International Business Guide WELCOME to TAMPA BAY

TAMPA BAY International Business Guide WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY

BY LAND, SEA OR AIR.

Strategically located on the west coast of Florida, we deliver a cost-competitive business environment, a high tech workforce and world-class infrastructure and amenities. We are the ideal North American desti- nation to provide your business with access to Latin America and the growing markets of the Southeast United States, including the densely populated Central Florida region.

2 TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION I TAMPAEDC.COM PAGEWELCOME HEADER

Downtown Tampa skyline

PINELLAS COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I PCED.ORG WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY 3 INTRODUCTION

COMMUNITY PROFILE  Tampa Bay generally refers to the Tampa TOTAL MSA POPULATION: Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes the principal cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater and the counties of Hillsborough and Pinellas in which they are located. Pasco and Hernando counties are also 2.9 MILLION in the MSA. We are the 18th largest metro area in the United States, and the second largest in Florida, a rapidly growing state with the 18th largest economy in the world. CORPORATE PRESENCE Tampa Bay is powered by top companies with local TOTAL MSA roots and global impact. Some of the most recognized names in international business have a presence here, LABOR FORCE: spanning a diverse assortment of industry sectors. 1.4 MILLION TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER MSA

PINELLAS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COUNTY 75 Temple MEDIAN AGE: Terrace Tampa Intl. 4 Airport (TPA)

Clearwater TAMPA 35 36 37 38 39 St. Pete-Clearwater Port Tampa Intl. Airport (PIE) Bay MacDill Air COLLEGE St. Petersburg Force Base DEGREE 275 Sun City 75 Center HOLDERS: 31% RECENT EXPANSIONS AND RELOCATIONS

Tampa Bay is one of the hottest markets in the country for corporate expansion and relocation. As of the end of fiscal year 2015, roughly350 companies have invested in our community, creating over 29,000 new jobs and more than $1.8 billion in capital investment. ÇÇ Ashley Furniture Industries selects Tampa for Ashcomm, LLC, its new U.S. e-commerce headquarters ÇÇ Bristol-Myers Squibb opens North America Capability Center in Tampa ÇÇ Johnson & Johnson chooses Tampa for North American shared services headquarters

4 TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION I TAMPAEDC.COM

75 INTRODUCTION

MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN TAMPA BAY FAST FACT ¾¾ Amazon ¾¾ Johnson & THE TAMPA-ST.PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER ¾¾ Bausch + Lomb Johnson MSA IS PROJECTED TO GROW NEARLY ¾ SEVEN PERCENT IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, ¾¾ Bloomin’ Brands ¾ MetLife ¾ AND MORE THAN 29 PERCENT BY 2040. ¾¾ Bristol-Myers ¾ Morgan Stanley Squibb ¾¾ The Mosaic ¾¾ CAE Company ¾ QUALITY LIFESTYLE ¾¾ Citi ¾ New York Life ¾ ÇÇ Our lifestyle and affordability make it easy to attract ¾¾ Coca-Cola ¾ Nielsen and retain top talent. Refreshments ¾¾ PODS ÇÇ We offer three distinct downtown business districts and 35 miles of the best beaches in the world. ¾¾ Cognizant ¾¾ Progressive ÇÇ The cost of living index in the Tampa metro area ¾¾ Covidien Insurance (92.6) is the lowest among all major markets in the ¾ Southeast U.S. ¾¾ DTCC ¾ PwC ÇÇ The average home price is $159,000. ¾¾ Raymond James ¾¾ GE Aviation Ç Financial Ç We’re among the Top 5 locations in the country ¾¾ Gerdau “Where People Are Moving Now.” ¾¾ Raytheon ÇÇ Tampa is ranked one of “America’s 50 Best Cities” ¾¾ Honeywell ¾¾ Sykes and scores in the Top 20 for “Most Livable Cities in ¾¾ HSN America.” ¾¾ Tech Data ÇÇ St. Petersburg was ranked by the New York Times as ¾¾ Jabil one of the “52 Destinations in the World to See in 2014.” ¾¾ USAA ¾¾ James Hardie ¾¾ Valpak ¾¾ JPMorgan Chase

PINELLAS COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION I PCED.ORG WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY 5 TESTIMONIAL  iQor MAJOR INDUSTRY SECTORS “Moving iQor’s corporate TAMPA BAY IS A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND FLORIDA’S POSITION AS THE NUMBER ONE STATE headquarters to FOR INNOVATION.

