anesthesiologist
863-385-9333
Webster, Paul S., MD
Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
863-658-2471
Fountain Funeral Home
Avon Park, Florida
863-453-3134
Guerra, David S., MD
Obstetrics and Gynecology
863-471-1236
Doctors
Highlands Regional Medical Center
Gibbs, Kenneth, MD
Cardiology
863-471-0165
Highlands Regional Medical Center
Saaka, Michael, MD
Cardiology
863-471-0165
Avalos, Martin E., MD
Gastroenterology
863-385-5129
Bishop, Maria S., APRN
Gastroenterology
863-385-5129
Cardona, Nancy, PA-C
Gastroenterology
863-385-5129
Highlands Regional Medical Center
Ferretti, Francesco, MD
Gastroenterology
863-385-8777
Highlands Regional Medical Center
Patel, Chandrakant B. MD
Gastroenterology
863-385-5129
Highlands Regional Medical Center
Thakkar, Vinod C., MD
Gastroenterology
863-385-5129
Highlands Regional Medical Center
Midence, Robert,MD
Internal Medicine
863-386-4302
Highlands Regional Medical Center
Ruch, James, PA
Internal Medicine
863-386-4302
Khara, Jaswinder, MD
Neurology
863-471-6600
Highlands Regional Medical Center
Chaudhri, Tahir, MD
Orthopedic Surgery
863-314-9308
Highlands Regional Medical Center
Maharaj, Anthony, PA
Orthopedic Surgery
863-314-9308
Watson, Michael D., MD
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
863-402-3480
Highlands Regional Medical Center
Pobi, Kwabena, MD
Urology
863-382-2576
Education and Healthcare...
Polk County Public Schools 150 years old and currently 150 schools
- Polk County Public Schools’ history stretches back more than 150 years.
Today
- Today, Polk County Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the nation, encompassing more than 150 schools and serving more than 100,000 students through both traditional K-12 schools and a variety of other programs.
Built a reputation for educational excellence
- While expanding its physical footprint, Polk County Public Schools has also built a reputation for educational excellence, as evidenced by its more than 20 nationally accredited workforce academies, five Florida Arts Model Schools, and rising number of schools offering Advanced Placement and Cambridge International programs.
School safety guardian program
- In 2018, Polk County Public Schools garnered national attention for becoming
one of the first districts to launch a school safety guardian program. Developed
in conjunction with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the guardian program
ensures every campus has either an armed school district employee or law enforcement
officer on site.
Lakeland Florida Colleges and Universities
Largest Schools Near Lakeland, Florida
A large student population offers many opportunities to students, so you might
want to opt for a school with a large student body. Lakeland’s largest
school is Polk State College, which enrolled 10,657 students, all undergraduates.
Polk State College has over two times the students of the next largest school.
Southeastern University (4,538 students)
Florida Southern College (2,869 students)
Florida Polytechnic University (924 students)
Ridge Career Center (863 students)
Traviss Career Center (825 students)
Major Healthcare Facilities In Polk County
Church owned facilities in Polk County elected not to be listed on this web site.
Our Vision, Mission and Promises
Mission
We deliver the best outcomes and safest care by placing people at the heart of all we do. We improve lives every day by promoting wellness, education and discovery.
Our Promises
At Lakeland Regional Health, people are of primary importance. That is why the value of caring is at the center of daily activity for our entire organization. We have adopted a culture of relationships and caring that uses a framework of Promises to guide relationships and care for self, patients and families, each other and the community.
Lakeland Regional Medical Center
1324 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland , FL 33805
(863) 687-1100
Bartow Regional Medical Center, part of BayCare Health System, is an acute care hospital serving South Lakeland, Bartow, Ft. Meade, Mulberry, rural south Polk County and northern Hardee County. Physicians and healthcare professionals at Bartow Regional Medical Center provide a variety of services. The hospital is equipped with four surgery suites and two gastroenterology suites. The emergency services department is staffed with board-certified emergency physicians and specially trained nurses, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to treat all types of emergency situations.
Bartow Regional Medical Center
2200 Osprey Blvd, Bartow, FL 33830
(863) 533-8111
Founded in 1926, Winter Haven Hospital has an outstanding reputation for superior, patient-centered care. Our mission statement is “to improve the health of the people we serve, by providing the highest quality and most effective care and services — and to return value to the people in our communities.” By upholding this standard of excellence in all that we do, we are able to provide patients throughout central Florida with customized, state-of-the-art treatments in a comfortable environment.
