By Anita Todd
Haines City – Haines City is experiencing rapid growth, and the Haines City Economic Development Council (HCEDC) is playing a key role in driving it. Unlike organizations that focus on retail or fast-food expansion, the HCEDC targets industrial and commercial operations — the kinds of companies that bring skilled, high-wage jobs and long-term investment to the community.
HCEDC President Cyndi Jantomaso recently updated the City Commission on the organization’s accomplishments, highlighting five major projects that together have generated more than 1,000 construction jobs. These jobs span land acquisition, design and planning, construction, commissioning, and startup phases.
Restaurant Depot Distribution Center – Located at 205 Depot Way, this $56 million, 95,926-square-foot, food-grade distribution facility opened in 2024. It is one of 162 locations nationwide (16 in Florida) and employs 75 full-time workers with an average annual salary of $61,000. The nearest Restaurant Depot for restaurant owners, caterers and non-profits to shop is in Kissimmee.
Boxville – Situated at State Road 17 and State Road 544, across from the Haines City Post Office, this $16.1 million, 121,534-square-foot climate-controlled self-storage facility is the company’s first Florida location. Boxville currently operates eight facilities in Georgia and South Carolina, with another Georgia site under construction. The Haines City location will employ four full-time staff with an average annual salary of $61,000.
Aldi Cold Storage Warehouse and Distribution Center – This 100,000-square-foot facility on State Road 17 will serve more than 130 Aldi stores in Central and Northeast Florida, as well as the Tampa Bay market. Designed to handle growing volumes of perishable foods, it will employ 10 full-time workers earning just over $59,000 annually.
Sika Production Facility – Under construction at State Road 544 and Tibbets Boulevard, this $10 million, 29,000-square-foot plant will produce concrete admixtures. Sika, a global leader in construction materials, will hire 10 full-time employees earning about $77,000 annually, with operations expected to begin by year’s end
Wood Products Manufacturing Plant – Rising at Bannon Island Road and Detour Road, this $36 million, 174,000-square-foot facility will employ 100 full-time workers earning an average of $61,000 annually. The company name has not yet been disclosed.
All five projects are located in Haines City Industrial Park, which still has 400 acres of industrial-zoned sites available for future development.
