Lakeland
Just minutes off of I-4 and nestled snugly between Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland offers small-town community spirit and all of the conveniences one might expect from a super-regional metropolitan area. It's no suprise then that business and industry have long seized upon Lakeland as an ideal location for distribution and logistics.
What may be less apparent, however, are the dynamic and exciting developments and initiatives underway to retain and cultivate the early shoots of the innovation economy. The Lakeland EDC has created a separately funded initiative to focus on creating High-Skill, High-Wage jobs to improve Lakeland’s Quality of Life. The High-Skill Initiative is focused on recruiting and retaining companies that focus on enabling technologies which support High-Skill, High-Wage employees and manufacture complex research-oriented products. The High-Skill Initiative works to accomplish these goals through Higher Education and Economic Development Partnerships, facilitating development of High-Skill Infrastructure (including a research university), Marketing, Incentives, City Visits, Y Lakeland Campaign and Summer Leadership Program.
Notable Employers: Publix Super Markets (HQ), GEICO, GC Services, Rooms To Go