Commissioner Murman quoted in this StPetersblog article on recruiting corporate HQs:
The search for recruiting a corporate headquarters to Hillsborough County continues
By Mitch Perry on February 4, 2015
The Tampa Bay area has never been the host of that many major corporations, and definitely not in Hillsborough County. Last year’s list of Fortune 500 companies includes Lakeland-based Publix, Jabil and Raymond James in St. Petersburg, Tech Data in Clearwater, and Blooming’ Brands and WellCare in Tampa.
The effort to lure major corporations to base their headquarters in the city or county has been one of the priorities of the Tampa/Hillsborough County Economic Development Corp. And assisting with that search is Channelside developer Jeff Vinik, who has stated that one of the goals for his master plan to redevelop the south of downtown waterfront area is to include a corporate headquarters.
Last fall the EDC hired San Diego-based Market Enhancement Group (MEG) to conduct what they term a “perception research study” to gauge the attitudes of some 350 Fortune 1000 CEOs to unearth their perceptions of doing business in Tampa/Hillsborough County.
At today’s Board of Hillsborough County Commissioners meeting, EDC head Rick Homans went over some highlights of that study. In reviewing the wishes of what these CEOs desire from a community, it could be deciphered that, like Greta Garbo, they’d just like to be left alone, essentially.
While their number one desire was having state and local leadership that was “pro-business,” three out of the next four top categories included: Absence of unnecessary rules and regulations; lack of bureaucratic interference; and the ease of doing business, defined as “lack of rules that delay progress and projects.”
Under the categories of “vulnerability for Tampa” there were two main takeaways: 1) lack of efficient transportation options, and 2) The ability of out-of-the-area corporate headquarters to attract qualified, skilled employees “is also an issue that needs to be addressed.”
Tampa also got a low rating for a lack of “Class A” or premier office space.
Homans told commissioners that the EDC intends to talk to “many” of the CEOs surveyed to dig deeper into their perceptions of what it would be like to do business in Tampa. Regarding the workforce issue of having quality people in the area or recruited to the area, Homans said that was based more on perception than the facts on the ground would indicate.
Some CEOs said in the study that they would be more likely to enter the area if there were other corporate headquarters already here, leading to what Homans described as a “chicken and egg thing.”
Commissioner Kevin Beckner said perception was reality when it came to the lack of infrastructure and transportation issues in the region. He told Homans that he hopes he’s able to work with the county’s Policy Leadership Group on transit issues this year.
Commission Chair Sandy Murman said Homans should speak to officials with the Hillsborough Planning Commission about the concern about Class A office space, adding that the county has been able to land companies to the region, but that they haven’t been large businesses.
