BARTOW — A manufacturing company that could bring 250 high-paying jobs is a step closer to landing in Polk County.
County commissioners voted 5-0 on Tuesday to offer the company $300,000 in incentives.
Sean Malott, president of the Central Florida Development Council, thanked commissioners for the support.
"It's still not a done deal," Malott told commissioners. ""It's a competitive project and we're still competing.
"It's a move that we want them here," he said.
The next step should occur in February, when the county is expected to vote on a tax-incentive program that would pay the company $3,000 per job for 250 jobs — costing the county $750,000. Payments by the county would begin in 2022.
Polk is competing with other counties across the country for the company to open a facility that could bring jobs with an average salary of $68,000. Malott said that's close to 200 percent of the county's annual average wage.
The company is based in the Northeast, he said.
Malott has declined to release the name of the company, or discuss details about the type of business or its exact location. He said the proposed site is south of Frostproof.
In documents, the name is described as "Project Rotag." The name of the company is expected to be released in the coming days, when notice of the vote on the tax-incentive program occurs.
The $300,000 over one year is part of an overall $1.05 million incentive package offered by the county. The state is expected to offer $1.2 million in incentives to lure the company.
Before the vote, Commissioner John Hall asked how much in salaries would be connected to the project.
Malott said the company would pay $17 million in new wages over a year.
He said after the vote that Polk County needs more high-wage positions like the jobs at the manufacturing company.
"Every opportunity we have like this we want to pursue," Malott said.