Business Images Florida's Heartland 2009-10

BUSINESS

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FLORIDA’S HEARTLAND

O, What a Playground Lakes like Okeechobee lure anglers, bird watchers

Raising Cane and Much More From citrus to cattle, agribusiness is big here

Heart of the Matter Companies beat a path to uncrowded interior SPONSORED BY FLORIDA’S HEARTLAND RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE | 2009

contents BUSINESS ®

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OVERVIEW

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BUSINESS ALMANAC

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BUSINESS CLIMATE

Heart of the Matter

8

Florida’s uncrowded interior is ideal for business.

EDUCATION

Gaining Through Training

12

Schools prepare workers for new challenges.

TR ANSPORTATION

22

Easy Come, Easy Go

14

Moving goods here is a breeze.

MANUFACTURING

Having It Made

17

Diverse manufacturers are a muscular presence.

HEALTH

Providing a Head Start

18

Neurological institute helps brain-trauma victims.

A Good Prognosis

28

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LIVABILITY

So Much To Offer

22

There’s a lot to like about the quality of life here.

TOURISM

O, What a Playground

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Lakes like Okeechobee are recreational meccas.

AGRIBUSINESS

Raising Cane and Much More 28 Agriculture remains a significant industry.

ECONOMIC PROFILE

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On the Cover PHOTO BY IAN CURCIO Sunset in Florida’s Heartland

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2009 EDITION, VOLUME 1

CU S TO M M AG A Z INE M ED I A

MANAGING EDITOR MAURICE FLIESS COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, SUSAN CHAPPELL, JESSY YANCEY ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER MATT BIGELOW STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS PAMELA COYLE, RENEE ELDER, SHARON H. FITZGERALD, PAM GEORGE, ANNE GILLEM, JOE MORRIS, JESSICA MOZO DATA MANAGER CHANDRA BRADSHAW REGIONAL SALES MANAGER CHARLES FITZGIBBON INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER CHRIS KROESE SALES SUPPORT MANAGER SARA SARTIN

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SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN MCCORD

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STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, J. KYLE KEENER

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PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT ANNE WHITLOW CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR BRIAN SMITH ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN

Lifestyle A showcase of what drives the high quality of life in Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland

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Read Business Images Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland on your computer, zoom in on the articles and link to advertiser Web sites NEWS AND NOTES >>

Get the Inside Scoop on the latest

PRODUCTION PROJECT MANAGERS MELISSA BRACEWELL, KATIE MIDDENDORF, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, CANDICE SWEET, VIKKI WILLIAMS GRAPHIC DESIGN ERICA HINES, ALISON HUNTER, JESSICA MANNER, JANINE MARYLAND, AMY NELSON, MARCUS SNYDER WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR FRANCO SCARAMUZZA WEB PROJECT MANAGERS ANDY HARTLEY, YAMEL RUIZ WEB DESIGN CARL SCHULZ WEB PRODUCTION JENNIFER GRAVES COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN TWILA ALLEN AD TRAFFIC JESSICA CHILDS, MARCIA MILLAR, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN

developments in Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER

Heartland from our editors

SR. V.P./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER

and business insiders

V.P./SALES TODD POTTER

SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART V.P./EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS

Workstyle A spotlight on innovative companies that call Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland home

SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS >>

MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS BILL McMEEKIN

Meet the people setting the pace

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS

for Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland business

CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY

MANAGING EDITOR/COMMUNITY KIM MADLOM MANAGING EDITOR/CUSTOM KIM NEWSOM PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA MCFARLAND, LISA OWENS RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP

DIG DEEPER >>

DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH

Log into the community with links

NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR JAMES SCOLLARD

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR YANCEY TURTURICE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY

to local Web sites and resources to give you the big picture of Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE CUSTOM/TRAVEL SALES SUPPORT RACHAEL GOLDSBERRY SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR RACHEL MATHEIS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/SALES SUPPORT KRISTY DUNCAN OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM RECEPTIONIST LINDA BISHOP

DATA CENTRAL >>

A by-the-numbers look at doing business and living in Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland

See the Video Our award-winning photographers give you a virtual peek inside Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland

GUIDE TO SERVICES >>

Links to a cross section of goods and services in Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland

GO ONLINE

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Business Images Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative 2730 U.S. 27 North â&#x20AC;¢ Sebring, FL 33870 Phone: (863) 385-4900 â&#x20AC;¢ Fax: (863) 385-4808 www.fhredi.com VISIT BUSINESS IMAGES FLORIDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HEARTLAND ONLINE AT IMAGESFLORIDASHEARTLAND.COM ©Copyright 2009 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

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F LO R I DAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S H E A R T L A N D

overview

TOP 10 REASONS TO DO BUSINESS IN FLORIDA’S HEARTLAND

Florida’s Heartland

1. PEOPLE With a population of about 250,000, Florida’s Heartland has an adaptable workforce eager to meet the diverse needs of employers and help make their investment in the region worthwhile.

2. LOCATION The region is close to Florida’s east and west coasts, airports and interstate highways, while offering a rural, unspoiled lifestyle.

10. CLIMATE It is hard to have a bad day when the average year-round temperature is 83 degrees for a high and 61 degrees for a low.

For more information, contact: Florida’s Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative 2730 U.S. 27 North, Sebring, FL 33870 P.O. Box 1196, Sebring, FL 33871 Phone: (863) 385-4900, (800) 620-3602 Fax: (863) 385-4808 info@flaheartland.com www.fhredi.com

3. COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP Dedicated leadership exists to invite targeted industries and welcome them to the community.

SEE VIDEO ONLINE | Take a virtual tour of Florida’s Heartland at imagesfloridasheartland.com, courtesy of our award-winning photographers.

4. AVAILABILITY OF LAND There are ample opportunities to locate here on large parcels of land as well as within existing industrial parks.

5. INCENTIVES Enterprise Zone incentives are available throughout the region to help offset the cost of investment.

Avon Park Wauchula HA R DEE

6. WORKFORCE DEVELOPERS Top-drawer workforce development agencies are prepared to meet employers’ humanasset needs initially and as they grow.

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Okeechobee

Arcadia

8. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Multiple educational opportunities within the region help employers build or upgrade the skilled workforce they need.

9. NATURAL RESOURCES This region is also known as Florida’s Freshwater Frontier because of the abundance of lakes, rivers and other outdoor attractions.

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Lake Placid

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7. ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS Forwardthinking professionals help guide a company’s decision-making process when considering an investment in the region.

