Writer: Joshua Andino
2 min read January 2023 — As Florida continues to experience strong growth, so does Central Florida and Polk County, pegging the region’s future to the skyrocketing demand for tech and advanced manufacturing jobs that continue to transform the landscape.
“As Polk County, one of the fastest-growing communities in America, continues to increase its population, it’s also leveraging its strategic location within the heart of the nation’s third-largest state to attract higher-paying jobs in tech-enabled fields. Advanced manufacturers like Nucor Steel Florida and Assure Infusions Inc. have already located in Polk County and serve as a draw to other companies that focus on high-tech manufacturing,” said Sean Malott, president and CEO of the Central Florida Development Council (CFDC), the region’s economic development agency, in a statement to Invest. “Polk County was ranked as the No. 1 diversified economy in the state; that’s a product of the efforts of many leaders in the county. Companies locating in Central Florida are offering high-impact job growth, improving our community’s economic prosperity.”
The region has racked up considerable wins over the last few years, both in terms of relocating companies and establishing the necessary local infrastructure to secure long-term, sustainable growth. Opened in 2014, Florida Polytechnic University became the latest addition to Florida’s State University System, focusing exclusively on STEM courses and providing a local talent pipeline that employers can tap in to. The school has already secured its place among the top-ranked public colleges in the U.S. News and World Report for the Southern region for two years in a row.
Florida Poly is already working with SunTrax, the Florida Department of Transportation’s new 475-acre autonomous testing facility along Polk Parkway and the Central Florida Innovation District (CFID). SunTrax will serve as a testing center for companies looking to verify their technology and test it under a variety of conditions and scenarios. Further indicative of the wider ecosystem being developed and the support of local government, Malott explained that the state and Florida Turnpike Enterprise provided millions of dollars in funding and grants to ensure the success of both ventures.
“All of that work ensures a talented workforce for advanced-technology companies, graduates who might find their first job at a place like SunTrax, where researchers are developing advanced toll technology. Experts in AV industries think SunTrax can attract original equipment manufacturers (OEM) as well as small and midsize companies that currently may not have opportunities to test and verify their technology. Many groups have already indicated their interest and SunTrax has been as nimble as possible to respond to industry needs,” said Malott.
There has been a noticeable payoff to the work, with the region seeing an increase in job postings and strong growth in the advanced manufacturing and other tech-enabled industries spanning the gamut, from aviation and aerospace, and IT to health and life sciences. The region has seen an uptick in job growth, thanks to the expansion of employers like Nucor Steel and Assure Infusions, as Malott mentioned, but also Florida Can Manufacturing, Peace River Citrus, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC, and, most recently, the groundbreaking of International Flavors and Fragrances’ new Global Citrus Innovation Center on the Florida Poly campus.
Overall, much of the growth is related to the Central Florida Innovation District, home to Florida Poly’s campus and SunTrax. With the growth of the area anticipated to continue for the foreseeable future, driven by the business friendly environment the CFDC and local stakeholders have cultivated and the strategic location between Orlando and Tampa, the CFID is expected to provide a $5.2 billion economic impact over the course of the next 20 years and provide over 32,000 jobs for the next two decades, or 4.3 jobs for each new job in STEM-related fields.
With the CFID offering 3,000 acres, making it both affordable and easy to grow, Polk County has already anticipated future infrastructure needs for relocating businesses, ensuring water and road infrastructure is available for new entrants to the market and the potential residents they will bring. With the county nearing 800,000 residents, Malott said the state was already working with county officials to widen existing roads and build new ones, with the Central Polk Parkway already past its initial design and planning phases. Meanwhile, the Polk County Regional Water Cooperative works throughout the county to innovatively address the water resources needed for future manufacturers and residents alike.
As companies across the country continue to take note of Polk County’s affordability, land availability, and the ease of conducting business in a community with a pro-business agenda, Malott described the CFDC’s role in supporting the county’s growth as a “convener of communities and business leaders,” looking to drive the county’s economic development forward. “Our role is to do our best to help grow the market of highly skilled, high-impact sustainable businesses. We want all to be successful so the county can benefit from and drive economic development activity. It’s our role and mission to see Polk County reach its fullest potential.”
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