Sean Malott, President and CEO, Central Florida Development Council

July 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Sean Malott, president and CEO of the Central Florida Development Council, highlighted Polk County’s momentum as one of Florida’s fastest-evolving business locations, driven by population growth and industrial expansion. He pointed to manufacturing, logistics, advanced mobility, and emerging data center activity as key areas for the county. “Growth is about getting bigger, but really development is about getting better,” Malott said.

What changes over the past year have had the greatest impact on Polk County and the Central Florida Development Council?

We are still experiencing significant growth in Polk County. Because we sit between Tampa and Orlando, we continue to benefit from the volume of people coming to Florida, especially into Central Florida from coast to coast. A lot of that population growth is landing in the middle, in the Lakeland market and across Polk County as a whole, and that continues to drive economic development.

That growth is bringing more people who are looking for job opportunities within our market, and that is expanding the types of companies interested in locating here. We are also seeing more companies that may have been on the fence over the past couple of years now ready to make decisions. Some were evaluating sites through the previous election cycle and are now moving forward with projects and announcements.

Manufacturing in particular has become a significant driver. It was already important the last time we spoke, but now about 40% of our lead activity is coming from manufacturing companies that want to be in this market. That is a strong indicator of how the county is growing and how businesses are viewing Polk County as a competitive place to invest.

Which industries and project announcements best reflect that momentum?

A lot of the activity has been in building materials, food manufacturing, logistics, and cold storage. Chick-fil-A made a large announcement about a logistics facility in the Winter Haven area, where it will bring products into the market in a refrigerated format for regional distribution. That is a good example of the type of large-scale operational investment we are seeing.

We also continue to see strength from established manufacturers. Nucor remains an important presence in the City of Frostproof, where it operates a major rebar mill and manufacturing facility in South Polk County. That kind of industrial footprint continues to have a meaningful impact on our economy.

Beyond that, we have had a host of companies involved in wood products, cold storage, and related logistics operations. Over the last couple of years, cold storage has become an especially active segment, and we have had multiple announcements in that space.

How are workforce development strategies supporting those faster-growing sectors?

Our workforce partners are continually evaluating how to keep their programs relevant to what is changing in the market. Institutions such as Polk State College, Florida Polytechnic University, and CareerSource are focused on making sure their students and participants have the first advantage when new workforce opportunities emerge in Polk County.

That effort is not just about recruiting talent for new companies. It is also about supporting existing employers that are expanding. We have seen logistics operations from Publix and Aldi continue to grow, and Publix is also expanding its manufacturing operations here while building a new information technology hub in downtown Lakeland. That means the workforce conversation now spans logistics, manufacturing, technology, and more.

Our higher education institutions want businesses to think of them first when they need talent. They are working to stay in front of employers and ensure that local students are prepared to fill those roles, rather than companies having to look outside the market for that pipeline. That alignment is essential if we want growth to remain sustainable.

What progress has been made on key infrastructure projects?

There is a tremendous amount of infrastructure work underway, especially in transportation and water. On the transportation side, one of the most significant projects is the expansion of the Central Polk Parkway, which is part of the broader Polk Parkway and Florida Turnpike network. This expansion will connect from Winter Lake Road down to U.S. 17 and eventually to State Road 60, creating new access points and improving mobility across important industrial areas.

The first section is a roughly six-and-a-half-mile stretch that will connect to key corridors where manufacturing is already taking place in Winter Haven. That portion is heavily underway, with the connection to U.S. 17 expected to open in about a year and a half. The longer-term extension to State Road 60 is projected for 2030. These are major, multiyear projects, but they are crucial to making sure people, goods, and services can move efficiently across the county.

Water is another critical resource. Polk County’s Regional Water Cooperative continues to identify and develop new water sources, including major well-drilling projects that require hundreds of millions of dollars in investment. Those projects are designed to secure long-term water resources for the greater Polk area. They are essential for supporting population growth, business expansion, and quality of life, while also creating construction and infrastructure-related jobs in the process.

How do these investments strengthen Polk County’s competitiveness in the region?

