Prescription company to bring jobs to Lakeland

Saturday, August 30, 2008

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Welldyne Rx will move into this facility in Lakeland.

POLK COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Unemployment is up across the state, but a Polk County community is celebrating hundreds of new, high-skilled, high-paying jobs.

Prescription mail-order company Welldyne Rx is making a move to Lakeland and is bringing 670 new jobs with it.

In November, the company will move into a 66,000 square foot facility where it will have the capacity to fill and ship 30 million prescriptions to patients across the county.

It will also bring a healthy boost to Lakeland's economy. The company will offer an average salary of $42,000, which is well above the average in Polk County.

"When we see the opportunities coming to Lakeland that exist, when we see the high percentage of warehouse distribution space that is occupied; we have some wonderful success stories that run against the current of other areas," said Bill Mutz, Lakeland Economic Development Council chairman.

Besides Lakeland's central location, economic leaders say interest in the future that USF Polytechnic offers the area's future workforce is a big factor driving companies, such Welldyne Rx, to town.

Welldyne Rx plans to phase in its 670 new jobs during the next three years. The job openings will eventually include pharmacists, information technology workers, and customer service representatives.