2015 Annual Meeting: Get your tickets today!


September 17, 2015



With monumental progress propelling us into 2016, the EDC’s 2015 Annual Meeting promises to be one of the year’s most unforgettable business events.

The 2015 fiscal year saw many significant expansions and relocations to Tampa and Hillsborough County. We had a great first quarter with global information technology services giant Cognizant adding more than 400 jobs to its Tampa offices. Expansions from local firms Tampa Tank, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, ReliaQuest, Xclience, and FitLife Foods soon followed. Amazon added another 1,000 jobs to its Ruskin fulfillment center. In May, Ashley Furniture Industries, the largest furniture manufacturer in the world, announced plans to open its U.S. e-commerce headquarters in Ybor City. Ashley CEO Todd Wanek cited Ybor’s magnetic appeal to millennials and perfect vibe for the design and tech talent it will be recruiting to the operation. Hot summer expansion news from local headquarter companies BlueGrace Logistics and Accusoft was capped off with Johnson & Johnson’s selection of Tampa as the site of its new North American shared services headquarters.

Clearly, as the Tampa Tribune noted in a recent article, we are on a roll.

An epic 2015 Annual Meeting is the only way to close out this extraordinary year and celebrate the contributions of everyone leading the charge into 2016.

The Annual Meeting program will present diverse perspectives on the economic future of Tampa Bay from leaders of major corporations such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, USAA, and Ashley Furniture; Tampa’s new generation of entrepreneurial leaders including the founders of College Hunks Hauling Junk; Tampa International Airport’s Joe Lopano and Port Tampa Bay’s Paul Anderson, as well as Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners Chair Sandy Murman and Mayors Bob Buckhorn, Frank Chillura and Rick Lott.

Dr. Ron Vaughn, the EDC’s 2015 Chair and University of Tampa President, will review our key accomplishments and progress made on signature initiatives before passing the gavel to Colleen Chappell, CEO of Chappell Roberts and our incoming Chair, who will lay out her vision for the future.

Presented by the University of Tampa and GTE Financial and hosted by the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2015 Annual Meeting will feature a pre-event drinks reception, and post-event buffet dinner on the Bud Light Party Deck.

Other 2015 Annual Meeting sponsors include ChappellRoberts, Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas, the Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Hospital, and Tampa General Hospital.

We look forward to seeing you on October 27!

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