Connectivity has always been one of Polk County’s key advantages, and these infrastructure investments only strengthen that position. People can build a life in one of our communities while still having easy access to the rest of the region. That matters to residents, but it also matters tremendously to companies that depend on efficient movement of people and products.

Our access to major routes such as U.S. 27 and State Road 17 is important. The U.S. 27 corridor, in particular, connects down toward South Florida, and we are seeing some companies move up from Miami through the center of the state and into Polk County. That kind of location advantage is one reason logistics has done so well here, and it is also why more manufacturers want to be in this market.

These new projects provide additional pathways and more reliable access across the region. They improve commuting, strengthen freight movement, and support future development patterns. That connective quality is a major reason Polk County continues to stand out relative to neighboring markets.

What role does innovation play in Polk County’s growth strategy?

One of the most exciting projects for us is the expansion of SunTrax. Historically, SunTrax has served as a research facility for autonomous vehicle transportation. Now it has expanded into advanced air mobility through SunTrax Ground and SunTrax Air, making Polk County the hub for that work in Florida.

The site has grown to roughly 500 acres across the ground and air components, and a vertiport has already been built, with additional vertiports underway for testing. That means we will begin to see electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, tested in Polk County. The broader vision is for the Florida Department of Transportation to build vertiports along the I-4 corridor, making that route the first testing corridor for air taxis in the state.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has said that by the end of 2026, Floridians could begin seeing air taxis operating in a test mode along I-4. Initially, there will likely be pilots involved as the technology is introduced and the public becomes familiar with it, but over time the systems are expected to become more autonomous. For Polk County, this is about being at the forefront of an innovation sector that has real long-term potential and can help shape the future of mobility in Florida.

What are the biggest challenges tied to the county’s rapid growth?

Growth is definitely a double-edged sword. There is a great deal of opportunity in it, but it also creates real challenges. As population increases, the pressure on roads, utilities, water systems, and public services rises as well. The cost of building the infrastructure needed to keep pace is immense, and those investments require long-term planning and coordination.

That is why I often say growth is about getting bigger, but really development is about getting better. The goal is not just to add people and projects. It is to shape the future in a positive way. We want current companies to find the talent they need, and we want new companies to be attracted here because the workforce is here, but we also have to manage the resulting congestion and complexity.

Polk County was once seen more uniformly as a slower-paced market, and that has changed in many parts of the county. Managing that shift is a full-time job. The opportunity is tremendous, but so is the responsibility that comes with it.

Where do you see emerging opportunities beyond the county’s current core sectors?

One of the most important emerging opportunities is in data centers. Florida is being evaluated by multiple data center operators, and Polk County is drawing interest because of its power availability. We currently have several data center projects looking at the market, and we are actively working with communities and elected officials to help them understand what those projects could mean.

Data centers represent massive capital investment and, because of the way our tax structure works, they can create substantial long-term tax value for a community when they are located in the right places. That makes them potentially transformative projects from a fiscal and economic development standpoint.

They also require careful evaluation because they raise questions around land use, infrastructure, and long-term community fit. We are in the middle of that process on several projects right now, so I expect we will have more clarity the next time we speak. Still, the likelihood is that data center activity will become an important part of Polk County’s future.

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

Our priority is to keep Polk County positioned as the best place for business in Florida. That is the mindset we operate with, and it drives everything we do. We want high-quality companies to find a home here, and we want to continue serving as a concierge for businesses that are considering expansion in our community.

A major part of that is diversification. We want to broaden the mix of industries located here, especially in areas tied to research, innovation, advanced mobility, and other sectors that can introduce new kinds of jobs and new forms of investment. Opportunities such as SunTrax and data centers are exciting because they move the community forward and expand what people think of when they think about Polk County.

At the same time, we remain focused on helping companies understand the practical advantages of the market. Polk County offers location, connectivity, workforce access, and a business-friendly environment. Our job is to make sure those strengths are clear and that businesses see how they can succeed here over the long term. That will continue to be our highest priority in the years ahead.