Tampa Bay

Citrus • Hernando • Hillsborough • Manatee • Pasco • Pinellas • Polk • Sarasota

| 10/30/2020

Tampa Bay

3 Commercial Airports

3 Deep-water Seaports

7 Colleges / Universities

What’s not to like about Tampa Bay? If you follow reviews on WalletHub, not very much. This region gets high marks on everything from “Best Places to Start a Business” (No. 5) and conversely “Best Places to Retire” (No. 2) to “Best Places for First-Time Homeowners” (No. 6) and “Most Pet Friendly” (No. 1). But seriously, Florida’s second most heavily populated region is a great place to live and work. On the Cost of Living Index published annually by the Council for Community and Economic Research, Tampa Bay routinely scores below the national average. And with seamless connections, a thriving job market, outstanding educational options and plenty of things to see and do, Tampa is the right place to settle down and stay awhile.

Headquarters

Tampa Bay is home to 20 corporate headquarters, five of which have been named to the Fortune 500 list for 2020: Publix Super Markets, which moved up four notches to claim the No. 87 position; Tech Data (No. 90); Jabil (No. 121); Mosaic (No. 356); and Raymond James Financial (No. 396). Also scoring recognition by Fortune: Roper Technologies at No. 518 and Bloomin’ Brands at No. 628. Tampa-based WellCare Health Plans, No. 155 on Fortune’s 2019 list, was sold earlier this year to St. Louis-based Centene, which is ranked No. 42 by Fortune in 2020.

Among recent activities in this sector:

Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets celebrated its 90th anniversary on September 6, 2020. With more than 220,000 employees, it is the largest employee-owned company in the U.S.

As of June 2020, Tech Data is no longer a public company after it sold itself to private equity giant Apollo Global Management of New York. The worldwide distributor of technical products, services and solutions will remain headquartered in Clearwater.

St. Petersburg-based Raymond James Financial is moving ahead with plans to open a new satellite campus in the Pasco County community of Wesley Chapel.

KEY PLAYERS:Jabil, St. Petersburg; The Mosaic Company, Tampa; Publix Super Markets, Lakeland; Roper Technologies, Sarasota; Tech Data, Clearwater

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Tags: Tampa Bay, Business Florida

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