Winter Haven Hospital
200 Avenue F Ne, Winter Haven, FL 33881
(863) 293-1121
Bond Clinic, P.A. is proud to be one of the oldest businesses in Winter Haven. Founded in 1948 by Dr. Benjamin Bond, the clinic has grown throughout the years from four doctors to more than 90 providers, encompassing 28 specialties. While many things have changed through the years, our values remain the same. We will deliver high-quality health care in a compassionate, ethical and efficient manner…
Providers
At Bond Clinic, we are committed to providing Polk County and the surrounding region with quality medical professionals.
To learn more about our providers, please click their profile below or your may search a specific specialty by using the specialty menu bar to the right.
Services
Bond Clinic is a multi-specialty practice that offers physician services across 25 different specialties and a broad array of services to help make your experience more complete and more convenient!
Bond Clinic, P.A.
500 E. Central Avenue, Winter Haven, FL 33880
863-293-1191
The Watson Clinic Mission is to provide comprehensive medical services of the highest quality, in the most cost effective manner, while constantly improving excellence in the best interest of patient care.
Watson Clinic strives to be your home for quality medical care. Since 1941, we’ve worked to create a healthcare experience that’s completely centered around you – offering the area’s largest team of experts across a diverse range of specialties that serve all of your physical, emotional and behavioral care needs.
With Watson Clinic as your medical home, a primary care provider (PCP) will coordinate whatever care you need. If that involves a specialist from a different department at Watson Clinic, we’ll find the right one for you and the transition will be quick, efficient and hassle-free.
Walk-in, after hours, and weekend care is available through our Priority and Urgent Care departments, as well as our XpressCare locations. In addition, our hospital-based doctors at Lakeland Regional Health are on-call around the clock to offer emergency services and specialty care should the need arise. An electronic medical record follows patients wherever you may go within the Clinic, allowing for a continuity of care, decreased time spent filling out paperwork, and more productive patient-physician communication. And with our patient portal, we empower you to discover a healthier tomorrow by providing easy and instant access to your medical records, prescription refills, online appointments, and a wealth of important information on a variety of health-related topics right from the comfort of your own home.
Watson Clinic – Urgent Care – Main
1600 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33805
(863) 680-7271
Lake Wales Medical Center Address: 410 S 11th St, Lake Wales
, FL 33853 Phone Number: (863) 676-1433 Overall Hospital Rating: 62
Type: Acute Care Hospitals Owner: Proprietary Emergency Service: Yes
How do patients rate the hospital overall? 13% Low 25% Medium 62% High
# of Surveys / Response Rate 780 / 29
Heart Of Florida Regional Medical Center Address: 40100 Highway
27, Davenport , FL 33837 Phone Number: (863) 422-4971 Overall Hospital Rating:
59
Type: Acute Care Hospitals Owner: Proprietary Emergency Service: Yes
How do patients rate the hospital overall? 18% Low 23% Medium 59% High
# of Surveys / Response Rate 678 / 30
County Seat Duties & History...
- Spanish map of the Florida peninsula drawn in 1527
- The following sentence, quoted from Wikipedia, describes the very early history of the Bartow area: “A Spanish map of the Florida peninsula drawn in 1527 shows a native settlement called Rio de la Paz near present-day Bartow. Little is known about these Native Americans who made their home near present-day Bartow.” Bartow is Located near the source of the Peace River and is approximately 39 miles east of Tampa. For more detail please refer to the Wikipedia History of Bartow. Wikipedia contributed most of the information to the outlined below:
- From 1880 to 1900
- During the 1880s and 90s there was rapid growth. From 1880 to 1900, the City grew from about 400 people to 2,000.
- These two railroads were the driving force for growth
- The Florida Southern Railroad, in 1885, opened for business in Bartow. It had followed a north-south route from North Florida to Southwest Florida. (Wall maps of the railroads, progressing each 10 years, are displayed in the Historical Museum.) In 1886 the Bartow branch of the South Florida Railroad, was completed, connecting Tampa and Orlando. These two railroads were the driving force for growth of the area.
- Bigger than Miami or West Palm Beach
- By 1900 Bartow housed more people than any city south of Tampa on the Florida peninsula. At the time Bartow was bigger than Miami or West Palm Beach.
