Airport & Community
Location
Highlands County encompasses 1,029 square miles of Florida's heartland. Its prime location provides east/west and north/south market accessibility with close proximity to major tourist attractions. Over 85% of the state's population is within a 150 mile radius - that's over 12 million potential customers. "Highlands" appropriately describes the higher elevation of this area, located on the rolling hills of Central Florida's ridge area and lake country. The Sebring Airport & Commerce Park is located seven miles Southeast of Sebring, the county’s seat. US Highway 98, the major East-West route, is one mile south of the park. US Highway 27 is the major North-South corridor, and located 4.5 miles West of the Airport.
T/Commercial Hangars
There are currently 80 T-hangars and 9 Commercial Hangars. For rental information contact Mike Willingham at 863-655-6444, Ext. 103 or 863-381-3493 mobile.
(click on each diagram for a larger version)
Property
Buildings can be constructed to meet tenant specifications with no impact fees, and the Airport Authority acts as an independent governing board, greatly expediting securing all necessary permits and zoning. The Commerce Park contains a total of 1,770 acres, 1,200 of which are still available for new tenants. Due to Federal Aviation Administration restrictions, land cannot be sold; however, long term leases are available at extremely low rates. Parcels are available in sizes from one acre to as much as 600 acres. The property tax rate is $18.4510 per $1000 of value. The Executive Director serves as your single point of contact for all negotiations:
Mike Willingham
128 Authority Lane
Sebring, Florida 33870
Phone: 863-655-6444
FAX: 863-655-6447
E-Mail: mike@sebring-airport.com
Cost of Living
Florida has no income taxes. The state's cost of living is very low; Highlands County has a Consumer Price Index of 94.62% of the state average. Within 20 miles of the Sebring Airport, average home values are $191,290 and Florida provides a $25,000 property tax exemption for permanent residents. The average property tax rate for Highlands County is $15.5877per $1,000 of value.
Public Education
With a student enrollment of 11,000, the district remains personalized while being large enough to offer secondary level advanced classes. Grades K-12 are fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Pupil to teacher ratio is 18:1. An aggressive building campaign is in place to maintain this low ratio, with five of the county's fifteen schools constructed in the past five years. Highlands County students score at or above national average on the California Achievement Test. The district boasts several National Merit Scholars and the district-wide Academic Team have won the state championship twice in the past six years.
Community College
South Florida Community College is a comprehensive, public community college providing freshman and sophomore years of college transfer classes, technical and industrial training, and adult basic and secondary educational programs. Each year, SFCC serves over 19,000 residents of Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto counties. Students graduating with associate in arts degrees can concentrate in more than 60 fields of study. Students can earn an associate in science, an associate in applied sciences, or college credit or occupational certificates. In 1992, SFCC became one of the first community colleges in Florida to offer bachelor’s degree programs through partnerships with public and private universities. It now offers 13 bachelor’s degree programs and three master’s degree programs through eight colleges and universities. Residents can now receive advising and classroom instruction without having to drive long distances or move away from the tri-county area. SFCC has three campuses and several off-site centers, including the Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto campuses, and Lake Placid Center. The main campus is located just 16 miles North of the Commerce Park.
Tenant: Everglades Foods, Inc.
After completion of his military duties, Mess Sergeant Bill Gerstman returned home to the states and resumed his trade as meat cutter/butcher at the LaBelle Trading Post in LaBelle, Florida. With spices and seasonings easier to obtain, he perfected his secret recipe to the delight of many customers who patronized the small general store. In 1976, the secret formula was finally perfected, the famous logo was patented and EVERGLADES SEASONING was born. In 1985, he sold the recipe to Gene and Martha Cross, owners of the LaBelle Trading Post. For the next seven years, Gene and Martha Cross began distributing Everglades Seasoning in southwest Florida on a limited bases.
In 1992, Everglades Foods, Inc. purchased Everglades Seasoning, Inc. Everglades Foods, Inc. began manufacturing and distributing the Original Everglades Seasoning. Today, the goal at Everglades Foods, Inc. is to make wonderful blends of EXOTIC herbs and spices an everyday household seasoning that is sold in every major grocery store in the United States!
Everglades Foods, sends internationally to both customers and servicemen. They love sending seasoning to the troops overseas to give them a little taste of home. They ship both UPS & USPS and have distributor, wholesale & retail prices available.
