Columbia County, Florida

4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 COLUMB I A COUNTY , FLOR IDA a provider of structural steel building systems which employs more than 100 professionals. Anderson Columbia is an industry-leading heavy civil contractor that is one of the largest highway construction firms in the Southeast. The company has experienced consistent growth while building and rehabilitating thousands of miles of highways, roadways, and streets in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Mayo Ag Services specializes in providing farm, lawn and garden, forestry, and ranch needs. And Werner Trucking has invested in the county by building a large service center, adding to its workforce, while another project is being finalized that could add 25 permanent and up to 2,000 seasonal jobs annually. There is extensive interest from other employers in the benefits Columbia County has to offer, given the business-friendly tax climate. But the investments made in utilities have made a big difference. Daniels reports, “We have been focused on upgrading water, sewer, and gas infrastructure in recent years.” The county’s most notable business development effort is the creation of the North Florida Mega Industrial Park, a 2,622-acre, single-owner, shovel-ready supersite in Lake City, adjacent to Lake City Gateway Airport on Hwy 90 E. Nearly 40 businesses expressed interest in relocating to the county in 2021 alone, with many of those considering the industrial park. The park’s first tenant will be a manufacturing company that produces plastic recreational products. A distribution company is expected to