St. Petersburg...  Leveraging our natural, intellectual and economic FINANCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES is a natural fit for resources, we’ve developed competitive strengths Tampa Bay is a strategic center of growth for the finan- across a diverse range of high tech, high-value industry cial and shared services operations of major companies us. The region’s sectors. around the world. Nearly one in four business and large pool of highly- information services firms in Florida are located within AVIATION AND AEROSPACE our region, including some of the biggest names in skilled talent, strong Tampa Bay is the birthplace of commercial aviation and banking, finance, and insurance. business climate, the headquarters of the National Aviation Academy,  TOP COMPANIES: Citi, DTCC, JP Morgan Chase, with an influential cluster of major aircraft and aircraft MetLife, New York Life, PwC, Raymond James, and outstanding components manufacturers. TransferWise, Willis Towers Watson and Franklin  TOP COMPANIES: Aerosonic, CAE, GE Aviation, L-3, Templeton. infrastructure Lockheed Martin. will support iQor’s DEFENSE AND SECURITY increasing scale As the site of MacDill Air Force Base and U.S. Special and culture of Operations Command, Tampa Bay is a leader in the growing convergence of defense and technology, a top innovation.” location for defense contractors, and home to one of the largest veteran labor forces in the United States. — Hartmut Liebel,  TOP COMPANIES: General Dynamics, Harris CEO of iQor Corporation, Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon.

6 TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION I TAMPAEDC.COM MAJOR INDUSTRY SECTORS

FAST FACT TAMPA BAY IS ALSO AN EMERGING POWERHOUSE IN FILM AND DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION, WITH A LONG LIST OF CREDITS THAT INCLUDE HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS LIKE DOLPHIN TALE AND THE BRYAN CRANSTON CRIME DRAMA, THE INFILTRATOR. IN 2014, WE ATTRACTED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION AS THE FIRST LOCATION IN THE U.S. TO HOST THE IIFA BOLLYWOOD OSCARS.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SUCCESS STORY ✎ The Florida High Tech Corridor, anchored by the Tampa Bay region, is one of the top tech job hot spots in the United THUNDERDOME States. We account for 20 percent of the information technology positions in Florida, and local growth within the IT In 2015, military and industry is projected to increase significantly over the next civilian leaders launched five years. Thunderdome, a unique  TOP COMPANIES: Cognizant, Connectwise, IBM, innovation accelerator Syniverse, Tech Data, Tribridge. driven by United States LIFE SCIENCES AND MEDICAL DEVICES Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Tampa Bay is a major market for Florida’s fast-growing life that positions Tampa Bay sciences industry, which includes more than 5,400 companies and supports close to 80,000 jobs. Nearly 15 as the epicenter of develop- percent of Florida’s biotech companies and 22 percent of ment for new industrial, military, the pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing workforce and consumer technologies. can be found in Tampa Bay. A multidisciplinary partner-  TOP COMPANIES: Baxter, Bausch + Lomb, Bristol-Myers ship between academia, Squibb, ConMed Linvatec, Covidien , Johnson & Johnson. business and government, Thunderdome will align the MANUFACTURING technology transfer capabilities Tampa Bay has the second largest base of manufacturing of our regional universities employment in Florida, including more than 2,000 manu- with the technology transfer facturing firms employing over 60,000 people. From offices of all service precise military specifications to the creation and develop- branches of the United ment of medical devices and manufacturing in highly regulated industries, our businesses are advancing modern States Department of manufacturing technology and making an impact across Defense to create the globe. the largest pool of  TOP COMPANIES: GE Energy Management, Gerdau, patents in the world. Jabil, James Hardie, Masonite, Transitions Optical.

