HAINES CITY, Fla. — Online used car dealer Carvana is coming to Haines City and bringing lots of jobs with it.

  • Company building vehicle inspection center on 82 acres
  • City sold nearly 37 acres to Carvana for the project
  • More Polk County stories

The company, which disburses the cars they sell online to customers via a vending machine, is building a vehicle inspection center on 82 acres in Haines City near Bannon Island Road and County Road 544.

Some residents called the development good news. 

“Here, they have to go to Disney World looking for a job, they have to go to Kissimmee looking for a job. It’s no job right here Haines City,” said Fred Hilaire. 

County provided tax incentives

City officials hope the project, formerly known as "Project Gumball," will be a major economic boost to the area.

“It’s going to just transform our industrial park and I think it’s going to be the catalyst that brings more development like Carvana to our area,” said City Manager Deric Feacher. 

“When full build out, we can expect to see about 400 employees based on the information we received," Feacher went on. "It’s great and that’s why I think the county was willing to give economic incentives, because they know those types of jobs are going to bring some economic impact to our community and that the people from around here will probably get those jobs."

Polk County commissioners unanimously approved a 10-year economic development ad valorem tax exemption to Carvana on Sept. 17, providing the company with 75 percent reduction in ad valorem taxes for 10 years. 

Haines City also sold nearly 37 acres to Carvana for the project. Carvana paid the city $921,750 for it. 

More companies coming

The city’s economic development council reported several other major companies moving to the city in the last ten years, including Sofidel, Crown Linen, and Aldi, all total bringing more than 500 jobs.

Feacher said they welcome more companies to move to Haines City. 

“Our goal is to start recruiting some of the larger companies to make sure we take the burden off of the residents through the tax base and put some of that on the commercial users to improve the quality of life for our residents,” Feacher said. 

The expected capital investment of the Carvana project is more than $46 million.