Bill McDaniel, City Manager, City of Plant City

In an interview with Invest:, city manager of Plant City Bill McDaniel highlighted the city’s decade-long focus on logistics, distribution, and industrial growth, driving economic transformation. Key initiatives include a new water treatment plant, workforce training partnerships, and infrastructure upgrades to support expansion.

What are some of Plant City’s recent economic accomplishments?

It’s too limiting to look at just the past year because we’ve been on nearly a decade-long trajectory for economic development. It started with a shift away from a residential focus, which many communities leaned on as their future. Plant City made that shift about 10 years ago, focusing on logistics, distribution, commercial, and industrial sectors. We made strategic investments in utilities to support that type of development, and it turned out to be a great strategy by our city commission.

It’s been transformative for us. Once we got that in place — creating all this development in those sectors, creating jobs — then residential naturally followed. We now have two large residential subdivisions underway in the north and northeast: North Park Isles and The Farm at Varrea. We’re also seeing a lot of interest in multifamily housing and infill development with smaller subdivisions. That all followed from our strategy of promoting Plant City to the logistics and distribution sector, but we’ve also attracted other types of industrial uses along the way.

What makes Plant City an ideal location for business expansion or relocation?

Plant City has a lot of benefits. We offer a lot to people who choose to locate their businesses here or make this their home. First, we’re strategically located. We sit right on I-4, in the middle of a strong and active MSA. State Route 39 bisects our city, giving us access south and north into Pasco County and beyond. We’re also adjacent to Lakeland, which has a strong airport operation, and we’re just a few miles east of Tampa International Airport, with Orlando International not too far away.

When it comes to transportation, it feels like we’re right in the middle of everything. We’re close to all the assets businesses need access to, and that gives us a tremendous amount of strength in the market. As for industries, it’s almost a who’s who — we have distribution centers for Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Ace Hardware, among others. We have a diverse economic landscape, and we’re seeing growth in all areas.

What support does the city offer for small businesses and startups? Are there new initiatives for business resilience?

Developers and business owners often tell us that time is money, and we take that seriously. We offer the most expedited review process we possibly can. Our mindset is that the answer is “yes” — we just figure out how to get there. In a lot of places, businesses run into environments where the starting position is “no” and they have to convince the government otherwise. For nearly a decade, Plant City has been open for business. We work with developers as partners rather than putting up obstacles.

Of course, there are regulations we have to follow, but we strive to create a friendly, efficient process. Over the years, we’ve been able to take large projects and move them through the review process quickly, so much so that some developers have told us they’ve never seen anything like it.

Now, we’ve also become a bit of a victim of our own success. More businesses are coming, which means more demand on our staff. But we continue to prioritize efficiency and responsiveness.

How would you assess the labor market in Plant City? What workforce development efforts are in place?

Everyone is facing workforce challenges, and that includes us. It used to be that government jobs were hard to come by because people got them, stayed in them, and vacancies were rare. That’s not the case anymore. We’re competing with other governments and the private sector to fill positions. CDL drivers are a good example. We all need them, and we’re all pulling from the same talent pool.

To address workforce development, we partner with Hillsborough Community College and Hillsborough County Schools. Over the years, we’ve helped create training programs to meet industry needs, whether that’s for forklift operators, CDL drivers, or skilled trades.

Recently, we made a land deal with Hillsborough County Schools, giving them a parcel near our stadium on the east side of the city. They’re building a vocational school there that will train workers for industries coming into Plant City, including electricians, plumbers, and masons.

What infrastructure projects are underway to support both residential and business growth?

Infrastructure priorities start with utilities — water and sewer. That’s always a challenge because it’s expensive, and growth can outstrip a city’s ability to keep up. Right now, we have plenty of capacity on the sewer side, but like a lot of Florida communities, water is the challenge. We’re working on that in several ways.

We’re finishing up a new water treatment plant, which will add 1.1 million gallons of capacity. We’re also launching an aquifer recharge project at McIntosh Preserve in the north part of the city. By preserving and improving wetlands, we’ll be able to take some of our reclaimed water, put it into the wetlands, and allow it to naturally percolate back into the aquifer. We see that as generational water security.

Since we operate as a standalone water utility, we must think long term. We’re not just planning for the next three to five years, we’re making investments to secure water for future generations.

How does the city balance infrastructure improvements with preserving its historic charm?

That’s a big topic everywhere, including here. Plant City is protective of its identity. We have strategic plans, including a master plan, that guide how we want the city to develop. Some people resist growth, but it’s inevitable. The key is deciding what we want it to look like and managing it in a way that preserves what makes Plant City special.

Infrastructure is a big part of that, but it’s also one of the most expensive and time-consuming pieces. Expanding water or sewer lines, for example, isn’t a six-month project. It takes years of planning and construction. We’re constantly working to balance the need for growth with the reality of infrastructure timelines.

What are your top priorities for the next two to three years?

Water is near the top of my list. We must have the capacity to meet future demand, and we’re working hard to make sure that’s in place. Stormwater is also a major focus. Hurricane Milton showed us how quickly an extreme weather event can overwhelm communities. We saw similar flooding here in 1960 with Hurricane Donna, but at that time, we didn’t have the same level of development. We’re looking at long-term stormwater solutions to better prepare for future storms. Traffic is another priority. As we grow, we’re seeing more congestion, and we must work with FDOT, the county, and other partners to address that. 

Beyond that, we’re continuing with the strategy that has worked for us — logistics, distribution, and light industrial development, along with managing increasing residential growth. I tell my staff that we’re laying the foundation for the future city. The decisions we make today shape what Plant City will look like in five, 10, or 15 years.

Plant City is personal to me. I grew up here, and I chose to work here. It’s home. I give a lot of credit to our city commission. They’re thoughtful and strategic, and they have the best interests of the city in mind. We also have a great staff and strong partnerships with the business and development communities. Plant City works because we have a great team. No one does this alone. It’s a team effort all the way around.