Polk County lands new manufacturing facility
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Apr 14, 2023

An Illinois distributor of specialty building materials has opened a new manufacturing facility in Polk County.

US LBM Holdings has opened a 100,600-square-foot manufacturing facility in Auburndale that will make floor and roof trusses. The plant will make three roof truss lines and one floor truss line. The company said it will also supply residential and commercial builders in central Florida with materials that include "lumber, engineered wood products, cabinetry, windows, custom millwork and exterior and interior doors."

Manufacturing jobs are a boon to Polk County, where the majority of industrial jobs are in the distribution center. Manufacturing jobs tend to be more skilled than those in the distribution sector and pay higher wages as a result.

The Auburndale facility is part of US LBM's Raymond Building supply division. It's the company's facility within that division in Florida, joining locations in North Fort Myers and Miami.

"Florida continues to be a strong market for construction and prefabricated structural components, and this new plant allows us to support builders in both the Tampa and Orlando markets," US LBM President and CEO L.T. Gibson said in a statement. "The new Auburndale location, along with the other manufacturing facilities we've added over the past 12 months, demonstrates our commitment to investing in solutions and services that help builders reduce construction time and more effectively manage their costs."