- The first half of the twentieth century
- By 1910, Lakeland had surpassed Bartow in population. Bartow remained the second largest city in the Polk County until the 1950s, when Winter Haven superseded it. In the first half of the twentieth century, thousands of acres of land around the city were purchased by the phosphate industry. Bartow became the hub of the largest phosphate industry in the United States. And, Polk County was the leading citrus county in the United States for much of the
20th century. - World War Two
- In 1941, the city built an airport northeast of town. The airport was taken over by the federal government during World War II and was the training location for many Army Air Corps pilots during the war.
- Current Day Airport and Rail Road Use
- The Airport is still in use for general aviation and there is some industrial development. It is home for the separately owned trains that travel from the Airport to Lake Wales to move freight from the CSX tracks (State Road 60 10miles
east), through Lake Wales and into the City of Frostproof, to supply the Lowes distribution facility. - Other Polk cities aggressively annexed while Bartow took a cautious approach
- Growth for Bartow was modest for most of the 20th century, especially in comparison to the rest of Polk County and Florida as a whole. While other cities in Polk County aggressively annexed adjacent land and allowed rapid
growth, the government of Bartow generally took a more cautious approach Bartow’s growth was also limited because most of the land surrounding the city was owned by phosphate mining companies, making residential growth impractical. In mid to late 1990s phosphate operations in the area moved southward. A lot of the areas west and south of Bartow do not appear to be reclaimed. Paved roads in mixed condition crisscross the large area. - Mosaic: The last remaining large phosphate company in the region
- The Mosaic Company had been formed in October 2004 by a merger between IMC Global, a fertilizer company formed in 1909, and Cargill‘s crop nutrition division. It is a combined producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash with a customer base which includes wholesalers, retail dealers and individual growers worldwide. Its headquarters were in Plymouth, Minnesota and it employs approximately 15,000 people in eight counties. On October 26, 2018, Mosaic announced that it would be relocating their headquarters to Tampa, Florida.
- Development Story1
- Streamsong Resort was built as, and is, a golf and spa resort developed by The Mosaic Company in Bowling Green, Florida on a 16,000 acre property near Fort Meade, Florida. The resort includes a 216-room hotel and three golf
courses built on the site of a former phosphate strip mine. Fishing on various lakes and clay-shooting are also offered. - Development Story2
- In 1999, Connecticut financier Stanford Phelps purchased the former Clear Springs phosphate lands east and south of city limits; he announced plans for an 18,000-acre development, the largest project in Polk County history. After nearly a decade of delays, the plan received final approval in 2009. The Clear Springs Development included plans for more than 11,000 new homes, 1,000,000 square feet of commercial space, three schools, and a golf course.
According to the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Bartow’s population was projected to grow to over 25,000 people by 2015. When buildout of the Clear Springs Development would be completed by 2030, the population of the city was projected to be over 45,000 residents. This did not happen. The plans were being developed during an overly heated economy with unrealistic property prices. This was followed by a decade of economic uncertainty. - Bartow: The County Seat Economy
- The economy of Bartow is driven by four sectors: government, mining, agriculture, and tourism.
As a small city which is the seat of a county with over 800,000 people, Bartow has an unusually large number of government jobs. In addition to city and county offices, there are also a number of regional, state and federal offices
located within Bartow city limits. Nine of the seventeen largest employers in Bartow are government entities. The largest by far is the Polk County School Board with over 12,000 employees. Other county entities which employ many people in the Bartow area include the county commission, the sheriff’s department, the clerk of court, the tax collector, and the property appraiser. The Florida Department of Transportation District One office is located in
Bartow and is responsible for southwest Florida’s transportation needs.
Manufacturing Transport - Land Sea & Air...
-
Direct Land to Ship Transport for Polk County Manufacturers
- The large multimodal logistics facility is the existing CSX complex west of Lake Wales. It located in the Winter Haven city limits, but its main access is to the south on state road 60 which is one hour to the city center Tampa port.
-
Easy route for east Polk and all of south Polk
- Polk manufacturers in East Polk, on the Ridge, or on the US 27 corridor, have a direct link via US 27 to SR60 at Lake Wales and west, through Bartow, to the Tampa port. Polk manufacturers in the entire South half of the county also have the SR60 west link to the port near downtown Tampa.
