Governor Scott Announces Ohio Business to Relocate National HQ to Tampa
Press Release
Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Cohesion, an information technology consulting firm, recently relocated its national headquarters from Cincinnati, Ohio to Tampa Bay. Cohesion will create up to 100 new Florida jobs and generate $350,000 in capital investment.
Governor Scott said, "It is exciting that Cohesion chose Florida to move their national headquarters and will create more than 100 new jobs for Tampa families. By cutting $1 billion in taxes and creating the new $250 million Florida Enterprise Fund, Florida can continue to attract job creators to our state and become first in the nation for job growth."
John Owens, president and CEO of Cohesion, said, "Tampa is the perfect place for us to build Cohesion's future. The state and local government and the business community have been extremely supportive and made us feel welcome. The rich pool of IT consulting talent in this market will certainly help fuel our growth. Tampa International Airport's close proximity and convenience is another big plus, and makes it very easy for us to travel to our clients all over the eastern United States."
Tampa and Hillsborough County are home to more than 20 percent of Florida's information technology positions. Florida is ranked third in the nation for high-tech establishments, and the state's software and computer systems design and integration industry is one of the largest in the U.S. The Florida High Tech Corridor, anchored by the Tampa Bay region, has been named one of the top tech job hot spots in the United States. Cohesion joins a growing list of information technology firms that recently chose Hillsborough County for relocation or expansion, including Accusoft, BlueGrace Logistics, Cognizant, ConnectWise, LabTech Software, SunView Software, and Tribridge.
Bill Johnson, president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, said, "More and more companies are relocating their headquarters in Florida demonstrating that Florida is indeed the best state to meet businesses' needs. Cohesion's decision to make Florida home and create opportunities for 100 Floridians in the IT sector is fantastic news. We will continue to work with all of our partners across the state to show why relocating in Florida is the best decision a business can make."
Cissy Proctor, Director of Department of Economic Opportunity Executive, said, "We are proud that Cohesion has chosen Tampa for its national headquarters. We know that Florida is the best state in the nation to start a business and grow a company, and this is just one more example of how Florida will continue to be first for jobs."
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said, "The word is spreading across the country about Tampa's dynamic information technology industry. We've experienced tremendous growth in sectors ranging from IT consulting to cybersecurity; and companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 corporations are thriving. We welcome Cohesion to Tampa and look forward to their achieving great success in our city."
Colleen Chappell, chair of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and CEO of ChappellRoberts, said, "Tampa offers Cohesion many key advantages as the headquarters site for its newly merged organization. Our pro-business climate, convenient access to customers in the Southeast, and low cost of living make it easier to establish here than in other competing states. From a recruiting standpoint, Cohesion will also have a strong pipeline of talent graduating from our universities to rely on, as well as our enviable quality of life to attract critical new hires from across the country."
Hon. Lesley "Les" Miller, chairman of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, said, "After carefully considering three other states for their new corporate headquarters location, Cohesion discovered what we already know: that Florida, and Hillsborough County in particular, is hard to beat when it comes to the cost of doing business, quality of life, and access to a top-notch workforce. We thank them for their investment in our community and look forward to supporting them as they put down new roots here."
The project was made possible through strong partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Hillsborough County, and the City of Tampa.
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