Communications International Inc. is opening another branch in Plant City where it will produce and supply radio equipment for those in uniform
It was initially a bank, then a proposed food hall, but now the building at 105 S. Wheeler St. is going to be renovated into a maintenance center, producing equipment for police, firefighters, and EMTS.
Communications International Inc. (Ci), which is headquartered in Vero Beach, is the company that will be operating in the building.
Its main purpose will be to manufacture walkie talkie radios for Hillsborough County first responders such as the sheriff’s office, the Tampa Police Department, the Plant City Police Department and Plant City Fire Rescue Department.
“We do communications for public safety, primarily throughout the southeast,” said Michael Stork, the chief operating officer of the company. “So we do all the radios that all police, and fire, and ambulance, and government work on. That service center will service our customers in Hillsborough County.”
Ci manufactures walkie talkies that are more complex than the typical ones that every day citizens would use. They produce sirens as well.
Ci initially found the property on the LoopNet website as it was looking for something in its price range.
The property on Wheeler Street was built in 1967 as the First National Bank in Plant City, standing two stories high and spanning over 22,000 square feet.
It would then become Barnett Bank followed by Huntington Bank.
The company was satisfied with the building after surveying it and purchased it for $1.5 million in February.
Where the property is located as well as the potential the company sees for Plant City, were other selling points.
“We think Plant City is going to grow and we like that little spot there – little unique downtown spot,” Stork said.
The building is much bigger than the company would use, but there are plans to add project departments as well as a lab and a training center. An architecture firm has already been hired to create the layout of the building.
Of the two floors, the first will hold all Ci operations and the second could potentially be leased out, Stork said.
What also impresses him about the former bank the vaults with their huge doors.
“They’re so neat,” he said. “It’s like a movie, so we’re trying to come up with a way to use those.”
Ci is 100% company owned and has 15 service centers in Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana.
Aside from the soon-to-come branch in Plant City, there are plans to build another one in Hernando County.
Stork said he’s looking forward to new possibilities in Plant City, especially downtown.
“It seems like a great downtown area, and it seems like money’s coming in,” he said. “People are adding to it. It’ll be exciting for us. I love that old town feel and being able to walk over to some restaurants.”
Ci has not set a construction timeline to renovate the building, but Stork hopes that it will open early 2023.
