Global pharmaceutical giant chooses region for hub, plans hundreds of jobs

TAMPA — Pfizer Inc. has unveiled plans to open a professional services office in Tampa’s Heights Union development, the latest in a series of major commitments by pharmaceutical and biotech companies to the area.

The New York-based drug maker will consolidate finance, human resources, digital services and sourcing into a centralized hub occupying more than 100,000 square feet of office space and possibly creating hundreds of new jobs.

“After conducting a comprehensive evaluation, we are excited by the opportunity Tampa offers and we look forward to becoming an integral member of the growing Tampa community,” says Bill Carapezzi, executive vice president of global business services and transformation at Pfizer, in a statement.

“Tampa is an ideal location for our latest multi-functional hub,” he adds.

Pfizer, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms generating more than $47 billion in annual revenue, has drawn renewed attention in recent months for its successful COVID-19 vaccine, one of only two currently approved for use in the U.S.

The company also becomes the latest major drug supplier to select Tampa Bay as a hub for internal professional services since 2013, following Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Amgen. Combined, the Fortune 500 companies have pledged to create more than 1,500 jobs and invest in excess of $80 million into their Gulf Coast operations.

"Despite the challenges of the past year, Tampa is still one of the most exciting cities in the country and our momentum for attracting new talent and recruiting top corporations hasn’t slowed down,” says Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, in a statement. “If anything, it has accelerated.” 

Pfizer will occupy multiple floors in the new Heights Union building, one of the first new office structures to be developed in or near downtown Tampa since the early 1990s.

Craig Richard, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, describes the company’s commitment in a statement as “truly a transformative project for our community with positive impacts that will be felt throughout our entire region.” 

Heights Union is a seven-story joint venture between Tampa developer SoHo Capital and Atlanta-based TPA Group, the latest in a series of projects within the 45-acre Heights development that also includes The Pearl Apartments and the mixed-use Armature works retail and office project.

The 300,000-square-foot building, at 2002 N. Tampa St., also will feature 42,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a 1,500-space parking garage.