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HI GHL A N DS

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Lake Okeechobee GL A D ES

Moore Haven

Pahokee

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La Belle

Clewiston Belle Glade

HEN D RY

South Bay

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Immokalee 29

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business almanac

FOWL WEATHER FRIENDS Bird watching is big business in Glades and Hendry counties, especially during the Big “O” Birding Festival held on four days in April each year.

The area on the southwest shores of Lake Okeechobee is home to more than 300 species of resident or migratory birds, which makes it a prime bird-watching destination year-round.

At the festival, visitors can take guided tours by land and on the water, as well as workshops such as Birding 101.

More information: www.bigobirdingfestival.com

PLACID SURROUNDINGS Lake Placid, in a hilly part of Highlands County, is known as the Town of Murals – for good reason. At last count, 43 outdoor murals adorn buildings and walls in the community, depicting history and life in the area – from bird watching and caladium farming to cattle roping and even bank robbing.

The Lake Placid Mural Society oversees the collection, and visitors are invited to view a 10-minute video at the Greater Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce about the town and its murals.

More information: www.lpfla.com

GEOGRAPHY LESSON It’s in south-central Florida, so how did the Alabama Georgia Grocery in Belle Glade get its name when it opened a halfcentury ago?

According to Jimmy McMillan, the name was chosen because so many people from Alabama and Georgia were relocating to the Sunshine State – including all four of his grandparents.

McMillan is the third generation of his family to own and operate the Alabama Georgia Grocery, which is located at 748 Martin Luther King Boulevard West.

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BEAT THE CLOCK The name Sebring is synonymous with racing.

In addition to the famous American Le Mans Series’ 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race held the third Saturday in March in front of as many as 170,000 spectators, Sebring International Raceway in Highlands County hosts numerous other events and attractions year-round. They include other races, vehicle testing, racing schools and the filming of television commercials.

Unlike the NASCAR and Indianapolis Brickyard ovals, Sebring’s twisting track offers 17 turns – including a hairpin where the Four Points by Sheraton Sebring, Château Élan, offers stunning views.

More information: www.sebring raceway.com

IN WITH THE OLD Arcadia is an antique lover’s paradise. The small city in DeSoto County hosts a Downtown Antique Fair on the fourth Saturday of every month. The historic district’s dozens of antique stores and vendors along Oak Street attract residents and visitors.

RIDE ’EM, FLORIDA COWBOY The bovines outnumber the residents in Okeechobee County.

With a human population of about 40,000, the county boasts an estimated 36,000 dairy cows and 65,000 beef cattle – and the Okeechobee Livestock Market is the largest-volume market of its kind in the state, auctioning about 150,000 cattle annually.

The town itself is known for a 58-block historic district containing more than 370 turn-of-the-20thcentury structures that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Arcadia has been designated a Florida Main Street Community since 1985.

More information: www.arcadiamainstreet.com

The county Cattlemen’s Association sponsors professional rodeos each March and September.

Other counties in Florida’s Heartland also have numerous dairy herds, cattle ranches and rodeos. Of note: the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo in DeSoto County, voted the state’s best in each of the last five years by Florida Monthly magazine readers. The 82nd annual rodeo will take place in March 2010.

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business almanac

RECYCLABLES ARE HIS CASTLE

SEE VIDEO ONLINE Get an up-close look at Gatorama’s ’gators and crocs by visiting imagesfloridas heartland.com.

Artist Howard Solomon used discarded aluminum printing plates to clad the exterior of the building, and old coat hangers, oil drums, beer can bottoms, gears, brake shoes and other throwaways to fabricate whimsical sculptures for the grounds.

The result is Solomon’s Castle near Ona in Hardee County.

GATORAMA EXTRAVAGANZA For decades, Gatorama has been a U.S. 27 roadside attraction near Palmdale in Glades County. Now owned by Allan and Patty Register, Gatorama breeds alligators and crocodiles, with several thousand of them swimming in the lagoon, sunning themselves on the shore or growing in the hatcheries.

Twice-a-day feedings are crowd pleasers, as the ’gators and crocs surge out of the water to feast on chicken parts held gingerly by Allan Register or another Gatorama staff member.

It’s now part of a tourist attraction that includes another of his creations, Boat in the Moat, a replica of a Spanish galleon with a restaurant inside.

For the full royal treatment, an efficiency apartment inside the castle is available for lodging.

More information: www.solomonscastle.com

The attraction includes a 1,000-foot-long covered boardwalk that passes enclosures with the prehistoric-looking reptiles as well as exhibits of birdlife and mammals.

More information: www.gatorama.com

CLEAN AND GREEN Florida Power & Light Co.’s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Center will be the largest solar photovoltaic installation in the United States.

The $174 million, 25-megawatt facility will generate enough electricity to power 3,000 homes. In addition, over the next 30 years, it will prevent the emission of more than 575,000 tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by decreasing fossil-fuel use by approximately 7 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 277,000 barrels of oil.

Groundbreaking occurred in late February 2009, with construction scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

More information: www.fpl.com/solar

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business climate

Heart of the

Matter Companies find Florida’s uncrowded interior an ideal place for business

positive growth.”

FHREDI has numerous partners: educational institutions, businesses, and community and country governments, along with Enterprise Florida, Workforce Florida and the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade & Economic Development. Together, they reach out to businesses looking to expand or locate

here. The counties have established enterprise zones as well as tax credits and other abatement measures. The region also offers proximity to international airports and deep-water seaports as well as outstanding highway access.

Mix in historic, recreational and cultural sites, plus waterways that include Lake Okeechobee and the Peace

PHOTOS BY IAN CURCIO

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unified approach to economic development, coupled with a broad range of incentives and amenities, makes Florida’s Heartland a sweet spot on the economic front.

The 5,000-square-mile interior region, which extends from a line between Tampa and Vero Beach to a line between Fort Myers and West Palm Beach, encompasses six inland counties and four communities. These entities work individually and jointly to ensure economic growth.

“Our area’s quality of life features a more laid-back version of Florida than the coastal areas, yet we are located within easy driving distance to the more developed parts of the state,” says Lynn Topel, interim executive director of Florida’s Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative, or FHREDI. “This allows potential employers to offer the best of both worlds – being able to locate within a region that is not overcrowded and is progressive toward

Commercial activity is literally at a crossroads in the renamed Sebring Regional Airport & Commerce Park.

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River and Kissimmee rivers, and the appeal to an ever-increasing variety of businesses and industries becomes clear.

