Fitlife bites on Plant City

Fitlife Foods is expanding into a new 100,000-square-foot facility in Plant City, and it's expected to bring more than 100 jobs with it.

The health food retailer will soon look for employees willing to take on roles in food production, administration, transportation and operations at the County Line Commerce Center.
David Osterweil founded Fitlife in 2011, creating food with low glycemic, high fiber carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fat. It includes menu items like macaroni and cheese, salmon, tacos and chicken enchiladas -- showing that healthy food is more than tofu and sprouts.

Fitlife now operates seven retail locations and six kiosks around the Tampa Bay region, with plans to move into the Southeast over the next several months.

Real estate company Central Florida Development announced plans for County Line Commerce Center last January on a 28-acre tract south of Interstate 4 on County Line Road in Plant City. Its first 100,000-square-foot spec building is set to open in June, with room to build an additional 165,000 square feet in the future.

Eastern Hillsborough County and western Polk County have become a hotspot in recent years for distribution centers and manufacturing. Pharmaceutical company WellDyne, for example, announced a 30,000-square-foot expansion plan on the Lakeland side of the line in 2013. It already operated out of 65,000 square feet of space, and looked to add 100 new jobs.