PINELLAS COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I PCED.ORG WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY 7 CONNECTIVITY WITH A MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS NEARLY 20 MILLION RESIDENTS AND 100 MILLION VISITORS EACH YEAR, FLORIDA’S INFRASTRUCTURE IS RANKED #2 IN THE NATION, AND THE TAMPA BAY REGION IS ITS CENTRAL HUB.

 TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (TPA), located TPA offers nonstop access to major cities worldwide, just 15 minutes from Tampa’s downtown business dis- with 257 daily departures to 80 domestic and interna- trict, is one of the most convenient and efficient airports tional destinations, as well as world-class corporate in the country for business travel. Recognized as the #2 aviation services with separate customs and border airport in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveller and Travel & protection facilities. Leisure magazines, TPA provides global access to 18.5 International direct flights include service to major million passengers each year. The airport is currently business destinations such as Frankfurt, London, investing in a $1 billion expansion and renovation pro- Montreal, Ottawa, Panama City, Toronto, and Zurich. gram, which will add a new off-site rental car facility, as Tampa International Airport also provides direct service well as a monorail, hotel and office buildings. to three cities in Cuba and the Bahamas. >> KEY DIRECT ROUTES FROM TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (TPA)*

-3 -2 -1 EST +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6

London Frankfurt

Seattle Minneapolis/ Zurich St. Paul Montreal Toronto Chicago Detroit Boston Denver New York Las Vegas Washington D.C. Atlanta Los Angeles Dallas/Ft. Worth Austin TAMPA Houston INTERNATIONAL NONSTOP FLIGHTS FROM TAMPA: Marsh Harbour Miami  Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)  Grand Cayman, Havana Cayman Islands (GCM) Holguin  London, UK (LGW) Santa Clara  Havana, Cuba (HAV) Grand Cayman San Juan  Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH)  Holguin, Cuba (HOG)  Ottawa, Canada (YOW)  Santa Clara, Cuba (SNU)  Montreal, Canada (YUL) Panama City  Panama City,  Toronto, Canada (YYZ) *not all flights or routes shown Panama (PTY)

FAST FACT THE MAXIMUM TIME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAMPA BAY AND ANY LOCATION IN NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA OR EUROPE IS ONLY SIX HOURS. OUR CONVENIENT GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION WITHIN THE EASTERN TIME ZONE WILL ALLOW YOU TO EASILY CONNECT WITH BOTH YOUR HOME OFFICE AND YOUR TARGET CUSTOMERS DURING STANDARD BUSINESS HOURS.

