South Central Florida

Arcadia, Okeechobee, Sebring

John M. Dunn | 10/10/2011

The grueling 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race will celebrate its 60th anniversary at Sebring International Raceway in March 2012. [Photo: JGKATZ]

Quality of Life

Getting back to nature: Ecotourism is a favorite "sport" in Florida's heartland, which is home to Lake Okeechobee — the nation's second largest freshwater lake — plus dozens of smaller lakes and streams.

Festival fun: This region's small towns are perfect venues for special events, the likes of which you won't find elsewhere: The All-Florida Championship Rodeo (Arcadia); Seminole arts and crafts and alligator wrestling (Chalo Nitka Festival and Rodeo); Pioneer Park Days (Zolfo Springs); Sugar Festival (Clewiston); and Swamp Cabbage Festival (Labelle). For racing enthusiasts, there's Sebring International Raceway, the oldest permanent road track in America.

Notable Employers

Logistics

Wal-Mart Distribution Center, Arcadia
Walpole Inc., Okeechobee
Cross Country Automotive Services, Sebring

Agriculture

Larson Dairy Inc., Okeechobee
Lykes Brothers Inc., near Brighton Seminole Reservation, Glades County
The Mosaic Company, Wauchula
Southern Gardens Citrus, Clewiston
United States Sugar Corporation, Clewiston

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