Gov. Scott Announces Velocity Resource Group Relocating Global Headquarters from Illinois to Tampa

September 23, 2016

    TAMPA, Fla. / Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Velocity Resource Group, a global talent acquisition services provider, will relocate its corporate headquarters from Illinois to Tampa. The company will create 50 new jobs and generate $375,000 in the local community. The positions will include executive management, sales and marketing, accounting, recruiting and software development roles.   Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce Velocity Resource Group has chosen to relocate their global headquarters to Florida from Illinois and create 50 new jobs for Tampa families. Our low tax, business-friendly environment is why Florida is clearly the best choice for growing companies like Velocity to succeed, and we will keep working to attract even more job creators to our state. I welcome Velocity Resource Group to the Sunshine State.”   “After visiting many times to meet with clients here, we fell in love with Tampa and the surrounding areas,” said John Fortino, Co-founder and Senior Managing Partner of Velocity Resource Group. “Tampa offers us a much friendlier business climate than Chicago, a lifestyle that helps us to recruit top talent, and an outstanding airport that makes it easy for us to travel to our clients across the country. We can’t wait to settle in and enjoy all that this community has to offer.”   Velocity Resource Group will move into its new corporate headquarters at 501 E. Kennedy Blvd. in downtown Tampa on November 1, 2016. The company is leasing 2,000 square feet to start, but plans to move into a larger space within twelve months. Velocity Resource Group will also maintain offices in Bangkok, Thailand.   “We are thrilled that Velocity Resource Group has chosen to relocate to Florida and open their global headquarters here,” said Crystal Sircy, Executive Vice President & COO of Enterprise Florida, Inc. “This announcement signals that Florida has a top-ranked business climate, provides easy access to national markets, and more and more companies are taking notice of all the state has to offer.”   The project was made possible through strong partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.   “Florida has one of the strongest, most business-friendly economies in the nation,” said Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. “It’s not surprising that we continue to attract jobs and companies from other states where policies are stifling business and job growth. We look forward to Velocity Resource Group’s success in Tampa.”   “Hillsborough County offers Velocity Resource Group the pro-business environment, lower cost of living and strong pipeline of talent from local universities they need to succeed in this next phase of growth for their organization,” said the Hon. Lesley “Les” Miller, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners Chairman. “We thank them for their investment in our community and look forward to supporting them in the years to come.”   Florida is home to nearly 3,000 headquarters offices. The Sunshine State is the 4th largest economy in the U.S. and would be the 18th largest economy in the world, if Florida were considered a country.   City of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said, “Tampa’s outstanding professional services workforce, conveniently located airport, and great quality of life deliver companies like Velocity Resource Group everything they need to operate a thriving headquarters operation here. We appreciate their choice of Tampa over other Southeastern locations and welcome them to our great city.”   Velocity Resource Group joins a rapidly expanding list of diverse companies that have moved their corporate headquarters to Hillsborough County, including Cohesion, Bertram Yachts, BeniComp Insurance Company, Ashley Furniture Industries’ Ashcomm, Inspirata, and Cody Talbert Distribution.   “Velocity Resource Group’s decision to invest in Tampa and Hillsborough County is a statement of confidence in our community, and further proof of our region’s economic vitality and momentum,” said Colleen Chappell, Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation Chair and CEO of ChappellRoberts. “We are excited to welcome John and his team to our dynamic and exciting market.”   Interested candidates are encouraged to visit velocityresourcegroup.com for more information on available positions.   About Velocity Resource Group Velocity Resource Group is an on-demand candidate sourcing company that leverages our global workforce to deliver candidates overnight. Our disciplined process for finding and contacting candidates, performing telephone prescreens and delivering these interested candidates to our clients, very quickly and at a very low cost is an unparalleled strategic advantage to companies looking for qualified candidates. To learn more, visit velocityresourcegroup.com.   About Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation (EDC) works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high-wage jobs and capital investment in Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace. We focus on growing locally established companies as well as recruiting corporate operations in targeted industry sectors including Information Technology, Financial and Professional Services, Life Sciences, Defense and Security, Manufacturing, and Distribution and Logistics. The Tampa Hillsborough EDC exists because of the generous support of over 100 local investors. For more information, visit tampabayedc.com.