Businesses with headquarters in the Tampa Bay area do not typically show up on global lists of elite corporations. But the June 21 issue of Business Week magazine featuring its annual pick of the 100 top information technology companies in the world includes Clearwater's Tech Data Corp. and St. Petersburg's Jabil Circuit.
Sure, Tech Data is a whopper in sales (about $18-billion annually) by regional measures, but it's still puny by global tech standards. And Jabil is even smaller. No matter. There's obviously some momentum at these businesses. Business Week characterizes both companies as survivors of tough times and fit for the next round of technology innovation.
Indeed, Tech Data CEO Steve Raymund said at Thursday's annual shareholders meeting that the information technology recession is "once and for all over" and described how the computer products distributor is preparing for the next generation of tech products and delivery strategies.
Jabil, which has diversified its electronics manufacturing and operates plants worldwide, is poised to become a $25-billion company, some analysts suggest.
The magazine used Standard & Poor's criteria to come up with its top tech list. Of the 100, 46 are U.S. companies. Of those, only Tech Data, Jabil and Harris Corp. (in Melbourne) have headquarters in Florida.