“For years, agriculture has been the dominant driver in our region’s economy,” Topel says. “While it will always play a vital role, there are more diverse industries beginning to take shape, including niche manufacturing and alternative fuel production.

“We also plan to begin marketing the Rural Catalyst Project in 2010, which is targeted toward health care and sciences, and will provide shovel-ready development sites and incentives. This program is in cooperation with Enterprise Florida, and we believe it will expose Florida’s Heartland to a much broader audience,” Topel says.

BRINGING HOME THE GOODS Two examples of the region’s success in business recruitment are BP/Verenium and Everglades Foods.

BP PLC and Verenium Corp. announced in February 2009 the formation of a 50-50 joint venture to build a $250 million to $300 million cellulosic ethanol plant in Highlands County.

The plant will use grasses – not food crops – to produce up to 36 million gallons of ethanol annually. Plans call for ground to be broken in 2010, with

More Insight

IAN CURCIO

business climate

Everglades Foods found Sebring to have the right seasoning for a repacking facility.

full production scheduled in 2012 and employment for about 140 people.

Also in Highlands County, Everglades Foods Inc. put down roots in the Sebring Regional Airport & Commerce Park in early 2003. The company, which makes the Everglades Seasoning brand, picked the area for several reasons, says Leigh Ann Wynn, marketing director.

“There was a grant available from the [U.S. Department of Agriculture] t hroug h t he Rura l Economic Development Council to build the entire building, with a little left over for a

INDUSTRIAL PARKS OF FLORIDA’S HEARTLAND

GLADES COMMUNITIES: City of Belle Glade Business Park GLADES COUNTY: Glades County Business & Commerce Park, Moore Haven HARDEE COUNTY: Hardee County Commerce Park, Bowling Green HENDRY COUNTY: Airglades Industrial Park, Clewiston; Clewiston Industrial Park; Weekley Industrial Park, Clewiston; LaBelle Industrial Park

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piece of equipment,” Wynn says. “The 6,000-square-foot building was built to our specifications as a seasoning repacker facility.”

Since moving in, Everglades has expanded, adding five new products, including four sauces created at the behest of Walmart, she says.

“We have hired two new employees (for a total of six) just to keep up with production. Our goal is to hire at least one more person in 2009 and possibly begin running second shifts.”

– Joe Morris

HIGHLANDS COUNTY: Avon Park Executive Airport Industrial Park; Sebring Regional Airport & Commerce Park IMMOKALEE: Florida Tradeport at Immokalee Regional Airport OKEECHOBEE COUNTY: Okeechobee County Airport Industrial Park, Okeechobee; Royal Industrial Park, Okeechobee

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education

Gaining Through

Training

College and high school programs keep workers ready for new challenges

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uilding strong workforce skills is a common goal for business and educational leaders in Florida’s Heartland.

Accordingly, companies opening or expanding in the region will find a deep pool of work-ready employees, as well as opportunities for specialized training if needed, says Roger Hood, president and chief executive officer of Heartland Workforce, a nonprofit workforce development organization serving DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands counties.

“We have a Quick Response Training Program and an Incumbent Worker Training Program,” Hood says. “We can help companies apply for state grant money to train their workers in certain skill sets.”

Another program allows employers to recover up to half of the wages paid to workers when they undergo on-thejob training, particularly in highly skilled positions.

“The assistance is linked to training that would match up with our goals for value-added employment,” Hood says.

For example, Cross Countr y Automotive Services opened a customercontact center in Highlands County in 2001, bringing 300 jobs to the region. The company, which has since added about 200 jobs, has benefited from a training program developed

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One-Stop Shopping

P H OTO S B Y I A N C U R C I O

CENTER ASSISTS ENTREPRENEURS

Cross Country Automotive Services trained workers for a customer-contact center.

Left: South Florida Community College seeks to make students more employable.

and implemented by South Florida Community College to help workers hone computer, telephone and other customer service skills.

Another SFCC initiative focuses on training workers for energy and utility jobs, particularly the linemen needed to replace an aging workforce. “Companies have seen a need to get the employee pipeline replaced. They need to have people trained,” Hood says.

TEACHING EMPLOYABILITY Kevin Brown, dean of applied sciences and technologies at SFCC, says the school often gets requests for worker training in new technologies.

“Computer skills are something being required across the board,” he says.

“That’s a call that comes in from a lot of different places.” The college also works to ensure that students develop basic employability habits.

“We want them to think critically, to show up on time, to be professional in the work environment and be knowledgeable in their subject area,” Brown says.

On the Belle Glade campus of Palm Beach Community College, construction of a new educational training center began in November 2008.

“The building will house multiple programs that prepare people to enter

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the workforce directly,” says Grace Truman, PBCC’s director of college relations and marketing. “Some will be career programs, such as welding and cosmetology. It will also be home to one of the premier programs on campus now – sugar technology.”

A two-year program in sugar technology and a shorter-term certificate program were developed to meet the needs of sugar growers. “There are several large sugar companies based nearby, and they have a strong need for trained workers,” Truman says.

Other popular educational tracks at Heartland-area colleges include allied health-care fields such as nursing, physical therapy and radiology.

Meanwhile, the state’s Career and Professional Education Act has prompted secondary schools to form career academies that allow students to begin job training while in high school. Subject areas include automotive technology and health care, says Hood of Heartland Workforce.

This reflects the fact that demand for skilled employees is increasing across the board, he adds.

“We’re getting calls from the manufacturing sector, certainly, but we’re also hearing from fields such as aviation, construction and nursing.”

– Renee Elder

The first step toward success for savvy entrepreneurs is a visit to one of three Small Business Development Centers in the Heartland – in Avon Park, Immokalee and Clewiston.

Whether fine tuning the initial concept or taking an existing business to the next level, small business owners rely on the center for the resources and professional advice they need.

“We do a two-hour seminar every month called Steps to Starting a Small Business,” says Bill McKown, certified business analyst with the SBDC on the campus of South Florida Community College in Avon Park.

“We usually have people in these classes who are getting ready to go out and get their occupation or business license, and they want the basic information to get their business started correctly and legally.”

Demand has risen in recent months, McKown says, noting, “I’ve learned that when the economy shrinks, the small business market grows.”

Once their new business is established, entrepreneurs often grapple with questions about accounting, advertising, taxes and other business concerns.

That’s where the center’s 12-week planning and entrepreneurship course can help. “This course goes into depth, particularly in three basic areas of business: operations, finance and marketing,” he says.

