CaptiveAire manufacturing company opens facility in Groveland

GROVELAND — CaptiveAire Systems, the nation's leading manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation equipment, chose Lake County as the home for its sixth and newest state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.

The company renovated an existing Groveland building and picked the location because of its central proximity to Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa. The facility created a capital investment of $6.3 million, currently has 44 employees and serves the Florida market, which includes Darden restaurants and 4 Rivers in Orlando. 

“We are thrilled to welcome a new manufacturing company to Lake County,” said Robert Chandler, Lake County’s director of economic development and tourism. “CaptiveAire selecting Lake County as their Florida home has reinforced our strong belief that we can grow our manufacturing sector and continue to diversify our economy.”

Last year, Gov. Rick Scott cited the state’s April 2013 elimination of sales tax on manufacturing equipment for businesses as a boon for manufacturing in Florida. Manufacturers are a powerful economic engine for the state's economy, with nearly 18,000 such businesses employing some 311,300 workers across the state. Florida’s manufacturing industries are diverse and include industries such as plastics, food processing and printing, as well as breakthrough technologies like electronics, medical devices and aviation/aerospace.

The CaptiveAire project was made possible thanks to close partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Lake County Board of County Commissioners, Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, Workforce Florida, Inc. and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

“CaptiveAire’s decision to open its new facility in Groveland reinforces our region’s position as a leading center for advanced manufacturing,” said Rick Weddle, President and CEO of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. “We are pleased that this company is joining the many other advanced manufacturing services that call the Orlando area home and will help to drive our prominence in the research and design of innovative products.”

For information on starting, relocating or expanding a business in Lake County, call Lake County’s Economic Development and Tourism Department at 352-742-3918 or visit www.BusinessInLakeFL.com.