Company, with new $3.8M contract, re-ups in Tampa

TAMPA — Lukos LLC intends to add up to 10 technical and senior level jobs in the coming months in Tampa and expand its headquarters there, officials say.

A trio of other states attempted to lure Lukos' headquarters away from Florida, according to a statement. But Enterprise Florida, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. all worked together to retain Lukos and help with its expansion

Lukos, which supports federal government and U.S. military acquisition programs with engineering and health care advice, training and operations support, logistics planning and other services, recently was awarded a $3.8 million, two-year contract to create a new system using a mobile application to help lower preventable battlefield casualties.

The new jobs, each of which are expected to pay a salary of at least $72,000 annually, are expected to help fulfill that contract.

Ultimately, the Medical Content Delivery Service is expected to be a centralized repository for Department of Defense medical data and knowledge that will, in turn, be published online and to individual mobile devices. The service's software platforms are scheduled to begin operating in early spring 2017.

“Tampa has the access we need to the military and technology communities,” says Garth Arevalo, Lukos' CEO, noting that company relationships with officials from local MacDill Air Force Base and the growing tech community in Hillsborough County have sparked its growth.

“Lukos could have made the decision to locate these jobs elsewhere, but they chose to create them in Tampa,” says Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn in the release. “That speaks volumes about Tampa's attractiveness to innovative, high-growth local companies, who are finding the support they need to successfully expand here.”

As part of its expansion, Lukos will invest $10,000 into a new headquarters at 109 N. Brush St., Suite 400, Tampa.

“We are a powerful military community,” says Ken Atwater, chairman of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. and president of Hillsborough Community College, in the statement. “By supporting Lukos' expansion, Tampa and Hillsborough County are demonstrating our commitment to helping local veteran entrepreneurs succeed.”