Polk State grad’s research pinpoints Polk as ideal location for next Buc-ee’s

For recent Polk State College graduate Jackson Lord and Mathematics Professor Mike Long, it was a love for Beaver Nuggets and pulled pork sandwiches that prompted a yearlong research project pinpointing the ideal location for the next Buc-ee’s in Florida.

Lord began his research during the Spring 2023 Semester, examining several factors, including traffic patterns, available land, and proximity to existing Buc-ee’s locations. Lord presented his research to Polk State’s Mathematics Department and discussed the project during a session on undergraduate research at Polk State’s Professional Development Day in April.

“I really enjoyed the whole process,” Lord said. “Finding a way to rate the data to find a suitable location was very fun.”

Lord’s research determined that Polk County would be the ideal location for the next Buc-ee’s – off Interstate 4 exit 48 for Polk City and Lake Alfred. The northeast side of the ramp heading west on State Road 557, Lord determined, had the most available land for development.

“There’s a lot of available land,” he said. “It has a lot of traffic from Tampa to Orlando and vice versa. The area is growing super fast.”

Florida currently has Buc-ee’s locations in Daytona Beach and Saint Augustine, but plans are in the works for Ocala and Fort Pierce. Lord and Long’s affinity for the company played a role in launching the project.

“We talked about Buc-ee’s a lot,” Lord explained. “I really like the whole atmosphere. I always get a pulled pork sandwich. They’re a good, family-friendly company. There are not that many locations in Florida. It lightened the mood for this research project.”

Their love for Buc-ee’s was evident, but Long said that wasn’t the only reason he chose Lord for the project.

“He sat in the front row and was really engaged in class,” the professor said. “I could tell early on that Jackson had raw math talent waiting to be tapped.”

A May graduate, Lord is heading to Florida Gulf Coast University to major in civil engineering. When Lord, whose father owns a construction company, arrived at Polk State, he thought he wanted to major in construction management. Partially thanks to the research project, Lord came to the realization that a civil engineering major was more all-encompassing and expanded his possibilities.

“When Dr. Long approached me about the project, he thought I was capable and we just ran with it and started right away,” Lord said. “I realized I could be really involved with the planning process. I can use this in civil engineering or a contracting field. I’d like to do more research projects at my next school.”

Entering his third academic year at Polk State, Long said seeing his students be able to apply some of the concepts they learn in class to the real world is among the most rewarding parts of his job.

“It takes the education process to another level,” Long said. “Research projects like this one are a challenge and to see people like Jackson meet that challenge and run with it takes my job to a new level. I love teaching, but this adds another dimension. It’s awesome; I’m really proud of him.”