-
Port Tampa Bay
- Port Tampa Bay, known as the Port of Tampa until January 2014, is the largest port in the state of Florida and is overseen by the Tampa Port Authority, a Hillsborough County agency. The port is located in Tampa, Florida near downtown Tampa‘s Channel District. The port directly accesses Tampa Bay on the western coast of the Florida Suncoast and is approximately 25 sea miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Channel depth is 43 feet. The port district includes parts of Tampa Bay, Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay and the Hillsborough River. The port serves bulk and tanker ships, as well as roll-on/roll-off ships, container and cruise lines. The port additionally operates ship repair facilities.
-
A big asset for Tampa, Hillsboro County and Polk County
- Port Tampa Bay is ranked 16th in the United States by tonnage in domestic trade, 32nd in foreign trade, and 22nd in total trade. It is the largest, most diversified port in Florida, has an economic impact of more than $15.1 billion, and supports over 80,000 jobs.
A Little Less Direct Land to Ship Transport for Polk County Manufacturers
-
Port Manatee
- Port Manatee is a county-owned deepwater seaport located in the eastern Gulf of Mexico at the entrance to Tampa Bay, near the sunshine skyway bridge, in northern Manatee County, Florida. It is, like Port Tampa Bay, one of Florida’s largest deepwater seaports. The port handles a variety of bulk, break-bulk, containerized, and heavy-lift project cargoes. Channel depth is 40 feet.
-
Primary imports
- Primary imports are: Tropical fruits and vegetables, Citrus juices and beverages, Forestry products, Refined petroleum products, Finished phosphate fertilizers, Non-ferrous metals, Cement and cement clinker, Steel, Project cargo such as power plant and bridge components, heavy machinery and over-sized vehicles.
-
Primary exports
- Primary exports are: finished phosphate products, citrus juices, construction
and road building equipment, used vehicles, LNG Heat Exchangers, Power Generation
Units, (Wikipedia)
Manufacturing Sites & Facilities...
This web platform is NOT a brokerage. It does NOT offer any direct transactional capabilities, for compensation, such as would be paid between buyers/sellers and licensed real estate brokers/sales associates.
It does provide information that could be used by individuals and businesses to, through their own research, identify properties that may be suitable for (or may become suitable for) manufacturing.
Community Development & Growth...
There appear to be two significant changes in the POLK county economy over the past two decades. If addressed, certain communities could become “evolving communities”. The challenges are:
1. A more than ample capacity for service industry jobs and significant “logistics”, distribution and warehouse capacity.
2. A decrease in manufacturing jobs in certain areas. Especially in the agriculture/citrus manufacturing business, both fresh fruit packing facilities and juice processing plants.
Five (5) of Polk County’s 36 largest employers have Manufacturing as a portion of what they do to create jobs.
>>>> See Here <<<<
Recent Manufacturing Success...
Nucor Corporation is one of the largest steel producing companies in the world.
In June 2018 a southeast Polk County site was selected to manufacture the “construction material steel rebar”. The new rebar micro mill is a “recycling”, environmental friendly facility. Florida automobile “Junk Yards” provides much of the recycling scrap metal.
After the Polk County location was chosen Nucor commented, at a later date, in a national broadcast from Tampa : “The anticipated response (to worldwide steel production) was domestic capacity coming on line to” “replace the lower imported steel,” says Nucor’s CEO John Ferriola.
“That’s exactly what happened.” Stated CEO John Ferriola of US steelmaker Nucor: We’re ‘very pleased’ with the results of Trump’s tariffs. (Published Fri, Jul 19 2019 10:54 AM)
Nucor starts production at the new steel mill.
The following quotes are from Highlands News-Sun: December 31, 2020: “Nucor Steel Florida’s 235 teammates will produce up to 350,000 tons of sustainable rebar products that will contain nearly 100% recycled content. We congratulate the entire Nucor Steel Florida team for their hard work, during the pandemic, to keep the project on schedule and for completing this project safely (from a press release)”
Initially it was announced the project would begin production in July 2020, but production was rescheduled to start the forth quarter of 2020.
While Nucor refers to the mill’s location as Frostproof, it is much closer to the City of Avon Park, which provided water and sewer utilities and the new electrical lines to provide the power literally run through downtown Avon Park and, on US 27, through the property/offices of Florida Ridge Manufacturing LLC the owner/operators of this website: floridaridgemanufacturing.com
New update Sunday September 6, 2020:
Neighboring steel mill set to begin production by end of year
Just over county line in North Port
From the NewsSun
By MARK VALERO, Staff Writer
Avon Park-The Nucor Steel mill, just north of Highlands County, is nearing completion and will start production by the end of the year.
