Recruiting corporations can be a dicey deal. The more sought-out ones want serious, economic incentives and can pit competing cities against one another. And they may or may not measure up as a community team player.
Then there’s Amgen, a biotech heavyweight that came here in 2017 after choosing Tampa over more than 200 other American cities for its new hub. Its choice was not swayed by any state or local incentives. It received none. Location, logistics, workforce and support of the business community and academic institutions carried the bottom-line day, and Amgen built out 130,000 square feet of offices near International Plaza. Now it has announced a $10 million expansion to add another 33,000 square feet.
Moreover, the Amgen Foundation has committed up to $12.5 million to support U.S. and global COVID-19 relief efforts, including more than $300,000 for Tampa Bay. Some corporate relos–and some “win-win” scenarios–are better than others.