ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — Pasco County commissioners approved plans Tuesday for Monin, a global flavor company, to build a manufacturing and distribution facility near the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.
Monin CEO William Lombardo said the company plans to invest more than $100 million in the project, purchase about 70 acres near the airport and create more than 100 jobs.
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"This will be our largest production and warehouse distribution facility anywhere," Lombardo said. "It's very exciting."
Lombardo said the positions are intended to be long-term career opportunities.
Residents raise infrastructure concerns
While some residents welcome the jobs, others worry roads and infrastructure are not keeping pace with the city's growth.
"Growth is inevitable," Zephyrhills resident Elaine Summerhill said. "I think it's good that industry will come to the area, but infrastructure hasn't kept up, so we're putting the cart ahead of the horse."
At Sunrise Eatery, several residents said they support economic development but question whether the city can handle continued growth.
"The idea of new jobs is a good thing, but when you have to overbuild in order to accomplish that, which is the lesser of the two evils?" resident Ed Heller said.
Summerhill said traffic has already become a challenge.
"It's already nearly impossible to get around on the roads around here," she said.
County leaders say project fits long-term strategy
Pasco Economic Development Council President and CEO Bill Cronin said Monin's expansion is part of a yearslong effort to attract employers to Pasco County.
"We did have to intentionally go out and set aside certain pieces of land for industrial growth based on where the infrastructure was, where the traffic patterns were and especially where the workforce is," Cronin said. "Zephyrhills near the airport was one of the very first sites in our Ready Sites program."
Cronin said the council has worked to create industrial-ready sites to bring more jobs closer to where residents live.
"We've historically been a bedroom community for many years," Cronin said. "So the most important thing for us is to get those jobs back in our community."
Monin joins other employers, including Bauducco and MyTech, that have expanded in Zephyrhills. Cronin said the demand for local jobs is evident after hundreds of people attended Bauducco's job fair earlier this year.
Still, Summerhill said she hopes investments in infrastructure keep pace with the city's growth.
"The crux of the matter to me will be the infrastructure," she said.
Lombardo said Monin is still finalizing a builder for the project and hopes construction will begin before the end of the year.
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