Company plans headquarters, at least 100 new jobs

TAMPA — CAE USA, one of the leading training and simulation companies in the defense market, plans to build a nearly 300,000 square foot headquarters in Tampa, a project that company officials say will lead to at least 100 new jobs.

The new facility, on Tampa International Airport property and expected to be completed in 2022, will be leased to the company from Space Florida, according to a statement. It will be home to more than 600 employees in total, the new hires, plus 500 other CAE USA employees who currently work in one of three facilities the company operates in Tampa.

CAE USA President and General Manager Ray Duquette says the move solves several issues for the company, which he says had doubled revenue over the last five years. It consolidates offices into one state-of-the-art facility; provides space to meet new demand; and is an opportunity to create a more modern workspace to help recruit and retain employees.  

“The legacy of CAE USA is now 80 years old and we have been in the Tampa Bay area for the last 40 years,” Duquette says in a statement. “We are excited to grow and expand to a new state-of-the-art facility at the Tampa airport.”

The new facility stems from partnerships between CAE USA; Enterprise Florida; the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp; Hillsborough County; City of Tampa; Space Florida; Tampa International Airport; Tampa Electric; CBRE and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Multiple officials attended a groundbreaking for the new facility Oct. 4, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis; United States Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa; Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano; Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Craig Richard; and Gen. Bryan “Doug” Brown, U.S. Army (Retired), Chairman of the CAE USA board. 

CAE USA is a subsidiary of CAE Inc., a global leader in training for the defense, civil aviation and health care markets.