8 TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION I TAMPAEDC.COM 10 CONNECTIVITY TALLAHASSEE JACKSONVILLE

FAST FACT 75 OUR EXTENSIVE INTERSTATE NETWORK ORLANDO PROVIDES ACCESS TO MORE THAN 33 MILLION 4

CONSUMERS WITHIN AN EIGHT-HOUR DRIVE. 275 TAMPA BAY

>> The convenient and easy to navigate ST. PETE- CLEARWATER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (PIE) served over 1.65 million passengers in 2015 and offers 53 non- 75 stop flights to destinations throughout the United States and Canada. SUCCESS STORY ✎ PORT TAMPA BAY MIAMI PORT TAMPA BAY is the largest seaport in Florida in DTCC terms of both tonnage and geographic area, handling over Depository Trust & 37 million tons of cargo per year and encompassing over Clearing Corporation 5,000 acres. Port Tampa Bay is the nation’s closest deep- water gateway to the Panama Canal and an unparalleled docks, terminals and navigational improvements. This originally selected point of connection to Latin America. It is also one of the effort includes new Post-Panamax gentry cranes, which Tampa as the site of a most diverse seaports in the country with multiple lines of have already been installed, and a phase build-out that redundant operations business providing a solid financial footing and supporting will quadruple the size of the container terminal to more center with 300 jobs an aggressive capital investment program for new than 160 acres. a few years after development. Large tracts of property with exceptional deep water, September 11th The gateway for Central Florida’s energy products, con- highway and rail access are also zoned and available for impacted the New struction/building materials and consumer goods, Port immediate manufacturing and industrial development. York financial Tampa Bay is also one of the world’s premier fertilizer export Tampa Bay also features some of the most advanced markets. Now, a ports, one of the largest shipbuilding and repair centers in data centers and communications networks in the coun- decade later, the site the Southeast U.S. and a major homeport for cruise vessels. try. With a high concentration of major financial services stands as a fully- TAMPA The new Tampa Gateway Rail Terminal extends Port operations, our community is a frequent test market for integrated business Tampa Bay’s reach to the Midwest, Northeast, and other the deployment of advanced technology, making local U.S. destinations through the CSX Rail Network, and a businesses among the first in the nation to access cutting operations unit with five-year plan is now in place to invest $380 million in edge infrastructure enhancements. nearly 1,000 staff and counting, who are conducting finance, Rendering of Tampa legal, human International Airport's resources, marketing, new expansion audit, and IT operations. Executives cited a knowledgeable workforce, educa- tional resources, affordable cost of living, and support from local government as key factors in their decision to grow operations here.

PINELLAS COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I PCED.ORG WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY 9 INTERNATIONAL ADVANTAGES

FAST FACT THE TAMPA BAY FOREIGN TRADE ZONE (FTZ) NETWORK MAKES INTERNATIONAL TRADE EASIER AND MORE COST EFFECTIVE FOR QUALIFYING BUSINESSES, BY STREAMLINING THE PROCESS AND MINIMIZING THE EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH IMPORTING, EXPORTING, MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION FLORIDA’S ACTIVITIES. OUR FTZ NETWORK FASTEST GROWING ENCOMPASSES THE ENTIRE METRO AREA CONSUMER AND ALLOWS COMPANIES TO ESTABLISH MARKET AND OPERATIONS VIRTUALLY ANYWHERE GATEWAY TO WITHIN THE REGION. LATIN AMERICA

The Tampa Bay/ HISTORY AND HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL TRADE Orlando I-4 Corridor  Tampa Bay has a rich history of cultural diversity Tampa Bay is a top export location within the United super region is home to and multinational heritage. Generations of residents States, and the second largest exporter in Florida, with over 8 million people from Cuba, Italy, Spain, Germany and Greece were merchandise shipments totaling $5.8 billion in 2014, and welcomes over 60 attracted by the opportunity to grow and prosper here, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce million tourist visitors building the foundation for our strong, thriving economy. International Trade Administration. per year, making it a We now have 134 different international ancestries More than one-third of exported goods went to represented within our community, and more than 17 Mexico, while other major export markets included huge consumer market. percent of the population is bilingual. Canada, Brazil, China, and the United Kingdom. Nearly The area has the largest 36 percent of exports from our region included >> concentration of INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT distribution centers in The Tampa Bay area is home to a reported 480 foreign- Florida and is the owned companies from 41 nations, employing an fastest growing part of estimated 41,500 workers. Our top investor nations the state. Tampa Bay’s include the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan SUCCESS STORY ✎ close proximity to Latin and France. America (and Asia via Foreign companies interested in expanding or relocat- AMALIE OIL COMPANY the expanded Panama ing to Tampa Bay will benefit from the hands-on A tenant of Port Tampa Bay, Amalie Oil Company is Canal) makes it a assistance of our local economic development partners. perfectly situated These market experts can coordinate a variety of servic- North America’s largest privately held producer of es on your behalf, including customized site searches for motor oils and industrial lubricants. Products platform to serve available buildings, information on projected taxes and include automotive oils, transmission fluids, brake export markets operating expenses, as well as review your qualification fluids, coolants, etc. and are shipped to over 100 throughout the for available incentives. countries around the world and all U.S. states. hemisphere.

