Tampa Bay EDC marks 15 years of service to the community

Level Up. That was the theme for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council’s (EDC) annual meeting, held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Nov. 5, as it recognized more than just the fiscal year’s highlights.

At the Tampa event, the EDC marked its 15th anniversary and the progress it has made for Tampa Bay businesses since then.

“When we were founded in 2009, our local economy was left reeling from the Great Recession and we were losing some of our best young talent to more opportunity-rich cities,” said Craig Richard, President and CEO of Tampa Bay EDC. “But fast forward to today, Hillsborough County boasts one of the most economically diverse and resilient economies in the country, and Tampa is a magnet for top talent.”

In the past 15 years, Tampa Bay EDC’s projects have generated almost  $3.7 billion in capital investment into Hillsborough County and over $26 billion of economic output throughout the Tampa Bay region.

2024 was also a year to celebrate for the EDC as it retained 90% of its investors and the EDC’s business development team visited 328 local businesses, recruited seven new companies and helped eight existing businesses expand within the region.

“We see a lot of opportunities to bring economic prosperity to all corners of our community,” Richard said. “We created the Tampa Bay Economic Prosperity Foundation to generate investment and promote job opportunities in underserved communities like East Tampa.”

For Richard and Tampa Bay EDC, the past is worth recognizing, but the future is the focus.

“I am proud of what the Tampa Bay EDC has accomplished the past 15 years, but we’re really just getting started. We’re ready to take our community to the next level, which is why the theme of this year’s annual meeting was Level Up,” Richard said.

“In fiscal year 2025, we’ll be convening our investors and board for another round of strategic planning. As we’re looking ahead to the 2026 to 2028 cycle, we will have to envision a region further transformed by new development and capitalize on the opportunities and challenges ahead of us.”