CAE USA, one of the leading training and simulation companies in the defense market, is today celebrating the groundbreaking of its new state-of-the-art U.S. headquarters facility to be located at the Tampa International Airport.
The new facility, which will be leased from Space Florida, is expected to be completed in 2022 and will be home to more than 600 Tampa-based CAE USA employees.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended today by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis; United States Representative Kathy Castor (D-Fla.); Mayor Jane Castor, City of Tampa; Joe Lopano, CEO, Tampa International Airport; Craig Richard, President and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation; General Bryan “Doug” Brown, U.S. Army (Retired), Chairman of the CAE USA board of directors; the Honorable Sue Payton, former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force and CAE USA board member; and Brian Morra, Chairman of the CAE USA Mission Solutions Inc. board of directors. The CAE USA facility groundbreaking was also attended by other local, state, and federal government officials; customers, partners and suppliers; and employees, including 35 employees with more than 30 years of service.
CAE USA is a subsidiary of CAE Inc., a global leader in training for the defense, civil aviation and healthcare markets. CAE USA is focused on developing and delivering training systems and services to the U.S. Department of Defense and other allied militaries around the world.
“The legacy of CAE USA is now 80 years old and we have been in the Tampa Bay area for the last 40 years,” said Ray Duquette, President and General Manager, CAE USA. “We are excited to grow and expand to a new state-of-the-art facility at the Tampa airport. This will provide our employees a modern facility that will help us attract and retain the world-class workforce we need to develop advanced training solutions that enhance the mission readiness of the men and women in our defence forces.”
CAE USA currently employs more than 500 in the Tampa area, and expects to create an additional 100 jobs at the new facility in areas such as computer and software engineering, program management, training instructors, and corporate functions. CAE USA has a total workforce of over 2,000 employees.
The new facility project was made possible through strong partnerships between CAE USA, Enterprise Florida, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Hillsborough County, City of Tampa, Space Florida, Tampa International Airport, Tampa Electric, CBRE and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
ADDITIONAL QUOTES
“Today’s groundbreaking of CAE USA’s new headquarters is great news for the Tampa area and our entire state,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This state-of-the-art facility at Tampa International Airport will further bolster our aviation and defense industry and create 100 additional high-skilled jobs for the community. We are grateful for CAE’s commitment and I look forward to their continued growth here in Florida.”
“CAE USA is an industry leader that brings high-skill, high-wage jobs to Tampa, which is exactly the type of company we want to attract and retain to our market,” said Mayor Jane Castor, City of Tampa. “Tampa boasts a robust defense and security industry, and we owe a lot of our success in this sector to CAE USA operating here. We congratulate them on their future home here and we’re confident they will continue to thrive in Tampa.”
“We’re excited to be part of CAE USA’s growth strategy and for them to be part of ours,” said Joe Lopano, CEO of Tampa International Airport. “Our long-term vision calls for bringing aviation-related businesses to the eastern part of the airport campus and CAE USA is the perfect fit. I look forward to a long partnership.”
“With our large veteran workforce and top-ranked universities, Tampa Bay provides the highly-skilled talent CAE USA needs to continue to thrive on a global scale,” said Craig Richard, President and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation. “CAE USA is a major employer and economic driver in our region, and our EDC team remains committed to supporting its expansion in this market.”
“We’re thrilled CAE USA has chosen to stay in Hillsborough County with a modern facility that will help to attract new talent,” said Les Miller, Chairman of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “CAE USA has a long history here, and we’re grateful for their continued contribution to our community and our residents.”
“Space Florida is excited to apply its unique toolkit to facilitate CAE’s continued growth in the Tampa Bay region,” said Frank DiBello, President and CEO of Space Florida. “To expand industrial capability of the State while enhancing the economic impact of Tampa International Airport, in collaboration with our local and State partners, is exactly why Space Florida was chartered by the legislature.”
A groundbreaking ceremony for CAE USA’s new U.S. headquarters facility at the Tampa International Airport was held today. The new facility is expected to open in 2022.
Additional images of the groundbreaking will be available on CAE’s website following the ceremony:
https://www.cae.com/multimedia-centre/photos/
CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defense and security, and healthcare markets. Backed by a record of more than 70 years of industry firsts, we continue to help define global training standards with our innovative virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defense force readiness and enhance patient safety. We have the broadest global presence in the industry, with over 10,000 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year, we train more than 220,000 civil and defense crewmembers, including more than 135,000 pilots, and thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide. Located in Tampa, Florida, CAE USA is the largest segment of CAE’s Defense & Security business unit.
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