City's 'pro-business' vibe leads to new project

PLANT CITY — Foodservice packaging manufacturer and distribution firm Dart Container recently announced plans to expand into new warehouse space in Plant City.

The company intends to move into 77,500 square feet of newly constructed speculative warehouse space on County Line Road, according to a statement. Dart Container currently has about 375 employees in Plant City and seeks to add an additional 35 people to operate the new warehouse space, the release adds. The expansion will follow Dart's previous expansion of their newly constructed 400,000 square foot warehouse on Turkey Creek Road.

Central Florida Development, a real estate development, construction and property management company, will build the new space, the Central Florida Commerce Center. Located on County Line Road and just south of Interstate 4, the 72-acre business park will accommodate up to 1.6 million square feet when completed, according to the statement. Build-to-suit sites are available ranging from 35,000 square feet to more than one million square feet.

“We're excited to begin construction of another speculative project in Plant City,” Central Florida Development President Richard LeFrois says in the statement. “The city's pro-business attitude and great location have helped drive our success in leasing our buildings. We are confident the momentum will continue and are already seeing significant interest in our other business parks along I-4.”