Posted by Heidi Schwartz
Xcelience, an international contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has announced its intention to expand its product development services and manufacturing operations in Tampa, FL. The move will create 100 new jobs and retain another 100 jobs. Xcelience will also invest $9 million in the region as part of the expansion.
Xcelience provides services and global clinical supplies packaging and logistics to help companies move a drug into clinical trials. This investment will allow the company to expand its pharmaceutical development labs in a new headquarters building which will support future company growth.
“Tampa is a great place to build a base of scientific capabilities,” said Derek Hennecke, President & CEO of Xcelience. “The warm climate attracts a stable workforce, and the government at all levels is eager to help us grow and prosper. Our location puts us just a mile from the airport, making it easy for out of state clients to find us. Exciting things are coming down the pipeline for Tampa, for Xcelience, and the exciting new medical treatments we are developing with our clients.”
“Hillsborough County offers the workforce talent, lifestyle, and culture of innovation that global companies like Xcelience need to thrive,” said the Hon. Sandy Murman, Chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “We are committed to supporting their growth and appreciate their investment in our community.”
“Xcelience’s expansion of their global headquarters here is a testament to Tampa as a top life sciences and manufacturing destination,” said City of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. “The word is out about our city as a great place for science and technology professionals to live, work and play—and that excitement is driving the growth of key innovation sectors.”
In 2014, the sales tax on manufacturing equipment was temporarily eliminated; this year, Gov. Scott is working with the Florida Legislature to permanently eliminate it. Also, Florida has established itself as a premier location for life science clusters and is home to biomedical research institutes and nearly 1,000 biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Secretary of Commerce and Enterprise Florida President & CEO Bill Johnson said, “We celebrate Xcelience’s expansion in the state of Florida and applaud their creation of 100 new jobs. Florida has become a well known destination for both manufacturing and life sciences companies, and Florida’s pro-business climate will allow the state to become even more competitive.”
This project was made possible by the close partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, CareerSource Florida and the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation.
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “Xcelience’s expansion is another positive chapter in Tampa’s economic turnaround the last few years. Successes such as these move us closer to our goal of making Florida the best state in which to live, learn, pursue a career, and start or grow a business.”
“Successful companies such as Xcelience know their current and future competitiveness in the global marketplace is linked to their ability to maintain a highly skilled workforce,” said CareerSource Florida President & CEO Chris Hart IV. “The training funds we are providing from CareerSource will help ensure employees at this expanding biotech business have the right skills at the right time to prosper.”
Xcelience joins an increasing number of life sciences and manufacturing industry companies that have decided to expand in Tampa and Hillsborough County, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Covidien, HealthPlan Services, Synergy Health, Smart Science Labs, and LifeLink.
Rick Homans, President & CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, said, “Xcelience is another prime example of a locally headquartered company with a global reputation whose growth is helping to shape Hillsborough County’s economic future.”
In January, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and the Tampa City Council approved a combined local incentive package of $100,000, supporting a commitment of $400,000 from the State of Florida through the Qualified Target Industry (QTI) program. The total QTI allocation of $500,000 will provide the company with support for up to 100 of the new positions. The incentives, to be distributed over a period of six years, are performance-based, meaning funds are only paid after the jobs are created at the wages promised.
In addition, the State of Florida will provide Xcelience with $135,000 in Quick Response Training (QRT) program funds for the reimbursement of training costs for new employees and $585,000 in sales tax exemptions for the purchase of qualified manufacturing equipment as well as machinery and equipment used predominantly for research and development.
