Hillsborough County Welcomes New HFPG Manufacturing and Distribution Center

June 16, 2015

Hercules Fluid Power Group (HFPG), a leading international distributor of hydraulic and pneumatic seals, seal kits and cylinders for all heavy equipment brands, announced plans to open a new manufacturing and distribution center in Hillsborough County this month.   The company, headquartered in Clearwater, will be investing up to $1 million in its new Tampa facility and adding 50 new distribution, light manufacturing and engineering jobs with an average wage of close to $48,813.   “HFPG is a dynamic, growing group of companies. Our most recent need to support our continued business expansion led us to consider a number of locations for our new facility. HFPG has proudly selected Tampa,” said Russ Brown, President of HFPG. “This move allows us to take advantage of Tampa’s strong talent pool and cost – effective environment to continue to build the company into the industry leading provider of Fluid Power seals for Mobile Heavy Equipment and industrial applications. HFPG would like to thank the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Enterprise Florida and The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for their assistance and commitment to supporting local business development.”   Founded in 1962, HFPG currently has 385 employees throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to the Florida facilities, the company also has distribution centers in six other states. The new manufacturing and distribution center, located at 8711 Florida Mining Road in Tampa, will occupy 35,000 square feet of leased space. HFPG is investing approximately $1 million in building improvements, new equipment, and office furniture.   “We’re very pleased to welcome HFPG to Hillsborough County,” said the Hon. Sandra Murman, Chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “We’ve worked hard to develop our distribution, manufacturing and logistics sectors by offering competitive workforce support and business assistance packages that put companies locating here on a fast track for growth. This strategy is clearly working. We look forward to supporting HFPG’s success and thank them for bringing more jobs and investment to our community.”   Florida's advanced manufacturing industries are diverse and include sectors producing intermediate and finished products ranging from plastics to machinery and motor vehicles. In total, Florida is home to more than 18,200 manufacturers employing some 317,000 workers.   “HFPG already has distribution centers in at least two other states that competed for this project,” said Dr. Ronald Vaughn, Chair of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and President of the University of Tampa. “But those states simply couldn’t beat what Hillsborough County offered in terms of quality and availability of the talent and an ideal location for expanding service to their customers in the southeastern U.S., Europe, and other international destinations. Hillsborough County’s reputation as a destination for distribution, logistics, and manufacturing operations is on the rise.”