Roundtable: What is needed to sustain growth?

What is needed to sustain growth? ® oundtable:

Business leaders from the region discuss efforts needed and the challenges to overcome to ensure Tampa Bay remains a dynamic economy even in the face of a potential national downturn.

Kelly Flannery President & CEO South Tampa Chamber of Commerce Rick Homans CEO Tampa Bay Partnership

How is the South Tampa Chamber working to support emerging sectors? Everything right now is technology-based and anyone who doesn’t believe that is going to be left behind. However, for us as an organization, we rely heavily on partnerships and resources that are available in the community. One of the things the chamber focuses on very heavily is cultivating partnerships and relationships so that when a business comes to us, if it’s not a service we o™er, we know where to direct them to get what they need.

What specific businesses or industries would you like to attract to South Tampa? With MacDill Air Force Base here, there’s a really big opportunity to attract additional military and defense contractors to this area. There’s a few that are here, but I think there’s a lot of room for growth in that space.

What market trends do you think will become a staple in the local economy heading into 2020? We have several multi-use business districts that have popped up. Hyde Park Village, for example, has undergone a multi-year renovation. They’ve attracted a mix of both national and local retail and hospitality brands to this space. They are just completing construction on a coworking space and have completely sold out of all the o©ce space that’s there. Now, they’re recruiting for membership opportunities. Midtown and the Westshore District are two new developments that have already started construction for housing, retail and other concepts. For years, people have been asking for walkable, livable neighborhoods. Developers have listened, and they’re answering the call. What areas is the Tampa Bay Partnership focusing to ensure growth? On the transportation front, we continue to advance the concept of a regional bus transit project to connect the three counties. This 41-mile project has advanced into the project development phase and there is a lot more to accomplish moving forward. On the workforce front we have advanced our talent pipeline management process according to the structure developed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The process uses the principles of supply chain management to determine demand, competency and credential requirements and then the employer collaboratives collectively communicate this information to workforce providers in the region. This is a new concept for the state of Florida and we are the first in Florida to do this.

How are you coordinating your e¡ors with other regions? We work as separate counties, and as separate cities; there is virtually no structure in place for us to work together as a region. For the last four years, we have been pushing for some sort of regional planning. We were successful in getting the state legislature to restructure the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA) to focus on transit, but getting elected o©cials from throughout Tampa Bay to actually work together on a project is somewhat challenging. In some cases, there seems to be a ‘my county first’ approach, which does not leave a lot of air in the room to have a discussion about regional priorities.

Courtney Orr Ybor Development Manager Ybor City Development Corporation

How is Ybor city changing as the region grows? The dynamics of Ybor City are shifting as we see an increase in the residential population, o©ce users and one-of-a-kind restaurants and retailers. What’s most notable though is the influx of residents wanting to call Tampa’s National Historic Landmark home. Ybor has long been known strictly as an entertainment district and that mindset is changing with the current progressive shift underway.

What is needed to ensure the neighborhoods success? Safeguarding Ybor’s historic features and history, especially the cigar industry from which Ybor City was built, is fundamental to the neighborhood’s success. The City of Tampa’s Barrio Latino Commission provides oversight to historic preservation by reviewing all development projects to ensure Ybor’s charm stays intact. We participate by offering a commercial facade grant to inspire historic preservation. This grant, along with other separate ones we offer, has made a tremendous difference throughout the historic neighborhood. Altogether, it helps breed additional private investment that enhances the district and ultimately will forever maintain Ybor’s charm.

Fortunately, Ybor draws very unique restaurant concepts here. Copper Shaker is one example of a successful restaurant opening its second location on 7th Avenue by the end of the year. New establishments like it preserve Ybor’s distinct vibe and with all the new residential development online distinct retailers that we want are sure to follow. Ruby Wake Vice President Tampa Bay Latin Chamber of Commerce

Why was it important to create a Latin chamber? We noticed that there was a gap between the various Latino and Hispanic organizations. In this region, we have amazing organizations that cater to small businesses and startups by providing them with legal and accounting services, but there is no organization that caters to the professional services industry or the technology-driven industries. This was one of our main rationales for wanting to create this new chamber. We are in the process of developing a chamber that brings more than just monthly meetings and luncheons. We want to develop a chamber that is going to facilitate and assist in the development of new industries and companies within Tampa Bay. In order to accomplish this, we have created a board of directors that is very diverse, ranging from attorneys, to public administrators, to news anchors, with the purpose of figuring out what we can do for the Latino business community within Tampa Bay.

How are you working to elevate Latin participation in the technology wave? We hope to assist with the disparity by establishing two accelerator programs and a Latino leadership program. One accelerator will be a technology accelerator that will be hosted in conjunction with Tampa Bay Wave and the second accelerator will be a professional services accelerator. The Latino leadership program will assist Latinos who are interested in becoming involved in the political arena. We hope that by providing these additional resources, we will propel not only the Latin community within Tampa Bay, but Tampa Bay in general.

