07.24.2023

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Today’s Forecast

77º | Light thunderstorms and rain | 90% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:20 a.m. | Sunset 5:49 p.m.

Lakeland’s new slogan:

Made in Lakeland: Products manufactured in Swan City

Publix Headquarters | Photo by @publix

“Yes, we make that here.” Why? Because from lottery tickets to cottage cheese to fragrances to orange juice, we have many locally made + grown products.

The bigger the better

When talking locally made products, Lakeland has heavy hitters (think: Publix, the Pepsi Bottling Group, and Pepperidge Farm). The Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area has a diverse manufacturing economy. Food manufacturing, printing, and machinery manufacturing employ a large number of people.

Workforce

Thanks in part to our growth rate, Lakeland-Winter Haven has a strong labor pool. The current workforce is skilled — with a total employment of 259,500 and access to more than 11 million people with specialized talent in distribution, tourism, logistics, healthcare, financial services, IT, aviation, and more in a 100-mile radius.

As for the next workforce generation, Polk County Public Schools have the second-highest number of National Career Academy Coalition-accredited academies in the nation. Plus, we have six colleges and universities with 17,000 college students.

Location, location, location

With Tampa only ~35 miles southwest and Orlando only ~55 miles northeast, Lakeland is a perfect place for transporting goods by land. Interstate 4 offers direct access to major markets and airports. Other options for transportation include Lakeland Linder International Airport, the CSX Rail Access, and two major airports within an hour.

Business climate

Florida has the fourth-best business tax climate in the country. Plus, the state has no individual income tax.

Lakeland promotes research and innovation — evidenced in programs like Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute and the Advanced Mobility Institute within Florida Polytechnic University.

Lastly, Lakeland is a nationally recognized community. We’re well-ranked as a safe place to live, the hottest housing market in the U.S., the most philanthropic city, and the top city to buy a home.

Meet Lakeland's biggest manufacturers

Events

Monday, July 24

Yoga for Beginners | Monday, July 24 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Coleman Bush Building, 1104 Martin L. King Jr. Ave., Lakeland | $5 | Bring your mat and water to this class for all levels of yogis 16 or older — class meets in a temporary location through Wednesday, July 26.
Sage-ing | Monday, July 24 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Winter Haven Public Library, 325 Ave. A NW, Winter Haven | Free | Meet with other older adults at this weekly community group dedicated to finding personal fulfillment.

Tuesday, July 25

Summer Movie FunFest: “Mummies” | Tuesday, July 25-Thursday, July 27 | 10 a.m. | CMX Lakeside Village 18 & IMAX, 1650 Town Center Dr., Lakeland | $1.99 | See a new discounted family movie every week — tickets are only available at the box office.
B-I-N-G-O | Tuesday, July 25 | 6:30-8 p.m. | The Joinery, 640 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free entry | Join this weekly game to play for prizes while sipping on drinks from the bar at happy hour prices.

Wednesday, July 26

Harry Potter: Trivia Wednesday! | Wednesday, July 26 | 6:30 p.m. | Swan Brewing, 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland | Free entry | Put your knowledge of the wizarding world to the test at this trivia night covering the Harry Potter films and books.

Events calendar here

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Travel

3 reasons to visit Burnsville, NC this summer

A family taking a photo in front of the Mount Mitchell State Park sign.

Reach new heights (literally) at Mount Mitchell this summer. | Photo by Sean Busher

Looking to get away this summer? We hope you like adventure. Enter: Burnsville, NC, a charming mountain town offering endless outdoor opportunities and foodie excursions.

Pack your bags because in Burnsville, there’s...

Hiking with views for days — Burnsville has hundreds of miles of trails and is home to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. At the observation tower, hikers can see up to 85 miles away at an elevation of 6,684 ft.
Cool excursions — From kayaking and tubing to fly fishing and waterfall hikes, Burnsville has an abundance of outdoor activities that offer fun ways to escape the heat. Rather be indoors? View the world’s skies inside Arthur Planetarium.
Lots of local eats — Head downtown to refuel with coffee and whoopie pies from Appalachian Java and dig into barbecue at Pig & Grits.

Ready to go? Browse 50 unique places to stay (think: cabins, cottages, and glamping).

10 more reasons to visit Burnsville

News Notes

Development

Crews are working on Orlando Health’s new 302-bed facility — Lakeland Highlands Hospital — at the corner of Polk Parkway and Lakeland Highlands Road. The seven-story hospital is expected to open in 2026 just down the road from a new Veterans Administration outpatient clinic at 3530 Lakeland Highlands Rd. (LkldNow)

Number

5,400. That’s how many feet of sidewalk the Safe Routes to School — a federally funded program — will add to the Crystal Lake area. The project aims to encourage walking + biking to school by providing infrastructure improvements for safety. Polk is footing the bill for roughly another mile of sidewalks. (The Ledger)

Transit

The Lakeland Downtown Development Authority is considering relaunching lunchtime hours of operation for The Squeeze this fall. The free shuttle downtown service currently operates during evenings and special events. Lunch routes are under development but would cater to downtown employees and residents. (The Ledger)

Traffic

The eastbound Kathleen Road exit off of I-4 is closing today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. while CSX replaces the railway bridge nearby. It is expected to remain closed through Wednesday while crews replaced the single 250-ft bridge with two 400-ft bridges to accommodate future I-4 expansion. (The Ledger)

Sports

Southeastern baseball player JJ Sanchez just signed a free-agent contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. The pitcher will soon be assigned to one of the Blue Jays’ minor league affiliate teams. (The Ledger)

The Word

Floorball. That’s the word for the fastest-growing sport in the world — think hockey with shorter sticks, played on a hardwood floor. This weekend, six teams competed in the new sport at the Florida Vikings Cup Tournament in Winter Haven. Players from the Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovakia, and other countries participated. (WFTS)

Travel

If the summer heat has you dreaming of cooler weather and fall colors, this is your sign: Orlando International Airport (MCO) has resumed service to New England destinations (think: Boston, MA, Providence, RI, and Portland, ME). Plan your fall trip.*

Job

Lakeland Christian School is hiring Substitute Teachers for the 2023-2024 school year. Substitute Teachers are a valuable and important part of the school’s staff — allowing instruction to continue when a teacher is ill or away. If selected, individuals will be added to a pool of available substitutes. Learn more + apply.*

Biz

To grow your business, you need to promote your business. The newly-opened UPS Store on Highway 98 North can print + produce all your marketing materials with professional results (think: business cards, flyers, blueprints and more).*

Transit

Speaking of our workforce...

Here’s the thing about commuters in Lakeland, FL

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Views on the Polk Parkway | Photo by LALtoday

Lakeland made Obrella’s list as the No. 35 best commuter city in the state. With local heavy hitters like Publix + Saddle Creek Logistics, it’s no surprise that Lakeland’s commuter community is made up of folks traveling into Lakeland, as well as out of it.

In terms of commute time, Lakelanders fare better than the national average — coming in at an estimated 21-minute one-way commute vs. the US’s average of 26 minutes. To no one’s surprise, 81% of Lakelanders commute by car, with the rest carpooling, working from home, or utilizing mass transit.

Polk County tends to house more “super commuters” than neighboring counties like Hillsborough and Orange. In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, super commuters are residents that work in metropolitan areas, but reside outside its boundaries, typically commuting longer distances.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Rilee

From the editor

August is just around the corner — have you submitted your events to our community calendar yet? If you do, they may appear in the newsletter.

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