Tampa's impressive Riverfront is the focal point for downtown redevelopment.
Photo: Arpad Benedek
Aviation defense training firm Draken International will create 55 jobs and spend $6.7 million to expand its headquarters and maintenance facilities at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.
Photo: Jose M. Ramos
Medical students and seasoned physicians alike practice state-of-the-art surgical techniques at USF's Center for Advanced Medical Learning in Tampa
Construction is under way on the Winter Haven Intermodal Rail Terminal, a facility aimed at solidifying Polk County's position as a distribution hub serving the Southeast.
SB Manufacturing has chosen Dade City for a new aluminum castings plant to replace one it previously operated in China.
All Children's Hospital, the regional pediatric referral center for Florida’s west coast, provides world-class care in more than 43 pediatric medical and surgical specialties.
Opened in 2011, the 150-acre Legoland Florida in Winter Haven continues to grow.
Anna Maria Island
Photo: Bradenton Area CVB
The 216-room main lodge at The Mosaic Company's Streamsong resort, built on reclaimed phosphate mining land in Polk County, will open in 2014.
Known for its collection of Frank Llloyd Wright structures, Florida Southern College in Lakeland offers 50 majors and a student-faculty ratio of 13:1
SHARE:
Business Florida 2014 - The Regions
Tampa Bay
Bradenton, Clearwater, Lakeland, North Port, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tampa
Tampa Bay at a Glance
Demographics for the Tampa Bay region can be found at Business Florida's interactive map of Florida.
Universities/Colleges
• Clearwater Christian College
• Eckerd College
• Florida College
• Florida Polytechnic University
• Florida Southern College
• Hillsborough Community College
• New College of Florida
• Pasco-Hernando Community College
• Polk State College
• Ringling College of Art and Design
• Saint Leo University
• St. Petersburg College
• Southeastern University
• State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
• University of South Florida
• University of South Florida St. Petersburg
• University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee
• University of Tampa
• Warner University
• Webber International University
Airports
• Lakeland Linder Regional
• St. Petersburg-Clearwater International
• Sarasota Bradenton International
• Tampa International
Seaports
• Port Citrus
• Port Manatee
• Port of St. Petersburg
• Port of Tampa
What’s not to like about Tampa Bay? With three seaports and three international airports providing ready access to global markets, plus a growing talent base supported by 18 colleges and universities, including the acclaimed University of South Florida (USF), which is ranked among the top 50 nationwide for federal research expenditures, this eight-county region is ready-made for business success. The proof is in the roster of companies already here: 19 firms with billion-dollar revenues — four of them on the Fortune 500 list — have corporate headquarters in Tampa Bay.
And it’s not just this region’s business assets that have garnered attention. The fact that Tampa Bay offers the right mix of vibrant downtowns, internationally respected venues for arts and culture, proximity to coastal beaches and plenty of wide open inland space makes this — the 14th largest consumer market in the U.S. — an attractive place to work and live.
WHO LIVES HERE
Steady growth Tampa Bay’s population — 4.32 million in 2012 — has grown by 20% since the year 2000 and shows no signs of stopping. An estimated 50,000 new residents are projected to move here annually through 2016.
Young, diverse, urban Approximately 20% of Tampa Bay residents are in the 18-34 age group, and an estimated 15% of the total population is Hispanic — good news for businesses seeking to tap into the talents and buying power of youth and multi-culturals. Increasingly, new arrivals are drawn to Tampa’s urban core where high-rise apartment buildings with upscale amenities are taking shape.
Family friendly Tampa’s right combination of quality schools, affordable homes, ample job opportunities and family-focused attractions earned this city the No. 4 spot on a 2012 list of "America’s Top 10 Cities to Raise a Family" from the real-estate search site Homes.com.
