The New York Times reported on April 29, 1983, that Citicorp was moving 600 jobs out of Manhattan to a new base in Tampa, Fla. Four decades later, Citi’s workforce in Tampa has grown to nearly 11,000.
Citi recently celebrated its 40th anniversary in Tampa with multiple days of activities for its staff, including the creation of a commemorative coin, ‘80s dress-up days, games and a community-mind appreciation card-creation event to recognize staff at a local memory care facility, teachers and patients at the James A. Haley VA Hospital.
“Tampa has become invaluable to Citi, strategically speaking,” said Nick Della Serra, the Tampa Site President. “The talent pool with numerous universities and colleges in the area, just as one example, has been essential to our growth here as we’ve moved more than 25 businesses to this hub in the last 40 years.”
In 1983, Citi moved its travelers’ check-processing business from New York to Tampa’s Westshore Ave., and, that same year, joined the Tampa Bay Chamber. Then, as the company grew in Tampa, it moved to Corporex Park near I-4 and Martin Luther King Blvd. Driven by further expansion, in 1998, Citi built a $250 million campus in Sabal Park, including four office buildings, two parking garages, and the amenities building complete with cafeteria, fitness center and medical clinic, and a childcare facility. A quarter of a century later, on Feb. 22, 2023, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor cut the ribbon for the wholly renovated amenities building.
Throughout its 40-year history in Tampa, Citi has been committed to community support through financial grants for local non-profit organizations. It has contributed $2 million over the last 5 years. Even with the global pandemic, the opportunity to give back to the Tampa community is so important to Citi, its staff has contributed 50,000 hours volunteering since 2019.
“Citi’s partnership with the Tampa Bay Chamber has been extremely successful. Our relationship is so vital and critical to our on-going success,” said Della Serra. “The insights gained from the relationships we’ve built through involvement in Chamber programs like Leadership Tampa and the Minority Business Accelerator, allow Citi to understand fully the Tampa market. From the local talent pool to strategic advice on where to invest limited community dollars, the Tampa Bay Chamber meets Citi’s needs.”