“It’s an action-learning course.

We cover topics in the class, and then we have various activities and projects that we work on in class. They can take what we model and apply it.”

– Renee Elder

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transportation

Easy

Come,

Easy Go Highway, rail and air access make moving goods here a breeze

D

rive Florida’s highways and eventually you’ll sight a Walpole truck. With about 250 vehicles, the Okeechobee-based trucking company hauls food-grade flour and sugar, raw sugar and molasses, feed for dairies and ranches, some solid waste, and even fly ash from a power plant in Indiantown.

“We’re always out looking at new business and trying to help our current customers expand,” says Tommy Clay, Okeechobee terminal manager. “We’re very good at that.”

Walpole employs about 200 people and also hires independent truckers at its terminals in Okeechobee, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Birmingham, Ala. Clay calls the company “a family operation” that takes advantage of central Florida’s geographically strategic locale.

Retail giant Walmart saw the light when it opened an 865,000-square-foot distribution center on U.S. 17 near Arcadia in 2005. With multiple climate zones to store everything from ice cream to produce, the highly automated center ships to Walmart grocery aisles

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U.S. 17 offers truckers four well-maintained, largely uncongested lanes of traffic.

Left: Sebring Regional Airport hopes to gain regional jet service. P H OTO S B Y I A N C U R C I O

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transportation

More Insight HEARTLAND AIRPORTS DeSoto County: Arcadia Municipal Hardee County: Wauchula Municipal Hendry County: Airglades, LaBelle Municipal Highlands County: Sebring Regional, Avon Park Executive Okeechobee County Belle Glade Municipal Immokalee Regional Palm Beach County Glades

throughout the region.

Florida’s Heartland boasts a network of wellmaintained federal and state highways and quick access to interstates 75, 95 and 4 and Florida’s Turnpike. Cargo also moves through the region via CSX and short-line railroads, and the proximity to major airports and seaports facilitates international trade.

VITAL CONNECTIONS

BY AIR Airports in Florida’s Heartland also make their economic development mark. In Hendry County are two general-aviation facilities, LaBelle Municipal Airport and the larger Airglades Airport.

Ron Zimmerly, the county’s director of grants and special projects, says development is under way on a 260-acre industrial park at the northern edge of Airglades’ four square miles along U.S. 27.

Initial discussions in the region regarding development of an inland port for the airport are promising. “We’re hoping that we can snag that as a viable job creator,” Zimmerly says.

In Highlands County, Sebring Regional Airport features CSX rail service and two runways. The

primary runway, now 5,224 feet long, is being extended to 7,000 feet, and the secondary runway is being totally renovated, says Mike Willingham, the airport’s executive director.

The addition of precision-approach equipment in 2009 will improve safety and allow pilots to use the airport in inclement weather.

“Any corporate jet that flies today, we can handle. The goal for the extension is to be able to handle the new regional 50-to-70-passenger jets,” Willingham says.

On the airport’s 2,000 acres are a variety of Commerce Park corporate tenants – representing 700 to 800 full-time jobs – that specialize in activities as varied as drainage pipe and fertilizer manufacturing, the mixing and distribution of seasoning products, the restoration of vintage automobiles and aircraft, the tanning of animal hides, and, of course, aircraft maintenance.

The site of both an enterprise zone and a foreign trade zone, the airport is a catalyst for job creation, Willingham says. “We are within 150 miles of 85 percent of state’s population, so we are strategically and tactically situated.”

– Sharon H. Fitzgerald

People Movers in Store OFFICIALS ENVISION A FUTURE WITH PUBLIC TRANSIT OPTIONS

P H OTO S B Y I A N C U R C I O

While keeping goods moving in Florida’s Heartland is a snap, keeping people moving via public transportation, especially in more remote areas, hasn’t been so easy.

That’s why the Florida Department of Transportation is

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partnering with Florida’s Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative to plan for a future that includes buses or vans linking communities. Their work is dubbed the Heartland Rural Mobility Plan.

“The six-county area has quite a few challenges in that 36 percent of the people are 65 and older.

When we were gathering our information, 33 percent of them said they find it difficult to travel,” says Mary Constiner Freeman, FHREDI public transportation coordinator. “They said that they would use public transit if it were available.”

In fact, the majority of those interviewed or surveyed – regardless of age – said they would welcome public transportation and

probably use it. “Most of the people we interviewed had only one car or no car for the household,” Freeman says.

The plan, crafted with the help of the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida, is to be submitted to FDOT in spring 2009.

Freeman predicts some type of solution will be forged by yearend, depending on federal, state and local budgetary constraints.

Already the region has passenger rail service via Amtrak. Stations in Sebring and Okeechobee are served by the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star. Those trains travel both northbound and southbound daily between New York City and Miami.

– Sharon H. Fitzgerald

Stations in Sebring and Okeechobee are served by four Amtrak trains daily.

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manufacturing

Having It Made in the

Heartland Diverse manufacturers are a muscular part of the region’s economy

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rganix-South Inc. relocated from Clearwater to Hardee County in 2007 because the company wanted to give its employees the opportunity “to have a life,” as Faith Connelly, operations manager, puts it.

The company makes TheraNeem and TheraVeda natural herbal products for skin, hair and teeth. The move to near the small city of Bowling Green meant less traffic congestion, more affordable housing and an overall rural vibe.

Organix-South is among dozens of small and medium-size manufacturers that are operating in Florida’s Heartland. The company shares the 160-acre Hardee County Commerce Park with the likes of Tru-Wood Cabinets Inc., Allyndeb Roof Tile and metal-truss manufacturer Scosta Corp.

Chemist Autumn Blum founded Organix-South a decade ago after an acquaintance asked her to concoct a shampoo containing neem oil. Then little known, the neem tree captivated Blum and inspired product lines using its essential oils and leaf extracts.

By moving to Hardee County, the company more than doubled its space to 7,500 square feet and more than doubled its workforce to 19. Organix-South now has 52 products and during 2009 will add three shampoos, three conditioners and a pet-care line, Connelly says.

“Our business has grown immensely in 10 years,” she says.

ADVANTAGES INCLUDE WORKFORCE DEPENDABILITY Elsewhere in the region, the diversity of manufacturing is represented by such companies as Light-Tech Inc., which makes headlights for physicians and dentists in Sebring; Mancini Foods, which produces roasted peppers and other foods in Zolfo Springs; and Bowsmith Inc., which makes irrigation piping in Avon Park.

