Last week, the Financial Times released their annual Investing in America rankings, which lists the top ranked cities in the United States for international businesses. Tampa leapfrogged 26 places to clinch the number one spot, dethroning Houston and a raft of other major cities that previously dominated the list.
FT attributed Tampa’s ascent to our economic diversity, exceptional workforce, openness, business climate, quality of life, low crime rate and trade war resilience.
As Mayor Castor sums up perfectly in this article, “If you want a place that feels incredibly welcoming, you’re instantly a part of the community, you can raise a family, or the safest city our size in the nation, Tampa is the place that you want to go.”
Here at the EDC, we’ve had the privilege of assisting a number of multinational and international companies set up their US headquarters and regional offices in Tampa. We’ve made foreign direct investment a top priority since our inception, and now approximately 40 percent of our project leads come from international firms. We also have a decade-long partnership with our peer economic development organizations in Pinellas and Pasco – Global Tampa Bay – to market our region abroad.
Among our other assets that make Tampa attractive to foreign companies are America’s Best Airport – Tampa International – located just 15 minutes away from most major business districts in the city. TPA offers numerous direct flights to the London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, making travel from Europe very easy for companies with offices or headquarters there. There are also direct flights to Toronto, Panama City and Mexico City, which provide connections to major airports in North and South America. For companies that ship cargo internationally, Port Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest deepwater port and the closest one to the Panama Canal.
Some major multinational corporations with a sizeable presence in Tampa include Citi, JPMorgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, Gerdau, Pfizer, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb and Mosaic. More recently, international companies such as OPSWAT, Suzuki Marine, Medability, MUFG, AquaFence and Autoslide have established thriving operations here.
We’re incredibly proud of this ranking and you should be, too. Tampa’s rise in multiple rankings over the years has a lot to do with the quality of people here. Our government and business leaders, the talent that powers our organizations, and the people who move here and fall in love with the place. Cheers to us all for another Team Tampa win!
Thank you,
Craig
