City, county lauded for $67.3M development pact

ST. PETERSBURG — Pinellas County Economic Development and the City of St. Petersburg Economic Development have won the Florida Economic Development Council's Deal of the Year Award for an agreement that will keep Jabil, a Fortune 500 company, headquartered and growing in Pinellas County.

With 2,000 employees, Jabil — an engineering, logistics and manufacturing firm — is one of the largest employers in the county, according to a statement. The award-winning deal, more than a decade in the making, according to the application submitted to the Florida Economic Development Council, will see Jabil spend $67.3 million to expand its headquarters in St. Pete’s Gateway business district, create an innovation lab and hire 300 additional workers who will earn an average annual salary of $94,591.

Pinellas County and St. Pete competed against San Jose, Calif., and Dallas to be the home of Jabil, according to the application.

"Economic development is a team sport, and we were honored to collaborate with the City of St. Petersburg and Enterprise Florida to ensure Jabil expanded their headquarters in Pinellas County," states Mike Meidel, director of Pinellas County Economic Development, in the press release.

"Jabil's decision to remain and expand in St. Petersburg is vital to the region's economy,” adds Alan DeLisle, City of St. Petersburg development administrator, in the release. “Jabil's plans to expand here shows that the city is a great location for growing companies."