( ) Tampa and Enterprise Florida, Tampa Bay has become a center for global commerce by recruiting foreign corporations to enter or expand in the regional market. 2019 saw Brazilian snack food company Cicopal establish a division of its EKOA Brands in Tampa, for example. In the air, Delta launched its inaugural flight to Amsterdam out of Tampa International Airport. Representatives of the EDC were aboard that flight to Amsterdam, and upon arrival in the Netherlands met with eight Dutch companies interested in potential investments in Tampa and made plans to return in spring 2020 to conduct a trade mission. In 2019, the EDC also attended SelectUSA, the massive foreign direct investment showcase, with representatives of Global Tampa and Enterprise Florida. SelectUSA presented an opportunity for Tampa’s business development leaders to interview with Chinese business journalists and capitalize on the new weekly container ship delivery to Port Tampa Bay from China. The EDC also conducted an export sales mission to Brazil in summer 2019 and a trade mission to France in the fall. “We want to keep encouraging outside businesses, both national and international, to establish in the region. International business people come to Tampa Bay on vacation and they immediately discover the positive business environment of Tampa and our amazing weather. This is hopefully part of what convinces them to set up their American business here in the region. We also have a new mayor in Tampa Bay, Jane Castor, and we know she is working hard on the best strategies to champion Tampa Bay as the place to do business,” said Karl Kaliebe, executive director of World Trade Center - Tampa Bay.

Another big international business event that took place in Tampa Bay in 2019 was the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) International Business & Leadership Conference. The conference is presented annually by the NGLCC to expand economic opportunities for the LGBTQ business community and is the largest gathering of LGBTQ business leaders and allies in the world. The event was hosted by the Tampa Bay Diversity Chamber of Commerce from Aug. 13- 16 2019, and brought together business leaders from approximately 20 countries representing nearly 250 corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits. The conference offered attendees three days of meetings, seminars, and more than 50 workshops designed to generate business and networking opportunities.

During summer, the average temperature in the region is 83°F.

John Wilson Founder & CEO – WilsonHCG

Tampa has a highly educated workforce. There is a very business-friendly community and unlike other places in the world, you also have like-minded growth profiles among many of the businesses here. Most of them are on a path of growth. It is a solid place to be. Also, for the first time we are seeing that talent is starting to move back here. For a long time, people would go to college and then move to Atlanta or Charlotte but now they’re returning to Tampa. As a tech startup city, Tampa is also mostly a service-based economy, so you have highly educated, skilled workers.

Government record $90.98 billion dollar budget for the fiscal year that The Tampa Bay economy often receives help from the began on July 1, 2019. The budget, which constituted a federal, state, and local governments, as each level has 2.5% increase over the previous fiscal year’s budget of an interest in the success of the region and its people. $88.7 billion, made generous provision for spending As an example of federal economic aid to the region, on environmental projects (like $680 million for the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) Everglades restoration and environmental projects); received two grants in 2019 to fund projects geared toa $242-per-student increase in public school funding; ward increasing Tampa Bay’s resilience in the face of and $10.8 billion for the Department of Transportation devastating storms, rising sea levels, and extreme heat for highway construction, bridge repair, existing waves. The first grant was in the amount of $299,245 facility maintenance, aviation improvements and and was awarded by the U.S. Enseaport infrastructure. Making vironmental Protection Agency. This grant is intended to fund We want to conscientious use of the line item veto authority, DeSantis cut more the TBRPC’s efforts to gather lokeep encouraging than $131 million from the budget cal governments in the region and establish a uniform underoutside businesses to reach his goal of coming in under $91 billion for the fiscal standing of how to prepare their communities for natural disasters ... to establish in year. Finally, a major initiative at through improving their infrastructure, economies, and flooding the region. the local level that is sure to have economic ramifications is the city mitigation. The second grant came from the U.S. Department of ComKarl Kaliebe World Trade Center - Tampa Bay of Tampa’s new $15 minimum wage for city employees. Effective merce’s Economic Development Oct. 1, 2019, all new, full-time city Administration, and provided $175,000 in support of employees will be hired at a wage of $15 per hour, with the development of a Category 5 hurricane simulation those already working for the city at below $15 getting a to be used by governments to practice responses to bump to reach that amount. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor Tampa Bay businesses hit by one of these severe storms. said that the wage bump was part of her commitment The program will have a special focus on helping small to improving the resilience of the city, which includes businesses learn about how the emergency operaimproving its economic environment and the quality tions departments at local governments can help them of life of its residents. The mayor hopes that, in during a disaster, as well as helping local governments addition to simply doing the right thing by providing anticipate the needs of small businesses. city employees with a living wage in the face of a rising

One of the biggest economic stories at the state cost of living, the new $15 minimum will also help the government level was Gov. Ron DeSantis’ passing of a city to attract and retain valuable talent.

Technology and innovation As a natural extension of its booming economy, Tampa Bay has also developed into an increasingly prominent player in the tech scene, with good reason. “Coming from the Silicon Valley area to Tampa Bay, I can speak to the fact that there is a different mentality in Tampa Bay. People in this region have a desire to listen, and there is an ‘ear to the ground’ kind of mentality. There also seems to be a little bit more hunger and collective desire to push this region to the next level on all fronts, which is wonderful. There is simply a vibrancy in Tampa Bay that does not exist in many other communities around the United States. The access to academia and the universities in this area are also an enormous benefit to the startups and tech ecosystem,” said Tom Witmer, president and CEO of SageLegion.

In 2019, Tampa Bay was the No. 1 metro area in Florida in terms of demand for high-skill, highwage STEM workers, with 19,381 openings for such positions in June 2019. These jobs are at some of the most exciting and innovative tech companies out there, including numerous companies landing on Deloitte’s Fast 500, a ranking of North America’s fastest-growing technology companies. The Tampa Bay area companies making the Fast 500 include KnowBe4, ReliaQuest, and MAS Global Consulting LLC, which all earned their spots by virtue of their impressive revenue growth between 2015 and 2018. KnowBe4, which is based in Clearwater, ranked 55th with 2,237% revenue growth during the study period and a value of more than $1 billion as of June 2019. Tampa-based ReliaQuest came in at No. 356 with 275% growth, and recently expanded its Tampa

The Tampa Bay region is home to some of the premier educational institutions in Florida.