From left: Jerry Kocan, CEO of Four Star Freightliner; Mayor Wanda Range, City of Midway; Chairperson Brenda Holt, Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners, Chairman Antonio Jefferson, Gadsden County Development Council; Executive Director Cissy Proctor, FL Department of Economic Opportunity.
New Road Expands Opportunities for Economic Development
The Gadsden County Development Council (GCDC) announces the opening of Four Star Way, a road in Midway, Florida made possible by a Rural Infrastructure Fund Grant to Gadsden County from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO).
Four Star Way connects to Brickyard Road, just west of Highway 90. The DEO grant for the road and utility infrastructure was $465,205. Four Star Way and the related utility infrastructure were done in conjunction with the construction of Four Star Freightliner‘s new heavy and medium duty truck dealership. Four Star Freightliner’s $5 million sales, maintenance, and repair facility will employ 32 people and generate in excess of $5.4 million annually for Gadsden County. Also, the road and the related utility infrastructure will make an additional forty acres available for development.
Antonio Jefferson, Chairman of the Gadsden County Development Council, said, “Economic development is a marathon and not a sprint. It is about taking a long-term approach to make your community attractive to investment. It can take significant time from the first encounter with a company until a celebration such as today occurs. This project was over two and a half years in the making. I congratulate Four Star Freightliner on their beautiful facility and thank them heartily for their commitment to jobs and job training in our community. Their support of a new diesel mechanic training program at Gadsden Technical Institute is very significant to bringing well-paying jobs to Gadsden County.”
Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “Four Star Freightliner’s new facility is another sign that Florida’s business-friendly policies are having significant positive impacts on our rural local economies. We are proud to partner with Gadsden County to provide opportunities that enhance economic development and provide Floridians a chance to live their American dream.”
Gadsden County Chairperson, Brenda Holt, said “Two and a half years ago, the Gadsden County Development Council and I had the privilege of meeting Jerry Kocan and his team from Four Star Freightliner for a discussion about building a permanent home in Florida. After a detailed search for the right location, Four Star Freightliner settled on where we are today. DEO’s partnership with Gadsden County made a desirable location work. I would like to recognize and thank landowner, Devoe Moore, for donating the Right-of-Way for the road to the County so that we could utilize the state’s Rural Infrastructure Fund program. I commend my fellow Board of County Commissioners for their fiscal leadership in accepting responsibility for infrastructure maintenance and making the partnership with the State of Florida possible.”
Wanda Range, Mayor of the City of Midway, said, “It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome Four Star Freightliner to the City of Midway, Florida. Midway is one of six municipalities in Gadsden County. Each of us is committed to bringing good jobs and job training to our communities. Four Star is an exemplary partner on both fronts. It is our sincere hope that Four Star Freightliner’s new and expanded presence will benefit Four Star Freightliner and the citizens of Midway and Gadsden County for many years to come.”
Jerry Kocan, Four Star Freightliner Dealer Principal, is grateful for the leadership in Midway and Gadsden County for helping to make this project a reality. “There were several people and entities that played essential roles in Four Star opening a permanent home in Gadsden County. I want to especially thank Gadsden County Chairperson Brenda Holt for her leadership and Gadsden County Development Council’s Executive Director Beth Kirkland for working more than two years on this project. However, none of this would have happened without the support of the people of Gadsden County. In addition to opening a new dealership in Midway, we are excited about the new diesel technician program that will start as a result of our partnership with Gadsden Technical Institute. The average diesel technician with five or more years’ experience has the potential to make $80k a year. So it’s exciting for Four Star Freightliner to be part of helping to grow and develop jobs in this great county.”