In 2007, Light-Tech moved into LED devices, which, for the user, mean “energy conservation and higher power, a brighter light,” says President Lance Giller Sr., whose father founded

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the company in 1953. The company moved to Sebring from Miami in 1980.

Mancini Foods expanded from Connecticut in 1941 when it built a factory in Zolfo Springs for the production of roasted peppers. Depending on the season, the plant employs between 50 to 125 people, says Richard Mancini, president and chief executive officer.

The company also produces fried onions and fried peppers, and it plans to introduce a line of stuffed cherry peppers in 2009. “We are very happy with the area,” Mancini says.

“We’ve got a good, dependable workforce.”

Bowsmith, a California company, opened its Sebring plant in 1982 to target the region’s citrus industry.

“We are steady, and there are plans to grow,” says Plant Manager Shannon Peacock, citing the potential addition of irrigation “drip tape” to its Florida product line. He took over as plant manager four years ago and says for the benefit of other manufacturing-company executives that Florida Heartland’s is worth a look.

“I believe the region in central Florida has a great deal of potential for growth,” Peacock says. “There is space available to build, plus personnel and resources.”

– Pamela Coyle

Organix-South’s TheraNeem products include toothpaste.

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health

Providing a

Head Start Florida Institute for Neurological Rehabilitation helps patients deal with brain trauma

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ne might not expect to find a nationally known medical institution in pastoral Hardee County. But the rural landscape suits the Florida Institute for Neurological Rehabilitation, which treats patients who’ve sustained severe physical, cognitive or speech-language impairments because of brain injury.

“Patients who were violent and agitated in a hospital setting frequently don’t exhibit that behavior at all here,” says Dr. Jorge J. Villalba, the institute’s medical director. “It’s very peaceful.”

Situated on nearly 1,000 acres in Wauchula, FINR provides rehabilitative, educational and vocational services to both children and adult survivors of brain injury.

While traumatic injury is the main

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condition leading to admission, there are others, including anoxic encephalopathy (degenerative brain disease) and neuropsychiatric conditions such as refractory epilepsy, pervasive development disorders and severe Tourette syndrome.

Along with its soothing environment, FINR takes pride in its low-restrictive policies. Restraints – physical or pharmaceutical – are used only when behavioral methods have proven ineffective against aggressive and agitated states.

TAKING A TEAM APPROACH Since joining the institute in 1992, Villalba – a board-certified child, adolescent, adult and forensic psychiatrist – has seen the number of staff physicians grow from two to seven:

three internal medicine specialists, two neurologists, one neuropsychiatrist and one family practitioner.

FINR now has 590 employees, ranking it as a leading Hardee County employer.

Patients benefit from the team approach that Villalba implemented after he became medical director in 2000.

Therapists, nurses, physicians, teachers and other caregivers work together to address the special needs of each patient.

The range of care varies. Some people arrive in a delicate condition, Villalba says. Others are in comas. In acute cases, the level of supervision is one staff member to one patient on a 24-hour basis.

FINR has 137 beds on its main

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campus, which includes a pair of new 12-bed facilities.

The institute’s Skilled Medical Rehabilitation Center, known as FINR III, serves patients who no longer need hospitalization but who are still medically dependent. Other beds are spread out in cabin-like buildings on the facility’s grounds.

Clients in acute and post-acute rehabilitative care receive intensive speech, occupational and physical therapy. By summer 2009, FINR plans to complete a vocational building with computer rooms and a wheelchairaccessible swimming pool and whirlpool.

There are three assisted-living facilities: Aces, an eight-bed facility in Wauchula; Teach, a six-bed facility in Wauchula; and Oppidan, a 14-bed facility in Sarasota.

Slightly more than 100 individuals reside on the main campus. They have total-care requirements or behavioral issues, or they lack a support system beyond the institute’s grounds to provide the necessary structure and supervision.

“Some ride their bikes around. Some are wheelchair-bound,” Villalba says.

Some patients move on to group homes. FINR has eight housing offerings in Wauchula, with a total of 38 beds.

Others move on to nursing homes. And some go home. FINR works with family members on modifications to their dwelling for the patient’s benefit, and the staff offers continuing support and supervision through a communityintegration program.

There’s no telling how a patient will fare. Villalba has seen some who entered FINR in a coma leave both walking and talking. Others require supervised living.

One thing is certain: The institute seeks to restore the patient’s functioning to the highest possible level.

– Pam George

Brain scans await review by physicians at the Florida Institute for Neurological Rehabilitation. Above: Dr. Jorge J. Villalba has led FINR since 2000.

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health

A Good Prognosis Medical care in Florida’s Heartland is expanding

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here is no shortage of health-care facilities in Florida’s Heartland, and residents soon will have a new one.

In Belle Glade, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County is building the $73 million, 70-bed Lakeside Medical Center to replace Glades General Hospital.

“Glades General Hospital provides a 24-hour staffed emergency room and a full range of inpatient and outpatient services,” says Dr. Ronald J. Wiewora, interim administrator.

“However, the hospital, which was built in 1944 and expanded in 1965, is now outdated.”

Lakeside Medical Center, expected to open in late 2009, is being built on a 50-acre site at the intersection of U.S. 441 and Florida Route 80.

All inpatient rooms will be single occupancy.

The hospital also will have an enhanced emergency room with access to a helipad, six private labor and delivery rooms, and 10 private postpartum rooms.

The Health Care District of Palm Beach County is studying options regarding the future of Glades General, one of nine hospitals in Florida’s Heartland.

Two hospitals located in Sebring make it a medical hub for the northern part of the region: the 159-bed Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center and the 126-bed Highlands Regional Medical Center.

Florida Hospital Heartland Division operates Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center as well as hospitals in Lake Placid and Wauchula.

The division is part of the Adventist Health System, which has 17 hospitals in Florida.

Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center, which opened in 1997, is a 230,000-square-foot, three-story structure on an 86-acre campus.

Its emergency room is a certified chest-pain center. The hospital also offers procedures to relieve the pain of varicose veins.

In January 2009, the hospital opened its heart and vascular center, which has a new interventional cardiologist and a cardiac catheterization lab. “With the aging population, we’re happy that we can treat people without having to send them out of the community,” says Cathy Albritton, spokesperson for Florida Hospital Heartland Division At Highlands Regional Medical Center, upgrades of technology and equipment in 2007 cost several million dollars. The hospital’s iE33 3-D ultrasound system enables cardiologists to view a patient’s heart as though they were holding it.

