Polk County Democrat
March 22, 2007

Clear Springs has committed to donate $12 million and a parcel of land in Bartow to the Polk Community College Foundation to build an Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center that will serve as a permanent home for PCC's Corporate College.

The funds are to be matched by the state. PCC Corporate College provides training for business and industry in Polk County.

The donation was formalized in a letter of commitment signed by Stan Phelps, chairman of Clear Springs, and presented to PCC President Eileen Holden on March 8.

Clear Springs sits on 18,000 acres of land, with approximately 11,000 of those acres in the City of Bartow. PCC Corporate College will be located in Bartow.

"We are extremely grateful and excited to receive this generous donation," Dr. Holden said. "It is a wonderful example of a public/private partnership that will benefit the entire community."

"This partnership will provide a 21st-century education and training facility designed to retain and recruit businesses to our community," Clear Springs President Jura Christine Zibas said. "We are proud to have PCC's Corporate College and the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center as a core part of the overall plan for our property."

"We are working with additional colleges and universities to further expand the manufacturing technology and training opportunities as well as speaking with companies about the opportunities available in Polk County."

PCC's Corporate College, created in 2002 in response to the needs of the county's business community, delivers industry-specific training. Since its inception, the Corporate College has trained thousands of Polk County workers with standard and customized training programs focusing on safety, security, manufacturing, supervision, advanced leadership, and other areas of specialization.
During the past year, Supply Chain Management, a consortium of some 60 companies, was created in cooperation with PCC Corporate College to serve the training needs of workers in the transportation, distribution and logistics industries. The Supply Chain Institute will conduct its first classes in June.

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