10 TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION I TAMPAEDC.COM INTERNATIONAL ADVANTAGES

MAJOR FOREIGN-OWNED COMPANIES IN TAMPA BAY TESTIMONIAL  BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB Bristol-Myers Squibb evaluated 50 U.S. metro areas before and ultimately choosing Tampa for its North America Capability Center. The Center houses scientists, IT experts, business and accounting managers, and human resource professionals in an experimental mix BRAZIL GERMANY FRANCE to help the global corporation become more efficient in delivering quality drugs to the marketplace. ¾¾ Gerdau ¾¾ Bauer ¾¾ Bic Foundation Corp. ¾¾ Essilor “We saw this as an opportunity for ¾ ¾ Brenntag ¾¾ L'Oreal us to gain experience in an area where we Mid-South, Inc. could be a life science employer of choice.” ¾¾ IFCO Systems US ¾¾ Korber AG — Lee Evans, Head of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s ¾ North America Capability Center & Global ¾ Kusser Capability Center Operations Granitwerke CANADA ¾¾ Linde ¾ ¾¾ CAE USA, Inc. ¾ Melitta ¾ ¾¾ Cott Beverages, ¾ Schauenberg >> computer and electronic products, with other export Inc. ¾¾ Seitz, Inc. categories including chemicals, transportation equip- UK/IRELAND ment, non-electrical machinery, and food products. ¾¾ Emera ¾¾ Siemens Industry ¾¾ AMEC Foster Once your business establishes a presence in Tampa ¾¾ Stantec Inc. Bay, we’ll connect you with valuable community ¾ Wheeler ¾¾ TD Bank ¾ TÜV SÜD resources to help facilitate your access to Latin America America, Inc. ¾¾ APAC Southeast and other growing trade markets. ¾¾ Valeant ¾ ¾¾ Atkins Pharmaceuticals ¾ Zeppelin TAMPA BAY EXPORT ALLIANCE Systems USA ¾¾ James Hardie The Tampa Bay Export Alliance (TBEA) is a cooperative ¾¾ TransferWise effort of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and Pinellas County Economic ¾¾ Willis Towers Development. We work together to help Tampa Bay Watson companies grow their business internationally. The TBEA works closely with our federal, state and local entities to offer a seamless network of support, SWITZERLAND focusing on the particular needs of the companies and AUSTRALIA ¾ international stakeholders within our region. Cited by ¾ Ameropa North ¾¾ Cardno industry experts as a best-practice example of interna- America tional partnership, the TBEA is a successful, sustainable ¾¾ Davidoff and results-driven model for regional collaboration. From informational sessions on doing business inter- ¾¾ Nestlé S.A. NETHERLANDS nationally, to trade missions and Gold Key matchmaking ¾¾ Ruag Ammotec events, to market intelligence and export counseling, ¾¾ Aegon USA Inc. the TBEA offers the tools and resources to help you MEXICO ¾¾ Nielsen open new business channels via export and trade. Learn ¾¾ UBS Financial more at tampabayexportalliance.com Services, Inc. ¾¾ Cemex

PINELLAS COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I PCED.ORG WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY 11 WORKFORCE

AN EXCEPTIONAL WORKFORCE IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF TALENT IN TAMPA BAY ENSURES YOU’LL FIND AN ABUNDANCE OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO FULFILL YOUR EMPLOYMENT NEEDS.