As Chief Executive Officer Robert Mahaffey notes in a message on the hospital’s Web site, “The advance in medicine and strides in technology are providing local communities access to better health care.”

– Pam George

More Insight HEARTLAND HOSPITALS DeSoto Memorial Hospital, Arcadia Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center, Lake Placid Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center, Sebring Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center, Wauchula Glades General Hospital, Belle Glade Hendry Regional Medical Center, Clewiston Highlands Regional Medical Center, Sebring Lehigh Regional Medical Center, LaBelle

IAN CURCIO

Raulerson Hospital, Okeechobee

Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center in Sebring, which opened in 1997, has 159 beds.

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Newell: Glorious sunsets are routine in Florida’s Heartland. PHOTO BY IAN CURCIO

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Newell: Glorious sunsets are routine in Florida’s Heartland. P H O T O B Y I A N C U R C I O

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livability

So Much To

OFFER Newcomers and longtimers alike appreciate the quality of life here

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ayor Mali Chamness arrived in Clewiston in 1961, after she and family members had left their native Cuba. Wauchula City Manager Rick Giroux is a recent transplant to Florida’s Heartland, having arrived in 2005. Although their length of residency differs by decades, both are equally committed to preserving the quality of life that makes the region special.

With hundreds of freshwater lakes, abundant recreational opportunities, affordable small-town living and a central location, the Heartland has much to offer.

“I love Clewiston,” says Chamness, who was elected to the city commission in 1999 and first appointed mayor in 2001.

More Insight

MEETING ECONOMIC CHALLENGES Giroux, who grew up in Ohio and has been a professional municipal administrator for two decades, has found a good fit in Wauchula. He calls it “the best of both worlds.”

“Wauchula offers such a desirable lifestyle, yet it’s very close to all the other interests that Florida has to offer,” Giroux

SELECTED PARKS IN FLORIDA’S HEARTLAND

DESOTO COUNTY: Deep Creek Park, R.V. Griffin Reserve GLADES COUNTY: Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area, Kissimmee River Public Use Area (also in Highlands and Okeechobee counties)

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“There’s no other place I’d rather be.”

She adds, “In any community, what makes the place are the people who live there. We’ve got a great group. … It’s a small town, so you know a lot of people. For me, personally, my family found safe haven here after we had to leave Cuba.”

HARDEE COUNTY: Hardee Lakes Park, Paynes Creek Historic State Park, Zolfo Springs Pioneer Park HENDRY COUNTY: Dinner Island Ranch WMA, Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest and WMA, Spirit of the Wild WMA

HIGHLANDS COUNTY: Highlands Hammock State Park, Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park, Hickory Hammock WMA, Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area, Platt Branch WEA OKEECHOBEE COUNTY: Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, Taylor Creek Park

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livability

“Wauchula offers such a desirable lifestyle, yet it’s very close to all the other interests that Florida has to offer.” says, listing fishing/boating on Lake Okeechobee, Sebring International Raceway, ocean and gulf beaches, and Orlando’s multiple attractions.

Like their counterparts nationwide, the leaders of Wauchula, Clewiston, Moore Haven and other Heartland communities face economic challenges in 2009.

The Hardee County seat of Wauchula, with an estimated 2007 population of 4,553, implemented a new strategic plan and administrative agenda in 2005, when Giroux became city manager. “Wauchula is keen to cherish its heritage and keep its hometown flavor, but at the same time, it seeks to cultivate a future of prosperity and a vibrant economic foundation and enhance its natural aesthetics,” he says.

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With an estimated 2007 population of 7,166, Clewiston in Hendry County is home of U.S. Sugar Corp. and known as America’s Sweetest Town. U.S. Sugar’s future in the area is uncertain, and city officials are working to secure economic vitality. Among current initiatives, Chamness says, are promoting tourism, developing a commercial park and recruiting additional jobs.

In Glades County, Moore Haven is redeveloping its marina and adding a water taxi service to capture the economic development opportunities provided by being on the Caloosahatchee River. Also in the county, the River Forest Yachting Center recently opened.

– Anne Gillem

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Heartland Is Arts Land

P H OTO S B Y I A N C U R C I O

FROM THEATER TO MUSEUMS, THIS REGION IS RICH IN CULTURE

Bicycling is one of the region’s many recreational choices.

Above: Lush foliage in Highlands Hammock State Park

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The arts are alive and well in Florida’s Heartland, where Broadway is brought to life, museums abound, and artists find a welcoming home to create and showcase their works.

For more than 30 years, the Highlands Little Theatre in Sebring has been a star on the region’s arts scene. Originally an offshoot of the Highlands Art League, the theater incorporated as a not-forprofit organization in 1982.

Located in the Altvater Cultural Complex, the theater has an impressive lineup of Broadway shows on tap for the 2009-10 season, featuring local acting talent.

Pete Pollard, executive director of the Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency and president of the Highlands Little Theatre board of directors, has participated in theater productions since 1982.

“One of the things that has kept me here is the professional approach this organization has taken to theater,” Pollard says. “The product we turn out, I feel confident saying, is not what most people perceive community theater to be.”

The redevelopment agency has worked hand-inhand with the art league to give old buildings new life – including transforming houses on Lakeview Drive into an Artists Village.

Although the theater has had financial struggles in recent years, Pollard says it is rebounding strongly.

Other popular theater stages are the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center at Palm Beach Community College in Belle Glade, the South Florida Community College auditorium in Avon Park and the Firehouse Cultural Center in LaBelle.

At the Clewiston Museum, director Butch Wilson takes pride in the displays showcasing fossils, the sugar industry, Seminole Indians and other important aspects of local history. He describes it as “a place where people can come in and see South Florida from its earliest times up to today.”

Additional museums in the region include the Pioneer Park Museum in Zolfo Springs and the Museum of Florida Art and Culture at SFCC. – Anne Gillem

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tourism

O, What a

Playground

More Insight

AMONG THE ANNUAL FESTIVALS IN FLORIDA’S HEARTLAND ARE:

JANUARY: Sour Orange Festival, Lakeport; Buckhead Ridge Catfish Festival, Sebring FEBRUARY: Cane Grinding Festival, Ortona; Speckled Perch Festival, Okeechobee; Swamp Cabbage Festival, LaBelle MARCH: Chalo Nika Festival, Moore Haven; Farm Fest, Arcadia; Pioneer Park Days, Zolfo Springs; Grillin N Chillin, Wauchula

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APRIL: Big “O” Birding Festival, Clewiston; Black Gold Jubilee Festival, Belle Glade; Sugar Festival, Clewiston MAY: Watermelon Festival, Arcadia; Black Heritage Festival, LaBelle; Nature Fest, Hardee Lakes Park, Bowling Green

SEPTEMBER: Labor Day Weekend Festival, Okeechobee NOVEMBER: American Indian Arts Celebration, Big Cypress Seminole Reservation DECEMBER: Highlands Bike Fest, Sebring

AUGUST: Caladium Festival, Lake Placid

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Lakes like Okeechobee make this a refreshingly different part of Florida

I

f you thought vacationing in Florida was just Disney World and beaches, think again. Tourism is big business in Florida’s Heartland, and visitors are encouraged to think outside the box to enjoy a new kind of Florida getaway.

