A New Look

Lakeland/Polk County

Polk County saw a net in-migration of more than 10,000 residents in 2004, bringing its population to just over 526,910, an increase of 8.86% since the 2000 Census. The region has proved such a popular site for major warehousing, manufacturing and distribution centers that it is essentially out of space, says Steve Scruggs, head of the Lakeland Economic Development Council. ... Wesley Beck is building the 275,000-sq.-ft. Interstate Commerce Park, and Flagler Development Corp. is developing $10-million worth of industrial and office space on 750 acres adjacent to the Publix Super Markets headquarters. ... In January, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, the nation's largest wine and spirits distributor, opened a 653,000-sq.-ft. distribution center on 80 acres in Lakeland. ... Coca-Cola is overseeing a $34-million expansion of its Simply Orange juice plant in Auburndale. ... Keiser College has broken ground on an $8.1-million Lakeland campus along I-4, and USF plans to build a 500-acre campus in Lakeland.

Key Newcomer

CSX commercial officer Clarence Gooden of Jacksonville announced in January that the railroad has purchased 1,250 acres in Winter Haven, where it plans to build a new terminal and intermodal distribution center that will take shape over 10 years and provide 2,500 jobs.

Pasco County

Employment in Pasco County grew 9.5% between June 2004 and June 2005, the largest increase of any big county in the U.S. To encourage more non-construction jobs, the county has designated about 5,000 acres as "employment centers," meaning that those areas will be limited to corporate business parks, certain targeted businesses and high-density residential development. ... Three shopping centers set to open in 2007 are under construction: Cypress Creek Town Center, the Grove at Wesley Chapel and the Shops at Wiregrass. ... Clark Steel Framing Systems, a manufacturer of steel framing for the construction industry, is investing $4 million to merge its Ocala and Tampa facilities in Dade City. ... Electro Mechanical Solutions, which makes semiconductor processing equipment, is building a new 41,000-sq.-ft. facility in Odessa.

Hernando County

While new residents flock to the area -- 9,400 people moved into Hernando County in 2004 -- a large number still commute to the Tampa area for work. Mike McHugh, director of Hernando County's office of business development, says the county is focused on "workforce interception," trying to keep residents from commuting out of the county. ... With affordable land, a favorable tax structure and easy access to major transportation routes, the county has been successful in luring companies. Emery-Thompson Machine and Supply Co., the world's largest manufacturer of ice cream-making equipment, left New York and set up shop at Hernando County Airport Industrial Park last year. ... Property values have increased 15.1% in the past year, and the value of new construction reached an all-time high, topping $354 million.

Citrus County

About 8,200 people moved into Citrus County in 2004, but 4,379 people left, leaving the area with a net in-migration of about 3,800. Progress Energy is the largest employer in the area, providing jobs for about 1,100 at the Crystal River complex and generating about 30% of the local tax base. As Progress considers building another nuclear power plant in the state, Citrus County is eagerly awaiting word on whether it will be built there. "Everybody's talking about the Progress Energy project. Our hat is in the ring for that one," says Brett Wattles, executive director of the Citrus County Economic Development Council.

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