TransferWise, Florida Agency Network announce major expansions

November 19, 2015

TransferWise, a London-based money transfer company founded by Skype’s first employee and backed by a who’s who of global tech industry investors, announced the opening of its Americas Operations Center in Tampa this month. The company, which has hired 50 employees since February, plans to hire another 200 employees within three years at its new Center, located at 4012 Gunn Highway.
 
Sir Richard Branson, PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures, and Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz are among the investors who have parked over $90 million in TransferWise’s coffers since the European startup launched in 2011.
 
Cofounded by Skype’s first employee Taavet Hinrikus and Kristo Käärmann, TransferWise has won accolades ranging from the Financial Times’ 2014 Boldness in Business Award to the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneer Award. It bills itself as an edgy tech company that is disrupting the financial technology, or fintech industry, by helping consumers who want to transfer money across borders to save up to 85 percent off regular international bank fees.
 
“Locating our operations and service center in Tampa was an easy decision for us,” said Joe Cross, TransferWise’s US General Manager. “TransferWise is all about our customers and giving them an incredible experience and service…. and there’s just something about Tampa that gives us access to great people who feel the same way.  We’re grateful for all the support we received setting up here and I’m excited about the team that we are growing.”
 
The company, which has 450 employees globally, does about $750 million in transfers each month.  The company boasts that it saved those customers $34 million by using its technology. Since opening offices in the United States in February, it has facilitated transfer of about $1 billion, TransferWise spokesman Michael Goodbody said.
 
The Florida Agency Network announced earlier this month that it would expand its headquarters in Plant City and deepen its commitment to that community’s business growth. The company, Florida’s largest network of independent agencies providing title services in 30 locations across the state, will relocate up to 30 employees and hire up to 100 additional staff members in the next three to five years.
 
Florida Agency Network will also invest more than $5.1 million in the project through the acquisition of additional office space at its current location in Alexander Oaks Office Park, the purchase of land on an adjacent parcel, and the building of a new 12,000 square-foot headquarter office. The acquisition and new build will result in over 50,000 square feet of space at Alexander Oaks.
 
“This is an exciting time to expand our business in Plant City,” said Aaron Davis, CEO of the Florida Agency Network.
 
These diverse projects illustrate Tampa and Hillsborough County’s appeal to growing companies across industry sectors, and underscore our region’s reputation as a destination for customer experience and service excellence. In a global economy where customers are increasingly dictating how companies will engage them and keep their business, this is an important competitive differentiator.