Creating a Global Community

November 24, 2015

 
 
Tampa Bay has long been a community with international ties.
 
Today, we stand as a community ready to expand our businesses internationally. Local companies are exporting goods and services to countries like Mexico, Canada, Brazil, China, and the UK. Close to 500 foreign-owned companies from 41 nations have operations here, employing an estimated 41,500 workers.
Two community assets have and will continue to play a huge role in our community’s international business development efforts: Tampa International Airport and Port Tampa Bay.
 
The largest seaport in Florida, Port Tampa Bay encompasses more than 5,000 acres and handles over 36 million tons of cargo every year. It also stands as the nation’s closest deepwater gateway to the Panama Canal, offering an unparalleled point of access to Latin America. This huge advantage allows local businesses to export their goods and services quickly and efficiently to countries like Mexico and Brazil.
 
Port Tampa Bay also offers the state’s only on-dock unit train capability, two post-Panamax cranes, which are the only ones between Miami and Mobile, and a dedicated terminal and 100,000 square foot building for automobile processing. These resources set Tampa and Hillsborough County apart from other communities when it comes to international business.
 
Roughly 11 miles away sits the #2 airport in the U.S. according to Condé Nast Traveler, Tampa International Airport (TPA). One of the most convenient and efficient airports in the country for business travel, TPA offers nonstop access to major cities worldwide through more than 250 daily flights to 80 domestic and international destinations, like New York, Chicago, Frankfurt, Panama City, London, Seattle, and Los Angeles.
 
TPA will continue to be a very important player in the international business development game. Currently, the airport is investing more than $1 billion in an expansion of the facility, adding a new off-site rental car facility, hotels, and office buildings as well as enlarging the main terminal.
 
With these community assets, as well as the Tampa Bay Export Alliance, Tampa, Hillsborough County, and our local businesses have two major supporters in their corners as we work to create a global community.