International Business Development Heats Up

June 24, 2019

As we move toward the final quarter of our FY2017-2019 strategic plan, the EDC is making excellent progress toward our goal of increasing Tampa Bay’s recognition as a center of global commerce. Our Business Development team has been busy recruiting foreign corporations to our market and educating companies in Europe, Latin America and Asia about the benefits of locating here.

In May, we announced the establishment of Brazilian snack food company Cicopal’s EKOA Brands division in Tampa. Later that month, our team boarded the inaugural direct Delta flight to Amsterdam, along with our partners at Tampa International Airport and Global Tampa Bay. While in the Netherlands, we met with eight Dutch companies interested in investing in our market and began planning our trade mission there for Spring 2020.

Earlier this month, we attended SelectUSA, the nation’s largest showcase for foreign direct investment, with our partners from Global Tampa Bay and Enterprise Florida. While there, our team interviewed with Chinese journalists to educate them about business opportunities in Tampa Bay and began tentatively planning an in-bound familiarization tour for the Chinese business media. With Port Tampa Bay’s new weekly container ship delivery from China, a new world of trade opportunities is open to us.

There’s no slowing down for us this summer, as our team prepares for the next export sales mission to Brazil on August 12-15 and the foreign direct investment mission to France in September.

Thanks to the hard work of our team and our partners, it looks like we’ll have a strong finish for our international business goals this fiscal year.

Have a great Independence Day holiday and enjoy your summer!

Craig