Birdsong said he was particularly proud in 2006 of working with commissioners to complete the city's land deal with CSX Transportation Inc. Beginning in January, CSX plans to start building a $100 million rail transfer center on 1,250 acres in south Winter Haven, north of Old Bartow-Lake Wales Road.
When completed in 2020, CSX's Integrated Logistics Center, or ILC, will employ at least 5,000 people and generate millions of dollars in economic activity each year. - The Lakeland Ledger