Hillsborough County welcomes four new companies, adds 500 new jobs this month

September 23, 2016

Fall beckons many Floridians up to cooler climes for the foliage and other seasonal delights. But Tampa is the place to be this September for four fast-growing, out-of-state companies that are making big investments in their future here.

Just last week, Governor Rick Scott made two major announcements regarding Chicago-area companies opening headquarters in Hillsborough County.

On Friday, Velocity Resource Group announced it was moving its corporate headquarters to Tampa, where they will create 50 new jobs. The global talent acquisition services provider will move into the BMO Building at 501 East Kennedy Blvd. in downtown Tampa in the beginning of November. They are leasing 2,000 square feet initially but have plans to move into a larger space within one year. Velocity Resource Group also has offices in Bangkok.

“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.”

Just one day before, Fay Servicing announced the opening of its Southeastern regional headquarters in Hillsborough County. The mortgage servicing firm will create up to 100 new jobs and invest more than $1 million in the community.

Fay Servicing employs more than 500 across America, and the new positions in Hillsborough County will pay an average annual wage of $55,130 and include mortgage loan servicing, REO property management, loan boarding, bankruptcy management, and more.

“Florida is the perfect location for our company as it prepares for another significant expansion,” said Ed Fay, CEO of Fay Servicing. “The workforce here in Tampa is exceptional in terms of the skills we require, and the area provides many advantages when it comes to recruiting talented individuals. We are excited about expanding in Tampa and thank the state and local government for the support and warm welcome they have given us.”

Earlier this month, Washington, DC-area based Iron Bow Technologies announced it will open a new contact center in Tampa at Woodland Corporate Center by November 1. The company will create 170 new jobs and $500,000 in capital investment.

A leading provider of technology solutions, Iron Bow Technologies provides government, health care, and commercial customers solutions that enable them to realize positive business and mission outcomes while gaining greater efficiencies within daily operations. The company plans on hiring a variety of positions for its health benefits customer service center as well as support professionals for human resources, operations, and IT.

The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation assisted Iron Bow Technologies with connections to Hillsborough County for expedited permitting and CareerSource Tampa Bay for job postings and workforce training grants.

On August 31, North American Roofing Services announce it was relocating its corporate headquarters from Asheville, N.C. to Tampa. The national commercial and industrial roofing company will create up to 180 new-to-Florida jobs, which will include roles such as executive management, accounting, finance, HR, legal, and IT. The jobs will pay an annual average wage of $61,316.

“Tampa’s talent pool both in volume and skill set is what attracted us most. We are the largest in our industry and experiencing double digit growth year over year, so people are our most important asset,” added Kelly Wade, COO, North American Roofing Services, Inc. “Beyond talent, Tampa offers everything we need to entice our key employees to relocate and ensure graduates of local universities and current workforce stay in the area – from a friendly business climate and a great lifestyle to philanthropic opportunities and excellent cultural amenities.”

The company will also invest at least $800,000 in construction, renovations, office equipment and furnishings at the new headquarters facility at Hidden River Corporate Center Two.