On May 16, OUC held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting of the St. Cloud Operations & Maintenance Center.

The facility, set on 24 acres near the intersection of U.S. Highway 192 and Hickory Tree Road, showcases OUC’s commitment to providing reliable electricity to St. Cloud, which is one of the fastest-growing communities in Central Florida. OUC has been the city’s provider since 1997, with an agreement in place to continue service through 2042.

“Over the years we’ve provided St. Cloud customers with some of the most competitive rates, as well as the service and reliability we pride ourselves on. This facility increases OUC’s resiliency and responsiveness to this city,” said Larry Mills, OUC Board President, speaking from the stage during the gathering.

Larry Mills, OUC Board President, tours the new St. Cloud Operations & Maintenance Center. The solar panels on the facade of the Operations building are visible behind him.

The center will be the new home of several teams including Line Technicians; Trouble Technicians; Material Fulfillment; Distribution, Construction & Maintenance; Fleet; Engineering; and Facilities as well as the vehicles, equipment and materials they use. Being in the middle of the St. Cloud service area will allow them to respond to issues quickly. The site also can serve as an Incident Command Center, if necessary, and host mutual aid crews to provide restoration efforts after a hurricane or other major storm.

City and county elected officials, representatives from the construction and engineering firms on the projects and local stakeholders attended the ceremony.

OUC attendees included Mills, Clint Bullock, OUC General Manager & CEO, and Britta Gross, OUC Past Board of Commissioners President, as well as several executives and team members, including: Chris McCullion, Chief Financial Officer; Linda Ferrone, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer; Latisha Thompson, Chief Employee Experience Officer; Chris Browder, Chief Legal Office; Mike Murtagh, Chief Transformation & Technology Officer; and Atilla Miszti, Chief Operations Officer.

Clint Bullock, OUC General Manager & CEO, addresses the audience during the grand opening of the new OUC facility in St. Cloud, emphasizing the close partnership between the city and OUC.

“The vision has turned into a reality and we are excited. We see ourselves as a community partner with St. Cloud. And OUC’s partnership with the City has played a big role in making this facility possible. This new facility is a point of pride for all of OUC,” said Bullock during his remarks.

Those from local municipalities included Nathan Blackwell, St. Cloud Mayor, Veronica Miller, St. Cloud City Manager, and St. Cloud City Council members Kolby Urban, Ken Gilbert and Shawn Fletcher. Also in attendance were Ricky Booth, Osceola County Commissioner for District 5, and Don Fisher, Osceola County Manager. Congressman Darren Soto and State House Representative Paula Stark were represented by staff members.

Representing the companies who worked with OUC on the design and construction of the facility were Bill Byrne, CEO of Ajax, and Dan Kirby, Principal and Vice President from Jacobs, among other employees involved in the project.

In addition to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees toured the campus, with OUC employees from many departments, including Sustainability, Emerging Technology, Material Fulfillment, Operations, Facilities and Wellness, positioned to explain various features.

Tour stops included the 22,000-square-foot fleet maintenance shop, the 55,000-square-foot warehouse and main operations building. A key stop on the tour highlighted the sustainable and wellness-promoting features of the facility that have led to application for LEED® Gold and Fitwel certifications.

The St. Cloud Operations & Maintenance Center is located in the heart of OUC’s St. Cloud service territory.

The facility provides an opportunity to show OUC’s commitment to sustainability by putting energy and water conservation at the forefront of design. The center is the first net-zero energy campus constructed for a utility in the state of Florida.

Compared to sites of similar size and use, it will use up to 50% less energy and 40% less water thanks to features like photovoltaic solar panels on the roof, facades and canopies; two rainwater cisterns that can store up to a total of 28,000 gallons; EV charging for personal and fleet vehicles; EPA WaterSense fixtures; Florida-friendly landscaping that requires less irrigation; abundant skylights to reduce the need for lighting; and more. The center fits in perfectly with OUC’s commitment to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Wellness features include an outdoor walking track, indoor fitness center, standing and treadmill desk options, bike lockers, vending machines stocked with healthy options, abundant natural light from skylights, indoor air quality monitoring and more.

OUC employees and the public will have an opportunity to tour the facility in the coming months. Further details to come.