“Our six south-central Florida counties are all inland, not coastal, so we offer a completely different view of Florida,” says Michelle Phillips, tourism coordinator for Florida’s Freshwater Frontier.

“We’re blessed with lots of nature, freshwater lakes, and hunting and fishing opportunities. Every day I wake up and thank God I live in paradise.”

Florida’s Heartland is called the Freshwater Frontier for good reason.

One of the region’s main attractions is Lake Okeechobee, the second-largest freshwater lake in the United States at 450,000 surface acres, referred to by local residents as Lake O or The Big O. “Lake Okeechobee offers amazing recreation opportunities,” Phillips says, from fishing and birding to hiking or biking along the 110-mile Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST. “Our region is quickly becoming known as a great mecca for bird watchers. We have 16 trails that are designated by the state as Great Florida Birding Trails, and you can see waterfowl, wading birds and songbirds.”

FROM CAMPGROUNDS TO CHANDELIERS Popular destinations along Lake O include Okee-Tantie Recreation Area in Okeechobee County, which includes a campground and marina; Everglades Adventure RV & Sailing Resort in Pahokee; and, in Clewiston, Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort, named for the professional sport fisherman who helped launch the establishment

in the 1970s. Martin’s former wife, Mary Ann, now owns and operates the property with son Scott and daughter Laura.

“We’re like a little town,” Mary Ann Martin says. “We have accommodations, a tiki bar with live entertainment, a great ship store with clothes and shoes, and even condos. You can spend a whole month here.”

Martin’s Marina and Resort offers airboat rides on Lake O and professional bass fishing guides. In past years, the lake has been the No. 1 bass fishing destination in the world, thanks to the its reputation for producing champion largemouth bass as well as bluegill and speck.

“It’s a water paradise in a great ecosystem,” Martin says. “People talk about the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, but we think the magic kingdom is right here.

You can come enjoy the beauty of the Everglades, and at any given time you might look up and see an osprey flying over your head taking a small fish to its nest.”

The Clewiston Inn is another jumping-off point for Lake O fishing and ecotourism. The historic hotel, which opened in 1938, regularly hosts birding groups, duck hunters and fishermen.

Floyd Salkey and Yasir Khan purchased the inn in 2007. “It was in great shape but needed some cosmetic things done,” Salkey says.

“We exhausted a lot of effort to preserve its historic value. The cypress wood paneling in the lobby is original, as well as the lighting, chandeliers and 70 percent of the furniture in the Colonial dining room,” he says. “One unique feature is the hotel’s wonderful cocktail lounge, which has a mural of the Everglades that wraps around all four walls.”

– Jessica Mozo

This region is known as Florida’s Freshwater Frontier for a reason.

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Home Plates LOCALLY OWNED RESTAURANTS MAKE DINING MEMORABLE Florida’s Heartland is known for its one-of-a-kind tourist attractions – and for its dining spots, too. Locally owned restaurants offer memorable dining experiences with entrees such as gator tail, freshwater turtle and freshly caught fish.

“The Watering Hole in Sebring has great steaks and a pet 14-foot alligator onsite,” says Michelle Phillips, tourism coordinator for Florida’s Freshwater Frontier. “You can dine indoors or outside.”

On Lake Okeechobee, the Clewiston Inn specializes in Southern-style dishes such as meatloaf, barbecue, fried chicken and catfish.

Another dining hotspot on the lake is Lightsey’s Seafood Restaurant at the Okee-Tantie Recreation Area in Okeechobee County, featuring a menu with seafood, catfish, turtle, frog legs and gator. “Lightsey’s is known for great seafood and familystyle cooking,” Phillips says.

Flora and Ella’s Restaurant, a landmark in LaBelle since 1933, is known for homemade pies and soul food. Wheeler’s Café in Arcadia serves downhome cooking all day long.

Sunset Grille overlooking Lake Jackson in Sebring is another of the many places with gator tail on the menu.

Also in Sebring, Caddyshack Bar & Grill offers a very diverse menu. “Caddyshack has a lot of Greek food, fish, Italian food, chicken quesadillas and seafood pastas – a little bit of everything,” Phillips says.

– Jessica Mozo

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agribusiness

Raising Cane

Much

and

More Agriculture remains a significant economic sector in the Heartland

IAN CURCIO

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he agriculture industry continues to thrive in Florida’s Heartland.

Sugar cane has long been an important cash crop in the southern part of the region, and the venerable citrus business continues to be strong in many places.

Hendry County alone has more than 10 million citrus trees on nearly 70,000 acres, ranking it first in the state in the number of trees and second in acreage. It is followed closely by DeSoto, Highlands and Hardee counties.

“Our very active citrus industry

employs around 3,000 people on a yearround, full-time basis,” says Ray Royce, executive director of the Heartland Agricultural Coalition. “In addition, citrus growers are among the leaders in state water conservation efforts as well as the reduced usage of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and other farm chemicals.”

Another successful agricultural sector is cattle, with Okeechobee County’s bovine population exceeding that of people by more than 2 to 1, and Highlands County using more than 60 percent of

Want citrus? Hendry, DeSoto and Highlands counties have nearly 27 million trees.

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agribusiness

SEE VIDEO ONLINE Check out some of the region’s roadside produce stands at imagesfloridasheartland.com.

More Insight THREE HEARTLAND COUNTIES ARE AMONG FLORIDA’S TOP FOUR IN CITRUS TREES AND ACREAGE: Hendry County: 10.6 million trees (first), 69,927 acres (second) DeSoto County: 8.2 million trees (third), 61,426 acres (fourth) Highlands County: 8 million trees (fourth), 62,599 acres (third)

its land for grazing. Highlands County ranks first in Florida in the number of beef cattle and second in the combination of beef cattle and calves. The county’s 300 beef cattle producers account for $30 million in annual sales, Royce says.

