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EDC director says Lake Wales must build shovel‑ready sites and workforce pipelines to capture incoming industry
Summary
EDC and Chamber director Skip Alford told the City of Lake Wales work session that the city’s competitive advantage depends on infrastructure readiness and workforce pipelines, citing state and local statistics and multiple manufacturing leads that would require move‑in‑ready sites.
Skip Alford, director of the local economic development council and chamber of commerce, told the Lake Wales commission at a work session that the city’s immediate priority should be making land and infrastructure 'shovel ready' to attract manufacturers and logistics employers. He said Florida’s unemployment is relatively low and that population growth has slowed, but that Lake Wales faces local wage and poverty challenges that limit disposable income and economic resilience.
Alford presented statewide and local data and said Lake Wales’ in‑city population is just under 17,000 while the broader community…
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