 Tampa Bay has the second largest labor base in Florida. We’re one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country, and recognized as one of the best communities for millennials, a population segment that is growing 13 percent faster in Tampa Bay than the nation as a whole. Our median age is 37 and over half of the population is offers learning opportunities to working adults, and between the ages of 18 and 54. Thirty-one percent of serves as a support center for online students TESTIMONIAL  our residents have earned a bachelors degree or higher. throughout the world. U.S. News & World Report ranked Eckerd College CITI HIGHER EDUCATION #127 of private liberal arts colleges in the United Tampa Bay is home to nearly 80 colleges, universities States. Citi has been in Tampa Bay and technical schools, training the students of today for Hillsborough Community College is a leading for more than 30 years. the jobs of tomorrow. two-year institution in associate degrees awarded, The Tampa campus, which The University of South Florida is one of the largest and assists businesses with a comprehensive corpo- employs nearly 6,000, universities in the nation, with 48,000 students and rate training and continuing education division. is the global hub of Citi’s more than 2,000 faculty members, researchers and St. Petersburg College is ranked #7 in the nation in anti-money laundering teachers. It’s also one of the most globally diverse, with associate degrees awarded in liberal arts and scienc- operations. Over 1,200 more than 4,000 international students and 200 es, general studies and humanities. technologists work on research scholars from 138 different countries. Ringling College of Art and Design is among the everything from the Named one of “America’s Best Colleges” by Forbes, world’s top-ranked schools for computer animation company’s technology nearly a quarter of the University of Tampa’s graduate and the #1 “Most Wired Campus” according to U.S. infrastructure to students come from nations outside the United States, News & World Report. application development. encouraging opportunities for diverse cultural and edu- cational exchange. RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING “It’s been easy to Saint Leo University is a Top 10 provider of higher Our workforce recruitment and training assistance education to the military. Its Tampa Education Center will allow you to establish local operations in less >> recruit nationally for people to move to Tampa…[and] local FAST FACT universities are a IN THE LAST YEAR, USF MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN CONTINUING TO FORGE huge generator of A GLOBAL FOOTPRINT. THE UNIVERSITY RANKS IN THE TOP 50 PUBLIC U.S. talent.” — Gregg Morton, UNIVERSITIES IN BOTH THE TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION WORLD SURVEY AND THE President of Citi’s Tampa ACADEMIC RANKING FOR WORLD UNIVERSITIES. campus

12 TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION I TAMPAEDC.COM WORKFORCE

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER MSA FAST FACT MAJOR INDUSTRY EMPLOYMENT NEARLY 2 OUT OF 3 FLORIDA PUBLIC UNIVERSITY 18% Professional & Business Services 16% Education & Health Services GRADUATES 13% Retail Trade STAY AND 12% Total Government 12% Leisure & Hospitality WORK IN 6% Finance and Insurance THE STATE. 5% Construction 5% Manufacturing 4% Wholesale Trade 3% Other Services >> time, at a lower cost. Working with CareerSource 2% Real Estate, Rental, & Leasing Tampa Bay and CareerSource Pinellas, we offer pro- 2% Information grams that help you recruit and train new employees, 2% Transportation, Warehousing, Utilities and maintain and expand the skills of your existing workforce. Information as of January 2016 Enhancing the competitiveness of our regional workforce is a top priority in Tampa Bay. In recent years, our leading business and economic development organiza- tions joined together to identify current and future employer needs in key high-growth industries, including information technology and manufacturing. Through this effort, we’ve created new workforce development AMERICAN MANUFACTURING SKILLS opportunities, including apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and fellowships, as well as programs for con- INITIATIVE (AMSKILLS) tinuing professional education and partnerships with delivers a world-class, local colleges and national universities. The American Manufacturing Skills Initiative (AMskills) high tech and company-sponsored apprenticeship program in Pinellas, Pasco, MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY and Hernando counties to train our future manufacturing technicians, engineers Propelled by rapid innovation, today’s manufacturers and CEOs. rely on increasingly advanced technology – and they The first of its kind in the United States, AMskills works with the German need skilled workers to develop and operate it. So our Embassy’s Skills Initiative, delivering an American take on the proven training community’s leaders, including Hillsborough County, scheme underlying the success of the German manufacturing model. Hillsborough Community College, Hillsborough County Tampa Bay students train under the Public Schools, and CareerSource Tampa Bay, joined guidance of quality product and precision forces to create the Manufacturing Alliance of engineering companies, learning technical Hillsborough County. By providing students, teachers, skills that propel them into advanced and job seekers with the resources they need, we will manufacturing careers. Thanks to a help our manufacturing sector to succeed for genera- cutting-edge, industry-led training program, tions to come. Together, the Manufacturing Alliance of Hillsborough County is forging a solid future for the AMskills graduates are exceptionally industry that is building our world. positioned to meet current business needs, Please visit MadeInHillsborough.org for more and are highly sought after by regional, information. national and international employers.

