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Heart of success: scenic surroundings, affordable land and incentives make Florida''s Heartland a pro-business environment.

Article Excerpt
Located a short drive from Florida's major urban areas, near business infrastructure systems and with its own unique set of advantages, is Florida's Heartland Region.

The region encompasses Desoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands and Okeechobee counties. And as business owners and executives are quickly learning, the region offers numerous possibilities for growing companies.

From affordable land to a ready workforce, from helpful economic development incentives to the region's strong transportation network, the Heartland's pro-business environment is very evident.

Several international airports and deepwater seaports are within a two-hour drive of the Heartland, and several east-west state roads and north-south U.S. 27 are major traffic carriers.

About half of S.R. 80, an east-west corridor bounded by Glades County on the north and Hendry County on the south, is being widened to four lanes, and widening of the remainder is planned, helping attract potential investors.

The Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative coordinates site selection, incentives and workforce training assistance, among other programs and services. The Heartland is a state-designated Area of Critical Economic Concern, which means prospective investors have priority status in obtaining funding and waivers for use with state incentives.

The economic designation is a very important tool for Florida's Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative (or FHREDI).

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