TAMPA, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the expansion of Tampa Tank, Inc. & Florida Structural Steel and the creation of 108 new jobs. Twenty four of these jobs will be added at its headquarters facility in Ybor City, and 84 jobs will be created at their Port Redwing manufacturing facility in Gibsonton. The company is investing a combined $18 million in the expansion project, including a retrofit of an existing 40,000 square foot facility and a brand new 120,000 square foot building at Port Redwing.

Governor Scott said, “I’m proud to announce that Tampa Tank’s expansion will create over 100 new jobs. Manufacturing companies like Tampa Tank provide great jobs for Florida families, which is why we eliminated the sales tax on manufacturing equipment to create more opportunities for manufacturers to succeed in our state. We look forward to Tampa Tank’s continued growth in Tampa Bay.”

Tampa Tank was established in 1953, and Florida Structural Steel was acquired in 1984. The company provides customized design, repair, and fabrication of welded steel products to customers nationally and globally. The Tampa-based company currently employs 194 Floridians.

“Today’s announcement signifies Tampa Tank’s strong commitment to our community, and the remarkable success our company is enjoying nationally and globally,” said David Hale, CEO of Tampa Tank, Inc. & Florida Structural Steel. “We appreciate the strong support we’ve received from our public and private partners, particularly Port Tampa Bay.”

Florida ranks among the nation’s top 10 states for manufacturing establishments and is home to more than 18,600 manufacturing companies. The manufacturing industry is a key part of Florida’s economic success with more than 321,000 Floridians working in manufacturing. In addition, the state’s multicultural and multilingual workforce provides Florida manufacturers with an excellent advantage in conducting business overseas, accounting for 92 percent of Florida’s exports last year.

Bill Johnson, Enterprise Florida president & CEO said, “Our cost-competitive environment, favorable overall tax structure, and strong workforce make it easy for companies to succeed in Florida. Being ideally positioned to be the global hub for business makes Florida’s manufacturing industry highly integrated with the global economy. Congratulations to Tampa Tank for their continued growth and success in Florida.”

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “Tampa Tank’s continued growth is good news for Floridians, especially in the Tampa Bay area. The company’s decision to stay and expand in Florida is the result of the Scott Administration’s low-tax, pro-growth policies. Growing a thriving manufacturing sector is a critical step on Florida’s path to become the nation’s top-performing economy.”

“We faced some tough competition from other locations and worked very hard to help secure this deal for Tampa and Hillsborough County,” said Dr. Ronald Vaughn, Chair of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and President of the University of Tampa. “Tampa Tank’s expansion proves that we have what takes as a region to work collaboratively to transform Port Redwing into a powerful economic engine and ensure that the company can grow its investments and jobs here.”

“This project is a big win for Tampa, for Port Tampa Bay, and for our local residents who will secure high-wage jobs at Tampa Tank’s Ybor City headquarters and Port Redwing,” said Mayor Bob Buckhorn, City of Tampa. “Tampa Tank’s expansion will kick off an historic revitalization of this important industrial asset, and fuel greater economic growth for our port community.”

“Manufacturing jobs are vitally important to Hillsborough County, so the announcement of Tampa Tank’s expansion is an exciting and important milestone for our community,” said the Hon. Sandy Murman, Chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.  “We’ve proven once again that we can provide the leadership, business assistance, and workforce that growing firms like Tampa Tank need to prosper here.  We look forward to seeing Port Redwing’s transformation and supporting the growth of Tampa Tank and Port Tampa Bay for years to come.”

“Tampa Tank has long been a supporter of the Tampa community and Port Tampa Bay,” said Paul Anderson, Port Tampa Bay President and CEO. “We are excited for their growth and expansion. We look forward to supporting them for years to come.”

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Tampa Tank, Inc. & Florida Structural Steel is staffed and equipped to provide complete design, shop fabrication, shipment, field erection, inspection, and testing of welded steel products to our customer’s specific requirements. For additional information on our companies, please call (813) 241-4261.

Enterprise Florida, Inc. is a partnership between Florida’s business and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida. Enterprise Florida’s mission is to facilitate job growth for Florida’s businesses and citizens leading to a vibrant statewide economy. In pursuit of its mission, Enterprise Florida works closely with a statewide network of economic development partners and is funded both by the State of Florida and by private-sector businesses.

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