PINELLAS COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I PCED.ORG WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY 13 BUSINESS CLIMATE

WE MAKE IT EASIER TO DO BUSINESS IN TAMPA BAY, WHERE YOU’LL FIND AN EFFICIENT, AFFORDABLE, AND COMPETITIVE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT WITH THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.

PRO-BUSINESS GOVERNMENT labor costs and a low tax operating environment, with  Florida is a Right-to-Work state and consistently a local sales tax of seven percent, a state corporate ranked one of the best for business due to its stable income tax of only 5.5 percent and no personal income leadership and favorable corporate tax policies. tax. Locally, collaboration between government and industry has resulted in effective development practices, INCENTIVES expedited permitting, and a streamlined regulatory Targeted, performance-based financial incentives for process. qualifying projects can lower the barriers to market entry and mitigate the cost of relocation and expan- AFFORDABILITY sion. We’ll work with you to access these resources, as Tampa Bay is one of the most cost competitive places well as workforce training grants, tax exemption pro- to do business in the nation. Companies here enjoy low grams and more.

14 TAMPA HILLSBOROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION I TAMPAEDC.COM BUSINESS CLIMATE

WORLD’S FIRST WELL CERTIFIED™ CITY DISTRICT FOR WELLNESS

Tampa and Hillsborough County are in construction: a new 400-500 room the midst of a historic transformation hotel, a 650,000 square foot signature that will shape the economic future of office tower, 200,000 square feet of the region. One of the most high profile retail, restaurants and entertainment projects underway in Tampa is Strategic venues, the University of South Florida Property Partners’ (SPP) redevelop- Morsani College Of Medicine and Heart ment of 40 acres along the downtown Institute, as well as an adjoining office waterfront. SPP, a real estate develop- building to house health industry- ment joint venture between Bill Gates’ related businesses. Cascade Investment, LLC, and Jeff The district possesses a number of Vinik, owner of the Tampa Bay exciting amenities in close proximity Lightning, is creating a mixed-use that attract over three million visitors development in the heart of the urban annually: Amalie Arena (home to the core that will be the world’s first WELL Tampa Bay Lightning National Hockey Certified™ city district for wellness. The League team and many concerts and district will offer a walkable, sustain- other events), Tampa Bay History able, Wi-Fi-connected, and healthy Center, Tampa Convention Center, environment for tenants, residents, Florida Aquarium, and an active students, and guests. SPP currently passenger cruise terminal that serves owns the 719-room Marriott Waterside close to 900,000 travelers each year. Hotel and Marina as well as Channelside When all three phases of the project are Bay Plaza, both of which are located on completed, the development will be the water. approximately 6,000,000 square feet While the entire SPP project will be of commercial, residential, and retail developed over time, a number of space with a total investment exceed- projects are planned to start ing $2 billion. BUSINESS CLIMATE

We’re not the only ones who think Tampa Bay is a great place for business.

# Best City for Business in the Southeast 1 (Money magazine)

# Best State for Business in the Southeast 1 (Chief Executive magazine)

Best State Corporate Tax Environment # 3 (Area Development)

Most Cost-Friendly Business Location # 3 Among Large U.S. Cities (KPMG)

PINELLAS COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I PCED.ORG WELCOME TO TAMPA BAY 15 HOW CAN WE HELP YOU EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS INTO TAMPA BAY?

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WWW.PCED.ORG tampabayexportalliance.com tampaedc.com pced.org