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September brought a plethora of news for the Tampa Bay region. There are the companies continuing to flock to Tampa Bay, the current businesses building out their teams with powerhouse players, and others in the national space taking note and acquiring our local talent.
We've got the rundown on the deals you may have missed below.
The acquisitions
- Clearwater-based Tech Data is now half of the world's largest IT distributor, thanks to a finalized $8B merger. The company announced it closed the deal with California-based Synnex to become the aptly named TD Synnex. The Business Journal has the full story.
- Tampa-based GCD Insurance Consultants was acquired by an Atlanta insurance brokerage firm. OneDigital acquired GCD — which offers HR, payroll administration solutions and employee benefits — for an unknown amount. Roughly 20 GCD employees will transition to OneDigital, with the firm's three principals shifting to similar leadership roles.
The moves
- CitrusAd, a media technology company, has chosen St. Petersburg as its U.S. headquarters with massive hiring plans. The company, owned by Paris-based Publicis Groupe, is currently in the Thrive coworking space and has roughly 50 employees. Officials said it plans to double that in the next 12 to 18 months. Learn more about them and why they chose St. Pete here.
- Genesis Systems, a water tech startup that claims to get water out of thin air, unveiled its system dubbed "WaterCube" at the Port of Tampa Bay along with the announcement it moved its HQ to town. David Stuckenberg, the COO and co-founder, said the company has roughly 20 employees with the hope of hitting 125 in the next five years. Learn more about them.
- St. Pete insurance tech startup CaseGlide saw so much growth during the Covid-19 pandemic that it needs a bigger office space. The company shared space with St. Pete company The Penny Hoarder in the SunTrust Building but has now moved into a larger space in Synovus Bank Building while remaining in downtown St. Pete. We've got pics of the space and the scoop on what's next for the company here.
The hirings
- Tampa-based Chargebacks911, a dispute technology specialist, hired a former Mastercard executive as its new chief product officer. Brad Dillahunty will join the team as executive VP and CPO for both Chargebacks911 and its sister brand, Fi911. He previously served as Mastercard's VP of product development and innovation within its cyber and intelligence division.
- Michael Browne, Lumina Analytics' COO turned CEO, has stepped down from the top spot. Browne was a big get for Lumina, originally leaving his executive position at IBM for Lumina after the two entities became partners. But nine months after taking the lead, Browne has stepped down. The Business Journal has the full story.
The partnerships
- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers broke into the esports world. The team signed a multi-year contract with Malta-based Esports Entertainment Group to use its online gambling and esports tournament platform and host esports events. The Bucs join the likes of Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles who have also signed with the group. Get the full story here.
