USAA To Expand Hillsborough County Operations
November 5, 2013
Project will create up to 1,215 new jobs and $164.3 million capital investment by 2019
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla./Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the United Services Automobile Association (USAA), a leading provider of insurance, banking, investment and retirement products and services for the military community and their families, will expand its presence in Hillsborough County, creating up to 1,215 new jobs and $164.3 million in capital investment by 2019.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce this expansion of USAA in Hillsborough County. This is great news for Florida families and another sign that Florida is becoming the number one place for business. With more than 365,000 jobs created in just two years, our economy is making a great turnaround. Not only has Florida’s unemployment rate continued to decrease but we are still below the national unemployment rate at 7 percent. We know IT’S WORKING in Florida.”
USAA currently employs more than 1,800 individuals at its Commerce Park facility in New Tampa, with more than 600 additional employees located throughout the state. Headquartered in San Antonio, the Fortune 500 company also maintains operations in Phoenix, Colorado Springs, Norfolk, and the Dallas area.
“USAA is growing as the demand for our financial products and services among the military community increases,” USAA CEO Joe Robles said. “We’ve had a great team of employees in Tampa for forty years and we are excited to grow that team in this great military community.”
Florida today has the third largest finance and insurance cluster in the nation. More than 122,000 Financial and Professional Services companies employ some 850,000 workers at locations around the state, and the industry’s designation as a “high impact” sector further signifies its importance to the Florida economy.
Secretary of Commerce Gray Swoope, President & CEO of Enterprise Florida said, “USAA’s decision to expand in Hillsborough County demonstrates that Florida’s financial sector is one of the best in the country. The investment and the jobs USAA will create add to our extensive financial industry and I look forward to seeing their future successes in our state.”
To accommodate the anticipated growth, USAA will initially lease 50,000 square feet of temporary office space at Lakeview Center in Tampa, with plans to construct a new, 420,000 square foot facility at the Crosstown Center in Brandon by 2015. Once complete, the facility will be the largest built-to-suit office project in Hillsborough County since 2001.
“USAA has operated in Florida for more than 40 years, with a significant presence in Hillsborough County since selecting Tampa as its southeast home office location in 1987,” said the Hon. Ken Hagan, Chairman of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “They have deep roots in this community, and reflect our values of service and commitment to the military. We are proud to support their growth and look forward to many years of future success.”
The project was made possible through strong partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Hillsborough County, Workforce Florida, Inc. and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
“USAA’s decision to invest and expand in Hillsborough County is a statement of confidence in our community, and a tangible indicator of our economic vitality and momentum,” said Allen Brinkman, Chair of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and Chairman, President and CEO of SunTrust Bank Tampa Bay. “This announcement is also a testament to the strong support the company has received from the public and private partners committed to their success.”
“USAA’s latest expansion in Florida is exciting news for the Tampa region and for our state,” said Workforce Florida President/CEO Chris Hart IV. “Workforce Florida is proud to support this leading financial services company, with its strong ties to our military, in its continued commitment to creating quality jobs and helping grow Florida’s economy.”
“We are excited that USAA, a national leader in the finance and insurance industry, chose to expand their operations in Tampa and create jobs for Florida families,” said Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio. “With this company, known for its commitment to the financial well-being of members of the military and their families, expanding in our state, we can see that our efforts to attract businesses and create jobs for Floridians are working.”
In April, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners approved a local incentive package of $729,000, supporting a commitment of $2,916,000 from the State of Florida through the State’s Qualified Target Industry (QTI) program. The total QTI allocation of $3,645,000 will provide the company with $3,000 per job for each of the newly created, high-wage positions. The incentives, to be distributed over a period of nine years, are performance-based, meaning funds are only paid after the jobs are created at the wages promised. The incentivized jobs will include various positions across all USAA lines of business.
Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the Career Center at www.USAA.com for more information on available positions.
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About USAA:
USAA provides insurance, banking, investment and retirement products and services to 9.8 million members of the U.S. military and their families. Known for its legendary commitment to its members, USAA is consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee well-being and financial strength. USAA membership is open to all who are serving or have honorably served our nation in the U.S. military, and their eligible family members.
About the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation:
The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation is the lead economic development agency for Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace. Established in 2009 as a partnership between the public sector and private corporate investors, the EDC works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high-wage jobs and capital investment within targeted industry sectors, including Corporate Headquarters, Financial and Shared Services, Life Sciences, Defense and Security, and Manufacturing.
Working with C-level executives, site selection consultants, commercial real estate professionals and other influential decision-makers, the EDC provides customized, confidential relocation services to domestic and international companies interested in growing within Hillsborough County. Locally, the EDC helps existing businesses access the tools and resources they need to succeed, now and in the future.
