The beginning of the month started with the opening of two small businesses in our Downtown Sanford and a celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of an industry in Sanford. The beauty of these events is seeing how Sanford continues to a be choice for businesses to call home.
In 1998, Caterpillar chose Sanford as their site to build skid steer loaders. They valued not only our location but the people in this community. They continued to invest not only by purchasing more land but by increasing the number of employees. Now, in 2023, they have four sites covering close to one million square feet, build four different types of loaders, and have a logistics and fabrication location as well. Caterpillar is now Lee County’s largest employer, employing close to 1,700 people.
Morgan’s Menswear may be a familiar name to some and is one of the two new businesses that has chosen Sanford to call home. Ashley Whitaker decided to continue the legacy her grandfather had many years ago when he opened the original Morgan’s Menswear in Downtown Jonesboro. There was a missing niche in our market for a men’s store that has now been filled.
The Sweet Fix is the re-branded vision of Tina Szafarski in the old Chocolate Cellar location. This specialty chocolate shop was a town favorite and when its doors closed, Tina saw the opportunity to bring it back with a new look and variety of sweet treats that are not just chocolates. She quickly revitalized the shop and opened the doors to a community that could not wait to venture into the new store.
Caterpillar, Morgan’s Menswear and The Sweet Fix are just a few testaments that showcase the opportunity that Sanford has given to businesses, both large and small. Investing in Sanford by expanding current locations or by opening new shops, continues to add to the quality of place and quality of life that we at Sanford Area Growth Alliance are proud of.
Susan Gomez
Chamber of Commerce Director