TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

THE TAMPA BAY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (TBEDC)'S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM CLOSED 29 PROJECTS THAT ADDED A TOTAL OF 2,280 NEW JOBS AND $ 275,335,000 IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SIXTEEN EXISTING BUSINESSES EXPANDED THEIR OPERATIONS, ADDING 501 NEW JOBS AND INVESTING $178,985,000 LOCALLY. THIRTEEN NEW COMPANIES WERE RECRUITED TO TAMPA AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN FY2025, ACCOUNTING FOR 1,779 NEW JOBS AND $96,350,000 IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO OUR MARKET. THIS INCLUDES THREE FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT PROJECTS: MEDABILITY, XTEND REALITY INC, AND AQUAFENCE. THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM PROVIDED COMMUNITY INFORMATION AND COMPETITIVE DATA FOR 144 RELOCATION OR EXPANSION PROJECTS THIS YEAR AND HOSTED 25 SITE VISITS WITH PROSPECT COMPANIES LOOKING TO RELOCATE OR EXPAND TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. LOCALLY, THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM CONNECTED WITH 120 EXISTING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BUSINESSES THROUGH THE EXPAND TAMPA BAY BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION PROGRAM. THESE LOCAL COMPANIES REPRESENT CLOSE TO 29,000 EMPLOYEES AND SIXTY-ONE PERCENT SURVEYED REPORTED YEAR-OVER-YEAR INCREASES IN SALES. OUR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM CONTINUED TO SELL OUR MARKET AT INDUSTRY TRADESHOWS AND CONFERENCES THIS YEAR, INCLUDING SITE SELECTORS GUILD, AREA DEVELOPMENT, AND INDUSTRIAL ASSET MANAGEMENT COUNCIL, ALONG WITH SECTOR-SPECIFIC EVENTS LIKE BUSINESS OF BIOTECH. THEY ALSO CREATED NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE OUR MESSAGE DIRECTLY TO SITE SELECTORS BY HOSTING BROKER EVENTS AND TRAVELING WITH A GROUP OF INVESTORS TO NEW YORK CITY FOR A DOMESTIC SALES MISSION. THE INTERNATIONAL TEAM WAS ALSO ON THE ROAD ATTENDING MAJOR GLOBAL FDI EVENTS LIKE SELECT USA WASHINGTON DC AND SELECT USA MEXICO CITY. WITH OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS IN GLOBAL TAMPA BAY, THEY ALSO MET WITH PROSPECTS DURING A FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT MISSION TO LONDON. ALSO WITH OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS, WE ASSISTED TAMPA BAY COMPANIES GAIN ACCESS TO NEW CUSTOMERS IN MEXICO CITY DURING AN EXPORT SALES MISSION.

IN FY2025, THE TBEDC FINANCIAL POSITION REMAINS STRONG. PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDING WAS AT $2,844,288. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO CONTINUED TO RECEIVE GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM ITS PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNERS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, THE CITY OF TAMPA, THE CITY OF PLANT CITY, AND THE CITY OF TEMPLE TERRACE. NINETY-FOUR PERCENT OF OUR INVESTORS RENEWED THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE EDC THIS YEAR, AND WE WELCOMED AN ADDITIONAL 16 NEW AND UPGRADED MEMBERS TO THE EDC INVESTOR FAMILY. BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB AND THE STRAZ CENTER JOINED THE TAMPA BAY EDC AT THE CHAIRMAN'S COUNCIL LEVEL, WHICH POSITIONS THEM FOR LEADERSHIP ROLES IN OUR ORGANIZATION. WE ALSO WELCOMED FIVE NEW PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL INVESTORS AND THREE NEW GAZELLES.CASH RESERVES AND NET ASSETS HAVE INCREASED.