Tampa firm continues quest for growth

TAMPA — IT security firm ReliaQuest is expanding its corporate headquarters in Tampa and plans to increase its staff by 50% by the end of the year.

During the expansion period, ReliaQuest will create 55 new security engineer positions, according to a statement from Florida Gov. Rick Scott. ReliaQuest has been on a fast growth track for more than a year. In early 2015, the cyber security company had 60 employees. It now has 110.

As the company grows in size, its revenues have followed. Brian Murphy, the firm's CEO, projects 2016 revenue growth of 120%, he told the Business Observer in a previous interview. Revenues increased 115% in 2015 over 2014, according to Murphy.

Accommodating that growth and maintaining company culture, however, is Murphy's biggest challenge as the CEO, he says. “It's easy to praise people when you have 10 employees,” he says. “It's hard when you get over 100.”

Employee total at the end of each year:
Year: Employees
2012: 26
2013: 38
2014: 60
2015: 100
2016: 150+ (projected)