South Central - Centered for Business

John M. Dunn | 9/21/2010

Getting serious about solar

Solar investors, says Dan Murphy, executive director of the Highlands County Economic Development Commission, are making lots of queries across South Central, and he’s not surprised. "We’re looking to make our area the alternate energy belt; we have the sunshine, we have the agriculture, and we have the incentives."

Locally grown sugar cane will become ethanol at a Highlands County plant.

In fact, South Central’s reputation for green energy got a boost in October 2009 when President Obama spoke at the unveiling of Florida Power and Light’s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, the largest solar photovoltaic plant in the nation. The power plant uses 90,500 solar panels to generate 42,000 megawatt-hours of electricity each year and is expected to create $2 million in tax revenues for the county by the end of 2010, and a total of $37 million during its lifetime. FPL officials say operations could expand to 300 megawatts if new state legislation is passed to allow the company to recover expenses associated with their renewable energy investment.

Communications upgrade

Efforts are also under way to beef up South Central’s communication infrastructure. Hardee County is leading the way with a project that uses $2 million in state grant money, plus another $2 million in matching funds from Tampa-based Rapid Systems to set up the region’s first modern broadband project. Hardee County Economic Development Coordinator Sarah Pelham says the new, enhanced system will enable her rural county — much of which until now has been limited to dial-up speeds of 56K — to better compete in the global economy.

In the meantime, Florida’s Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative, which rep?resents the entire six-county region, is working to broaden In?ternet services through a state-sponsored rural broadband program.

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Expanding at Home

Okeechobee’s Magna-Bon, a producer of a copper-reduced citrus canker fungicide is working with Enterprise Florida to move into the Caribbean market. Talks are also under way with San Miguel, a major lemon grower, to test the product in Argentina.

West Palm Beach-based Royal Concrete Concepts is expanding operations beyond Florida into other southeastern states. Negotiations are under way with the government of Angola to build 15,000 modular housing units and, if that happens, an extra 1,000 jobs could open up at the company’s Okeechobee plant.

Avalanche Construction Service LLC is expanding production on an industrial park in Clewiston, retaining 12 workers and adding 36.

Moore Haven’s city marina is getting a $400,000 face-lift. City officials hope the spruced-up facility will be an anchor for a new restaurant, lounge and hotel to spur tourism.

$1 million in design and engineering work is under way to build a 'catalyst site' at the Sebring Regional Airport, along with a state promise to help market the site to attract high-end tenants, such as medical device manufacturers.

Highlands County is setting up business incubators at the Sebring Airport and in Avon Park.

Tags: Business Florida