CALADIUMS AND JATROPHA “Also prolific in our region,” he says, “are different horticulture and nursery type products.

The largest enclosed nursery in the United States – Delray Plants – is in the Heartland (near Venus in Highlands County).”

He adds, “Sod growing is also profitable, thanks to our ideal weather, while the city of Lake Placid is known as the Caladium Capital of the World because it is such a dominant grower of those beautiful flowers.”

Support industries have settled in Florida’s Heartland as a result of agriculture being so prevalent.

“For instance, Amerikan LLC, a company that makes plastic pots for the nursery industry, has moved to the area because of Delray Plants,” Royce says. “The list of suppliers in the region

gets lengthier all the time.”

Another growing segment is biofuel crops, especially the tropical jatropha plant that can be processed into oil and then fuel for jet aircraft.

“I was in a January 2009 meeting with some people who are quite interested in building a jatropha plantation for the specific purpose of using its seeds for oil,” he says. “Also, a recent deal has been signed with Verenium Corp. (in a joint venture with BP PLC) to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Highlands County. (See story, page 8.) And yet another company has been talking with the Heartland Agricultural Coalition about constructing an ethanol plant in the region.”

According to Royce, the agricultural industry overall remains vibrant here, even in these tough economic times.

“Sorghum is still a strong commodity, and muscadine and scuppernong grapes are growing well for the wine industry,” he says. “The residue from jatropha plants can be processed into biomass to power electricity plants. Yes, agriculture is definitely a growing industry around here.”

– Kevin Litwin

Dallas Platt sells fresh fruits and vegetables at 98 Produce on U.S. 98 near Sebring.

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All Roads Lead to Glades County Land for Opportunity

Vines & Wines HENSCRATCH FARMS MAKES 12 VARIETIES Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a toast to Henscratch Farms Vineyard & Winery.

People might not think of Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heartland as a winemaking region, but Henscratch Farms has been a grape-growing success since 1999. The 10-acre operation is located in Highlands County between Lake Placid and Sebring, and its 12 muscadine and scuppernong wines are gaining in popularity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big white grapes and big black grapes grow very well here in this region, producing fruit with a musky aroma and a thick honey taste,â&#x20AC;? says Andrea Sweitzer, executive assistant with Henscratch Farms Vineyard & Winery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Customers come from miles around to purchase our wines.â&#x20AC;?

Drew Jones and Brooke Bundy own Henscratch Farms, which produces much more than wine. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also make items like blueberry jam, strawberry jellies and salsas, plus we sell free-range eggs that are produced from the 200-plus hens that roam free here,â&#x20AC;?

Sweitzer says.

She adds that a country store on the grounds has numerous items. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you are looking for an unusual item like blueberry dressing or a cran-raspberry port wine, Henscratch has it,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Customers can also get something like a jug of raw honey from our on-site beehives, and a big-selling item we feature is infused grapeseed oil that is perfect for dipping and sautĂŠing.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kevin Litwin

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Location well suited for companies involved in:

s ,OGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION

s 2ENEWABLE ENERGY

s &OOD AND BEVERAGE

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'LADES #OUNTY %CONOMIC $EVELOPMENT #OUNCIL AT TWHIRLS GLADESCOUNTYEDC COM OR CALL Visit us online at: www.gladescountyedc.com

IMAGESFLORIDASHEARTLAND.COM

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Per capita income – $22,332 (2006)

ECONOMIC PROFILE

Labor force – 17,262 (2007)

BUSINESS CLIMATE Six counties and communities in south-central Florida make up Florida’s Heartland. The region covers 5,000 square miles, with a population of about 250,000.

Okeechobee County, on Lake Okeechobee, consists of 774 square miles of land and 153 square miles of the lake.

DESOTO COUNTY

HENDRY COUNTY

Population – 34,675 (2007)

Population – 39,611 (2007)

BELLE GLADE

Per capita income – $22,450 (2006)

Population – 16,739 (2007)

Labor Force – 17,983 (2007)

IMMOKALEE

MUNICIPALITIES Per capita income – $20,052 (2006) Labor force – 14,046 (2007) DeSoto County’s largest economic sectors are retail trade, agriculture and government.

GLADES COUNTY Population – 11,109 (2007) Per capita income – $20,299 (2006) Labor force – 4,615 (2007) Glades County’s economy is supported by tourism, fishing, cattle, sugar cane, sand mines and citrus.

LaBelle, the county seat, leads the county’s citrus, cattle and vegetable production. Clewiston is America’s Sweetest Town – with sugar as the prime product – and is known for its marinas.

HIGHLANDS COUNTY Population – 99,349 (2007) Per capita income – $25,016 (2006)

HARDEE COUNTY

Labor force – 40,340 (2007)

Population – 28,830 (2007)

Highlands County is a major producer of citrus and cattle, and is home to many manufacturers and distributors.

Per capita income – $19,545 (2006) Labor force – 12,071 (2007) Hardee County’s major industry is agriculture, including cattle, citrus, cucumber, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes.

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY

Population – 19,763 (2000)

PAHOKEE Population – 6,617 (2007)

SOUTH BAY Population – 4,506 (2007)

FOR MORE INFORMATION Florida’s Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative 2730 U.S. 27 North, Sebring, FL 33870 P.O. Box 1196 Sebring, FL 33871 Phone: (863) 385-4900, (800) 620-3602 Fax: (863) 385-4808 info@flaheartland.com www.fhredi.com SOURCES:

Population – 40,311 (2007)

www.flaheartland.com www.census.gov

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FHREDI www.fhredi.com

Hardee County EDO www.hardeebusiness.com

Florida’s Freshwater Frontier www.floridafreshwaterfrontier.com

Highlands County EDC www.highlandsedc.com

Glades County EDC www.gladescountyedc.com

Inn on the Lakes www.innonthelakessebring.com

IMAGESFLORIDASHEARTLAND.COM

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Hardee County Ripe. Refreshing. Bursting with flavor.

Like the oranges that color its open expanses, Hardee County, Florida is a sun-drenched delight just waiting to be savored.

Life in Hardee means land, lots of it – some 400,000 acres. It means clean air, clean water, safe streets, friendly neighbors, civic pride, affordable living and hometown fun. It’s this one-of-a-kind way of life that unites 28,000 residents of Hardee County in our effort to at once enhance and ensure all this Heartland haven has to offer.