Johnson & Johnson to hire 500 for new Tampa unit

TAMPA — Global health care and medical products leader Johnson & Johnson will open a shared services headquarters in Tampa, a project that includes 500 jobs by 2018 and a $23.5 million capital investment.

The center, which the company says will be fully operational by mid-2016, is part of a broader network of Johnson & Johnson centers designed to handle finance, human resources, IT and procurement, according to a release. The company leased 111,000 square feet on the first five floors of 100 Hidden River Corporate Center One, near the University of South Florida, according to the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp.

“We currently have a strong presence in Florida and this new site will continue to build on the successes that our businesses have already achieved across the state,” Johnson & Johnson Global Services Vice President Erin Champlin says in the release. “We look forward to increasing our presence in the state and within the Tampa community.”'¨

The project, which includes state and local incentives in return for jobs, stems for work between several groups, including Enterprise Florida, the Tampa Hillsborough EDC., Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa.

“It's exciting that Johnson & Johnson chose Florida for its North America shared services headquarters over other states,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott says in the statement. “I look forward to their continued success in Tampa and across the state.” '¨