The groundbreaking of the massive construction project was held in April
2019 on the mill that will reportedly produce 350,000 tons of steel rebar a year and employ a workforce of 250 with average annual salaries of $66,000.
The mill is in Polk County and is listed as being in Frostproof, but Highlands County, especially Avon Park, is like its next door neighbor sitting at the doorstep. The mill is just north of Highlands/Polk line and just east of U.S. 27.
Highlands County and Avon Park are expecting a significant impact from their NUCOR neighbor.
Nucor Steel Florida Inc. Controller Corey Allain said about 160 team members have been hired thus far for the mill with 63 of those being Highlands County residents.
The mill will open in the fourth quarter of this year, he said. “In November or December will start production.”
The rolling mill is getting close to start commissioning, which is the first equipment that will start commissioning, Allain said. They moved into the permanent office building about two weeks ago.
Everything is on track and going well.
When asked if there were any major challenges with the construction project, Allain said, they faced the COVID challenge like everybody else and they worked through that and found ways to follow the safety/distancing guidelines while keeping the project going, other than it has been pretty smooth overall.
Avon Park City Councilmember Maria Sutherland said it was good to hear that NUCOR has hired a number of residents from Highlands County.
“I would like to see more Avon Park people hired,” she said.
As long as the NUCOR management follows through on what they said they will do, to hire people from Highlands County, then that is great news to her, she said.
Sutherland said she doesn’t know what level of positions the local hires have gotten, but at this time with COVID and a lot of people losing their jobs, this is good news to hear that someone is out there hiring.
With the local hired, the compounding effect of the dollar should have an impact with people eating out more and supporting local business because they are the ones who are really hurting, she said.
“I always encourage people who live inside the City to buy all of their service inside the City because It contributes to our tax base and into our general fund,” Southerland said.
Highlands County Economic Development, Executive Manager of Business & Development, Executive Manager of Business & Economic Development Meghan DiGiacomo said generally wherever NUCOR locates other businesses start to look around the same area as well as companies that do complementary work with NUCOR.
They are expecting additional business to locate in Highlands County due to NUCOR, but more prospects tend to be confidential so there is not always too much that can be shared, she said.
We do anticipate that NUCOR will bring some additional interest into the area,” DeGiacomo said.
Nucor is the largest steel and steel products producer in the United States with a steel-making capacity of about 27 million tons annually. The company has more than 25,000 employees at more than 200 operating facilities in North America.
Nucor was number 151 in the Fortune 500 list of America’s Largest Companies with more than $20 billion in revenue in 2018.
New update February 24, 2020:
From the NewsSun
By MARK VALERO,Staff Writer
Nucor hiring and on track for 4th-quarter start up
“The 40 acres in Highlands County, that is part of the Nucor property that was once a grove at the corner of Sunpure Road and Lemon Street, has been replaced with more than 30,000 pine trees.”
The Finished Goods Building, is more than 1,000 feet long. At Nucor Steel Florida is about 95% complete.
Nucor Steel Florida continues to hire employees, with its mill being built just north of the Highlands County line to open in this year’s fourth quarter.
Nucor Steel Florida Controller Corey Allain said the helicopter working in the area recently was from Duke Energy to pull the new transmission lines that will power the production equipment at Nucor. Expect Duke to be complete sometime in June.
The Finished Goods Building is just about done and they have started setting production equipment in the roll Mill and Melt Shop, he said. The Admin Office Building and locker rooms are all framed up, Allain said. They are expecting those to be complete sometime in June.
“We have over 80 full time Nucor team members hired and we will be hiring constantly through the end of the year,” he said. “About every month we will have a new group of 16 entry level production team members starting for the next four or five months”.
Check the website, jobs.nucor.com for postings including payroll clerk, operations clerk, warehouse, mechanics, electricians, production and maintenance. The steel mill, located off Sunpure Road just east of U.S.27, will employ 235 workers when it starts production.
Nucor is the largest steel and steel products producer in the United States, producing 22 million tons of steel in 2018.
The Charlotte, N.C. based company has more than 26,700 employees at more than 300 facilities in North America.