Founded in 1912, the town of Sebring boasts a population of 10,331, a 22-building downtown historic district, the annual “12 Hours of Sebring” American Le Mans Series Race and loads of small-town charm.
Photo: Bruce Hunt
With new phosphate mines planned in Hardee and DeSoto counties, Mosaic Company could add another 500 workers to the 440 currently employed at its South Fort Meade and South Pasture mines in Hardee County.
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Business Florida 2015 - The Regions
South Central Florida
Arcadia, LaBelle, Lake Placid, Moore Haven, Okeechobee, Sebring
Expanding companies that are first attracted to South Central Florida for its natural beauty and wide open spaces soon discover that this relaxing environment offers many business advantages too. This region’s location in the heartland of Florida means that approximately 85% of the state’s entire population is within a 150-mile radius. The workforce in these six counties alone tops 106,000; another 3.8 million workers can be found in bordering counties. Population density in this region averages just 46.3 persons per square mile compared to the average statewide density of 351.
Here, where cattle lands, citrus groves, sugar cane fields and subtropical foliage still dominate the landscape, three interstate highways, Florida’s Turnpike, four U.S. highways and 12 state roads provide ready links to airports and seaports in key Florida cities and to important markets throughout the Southeast. Additionally, this region is bisected by the Okeechobee Waterway, a system of navigable rivers and canals linking Florida’s east and west coasts through Lake Okeechobee.
WHO LIVES HERE
Hispanic clout
28% of South Central’s nearly 250,000 residents are Hispanic, compared to a statewide average of 24%. At 50%, Hendry County has this region’s largest concentration of Hispanics, with Hardee County a close second at 43%.
Farmers, ranchers and more
While South Central’s location in Florida’s heartland has contributed to an increase in the number of firms engaged in distribution and manufacturing, agriculture remains the dominant industry here. Four of the top five citrus-producing counties in Florida are in this region as are the only two Florida counties with more than 100,000 head of cattle.
