Compass Blending Celebrates Ribbon Cutting Of New 10,000 Square Foot Facility
by James Coulter
Compass Blending, a dry food blending and processing company, opened its doors last year with only eight employees. Since then, the company has experienced tremendous growth. Not only have they grown to 34 employees, but they have also grown to the point where they had to move to a larger facility.
Having previously operated from a 3,100 square-foot location along Kidron Road in Lakeland, their business has since moved its operations to its new 10,000 square-foot facility along Anchuca Drive, down the road from Lakeland-Linder Airport.
Compass Blending celebrated its expansion into a newer, larger location through its grand opening ceremony, commemorated with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce on Friday afternoon.
The company operates in the industry of dry food blending, which includes various dry food products ranging from drink and cake mixes. If it’s something you prepare by just adding water, then it’s probably a product that Compass Blending specializes in.
Angie Fortes, CEO of Compass Blending, started her business last year. She has been living within Polk County and the state for the past 20 years. She firmly believes that this is the best of all places to start a new business such as her own, she said in an article for BizJournal.
“I’m extremely excited for this venture,” she said in the article. “When I went to open my own business, Polk County and Lakeland were willing to do business and they have worked in the industry. All signs pointed to Lakeland.”
When she started her business, she had no idea how much it would grow. So the growth that her business has experienced since only opening one year ago has been nothing short of a pleasant surprise, and she hopes to see even more growth in the near future.
“There has been tremendous growth,” she said. “We had no idea we were going to grow this fast, and quite honestly, we are still growing. The sky is the limit.”
Fortes and her employees celebrated the opening of their new facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Guests could take a tour of the building, as well as sample many food products that are blended, processed, and manufactured there, including ice slushy mixes and barbecue seasoning rubs.
Greg Ruthven, a Certified Commercial Investment Member and local real estate broker, boasted of the economic growth that the company managed to not only create for itself, but in turn help create for the local community.
“[This has been] tremendous growth, as fast as anybody we ever had in the history of our family as far as a customer,” he said. “We are really proud of what you have done. You have worked hard, and you deserve the accolades.”
Justin Troller, Chair of the City’s Municipal Boards And Committees, representing the City of Lakeland on behalf of the Mayor, also boasted about the economic growth experienced and promoted by the company.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, not only on the national level, but also the local level,” he said. “So we are thrilled you are able to employ people here…and congratulations on your expansion.”
Compass Blending is located ar 3850 Anchuca Dr, Lakeland, FL 33811. For more information, visit their website at: http://compassblending.com/
