TAMPA AN INTERNATIONAL HUB.

WITH ITS AWARD-WINNING AIRPORT, BUSTLING seaport and cosmopolitan atmosphere, Tampa is the international business center for Florida's Gulf Coast.

"We offer a number of advantages to companies in Latin America and the Caribbean doing business in the United States," says Don Barber, president of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. "Our transportation facilities, manufacturing and service expertise, and high-quality workforce are tremendous assets for international companies."

Located on Florida's west coast, Tampa and surrounding Hillsborough County have a population of 934,000. Overall, the Tampa metropolitan area has 2.25 million residents and ranks second only to Atlanta in the Southeast United States.

Tampa's booming economy includes a diverse mix of manufacturers, service companies, banks and other financial institutions. In the 1990s, Tampa has also become a hub for health, biomedical and telecommunications firms, such as Bausch & Lomb, Johnson & Johnson, GTE, Lucent, AT&T, MCI, Intermedia Communications and Primeco, to name just a few.

Tampa anchors the western end of Florida's "1-4 High-Technology Corridor." Companies located in Hillsborough County are involved in all aspects of information technology.

The area's resources are well-balanced among specialties in electron components, instruments, software, information technology and other convergence applications. Research and development efforts are supported by the University of South Florida through its Colleges of Engineering and Business.

With its high quality of life and numerous recreational opportunities, Tampa has attracted a strong, productive workforce. "Skilled, bilingual employees are a critical resource in helping our economy expand in both the domestic and international sectors, and contribute to Hillsborough County's continued robust growth," says Barber.

Tampa's reputation as a major destination for business travelers and tourists is supported by more than 14,000 hotel and motel rooms and nearly 2,000 restaurants. Busch Gardens is Tampa's largest attraction, drawing more than 3 million people annually. Historic Ybor City, the Florida Aquarium and the annual Gasparilla Parade and Pirate Invasion attract millions more.

Major League baseball arrived in Tampa Bay this year with the American League's Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The region is also the spring training home of the New York Yankees and the permanent home of the Mutiny professional soccer team and the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning.

Other international travelers are drawn to Tampa by the region's excellent health care system. For example, the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute has recently been recognized as a national cancer research center.

Physicians, hospitals and other care providers are familiar with the special needs of international patients, who come to Tampa for checkups, second opinions, and medical or surgical care. Many patients from Latin America and the Caribbean take advantage of the area's medical resources during a business or leisure trip.

Tampa International Airport is rated America's favorite airport by the International Airline Passengers Association. The modern facility with six terminals serves more than 13 million passengers a year. With continued improvements, such as a new runway and another airside terminal with 15 aircraft gates, passenger traffic is expected to increase to 40 million annually by the year 2020.

Tampa's airport has a dedicated international terminal with complete facilities for customs, immigration and agriculture inspections. International passenger destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean include Aruba, Buenos Aires, Cancun, Caracas, Curacao, Freeport, Grand Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guatemala City, Managua, Mexico City, Montego Bay, Nassau, Rio de janeiro, San Jose, San Juan and San Salvador. European and Canadian carriers also serve the airport, contributing to the growing number of international destinations.

The airport's frequent service from the Northeast and Midwest, uncrowded customs facilities and relatively short flying time create a logical gateway from Latin America to many North American and European locations.

In the freight sector, much of Tampa International Airport's cargo tends to be lightweight, high-value, perishable and time-sensitive goods--such as tropical fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, medical equipment and electronics. Air cargo has been growing at an annual rate of 12%.

Another of Tampa's major international assets is The Port of Tampa, the largest deep-water port in Florida, and the 10th-largest in the United States with respect to annual tonnage. It is also the closest all-service port to the Panama Canal. Tampa is Florida's deepest water port, with channels as deep as 43 feet.

Currently handling more than 50 million tons of cargo each year, the Port of Tampa recently invested $2 million to create the largest dockside refrigerated complex in the United States. Another recently announced project is Garrison Seaport Center, a $300-million cruise terminal and entertainment complex. The project is next to the Florida Aquarium and two state-of-the-art cruise terminals, and includes restaurants, retail shops and theaters.

The port's top import trading partners are Mexico, Trinidad, Canada, Russia and China. Major import commodities are phosphate and related products, limestone, steel and scrap.

Top export countries are China, India, Korea, Australia and Japan, and major export commodities include phosphate and related products, citrus pellets used as feed for cattle, scrap metal and poultry.

Altogether, the Port of Tampa ships as much tonnage as Florida's other 13 deep water ports combined. The port has a $10.6 billion annual economic impact on the Tampa Bay area.

Both Tampa International Airport and the Port of Tampa have areas designated as foreign trade zones. Tampa Foreign Trade Zone Board #79 also operates other facilities that serve the needs of importers, exporters and light manufacturers.

Tampa offers an ideal mix of intermodal shipping opportunities. CSX Railroad and Amtrak provide rail service with access to all of North America, and the region is served by a modem network of toll-free expressways.

Tampa is truly the heart of Florida's largest metropolitan area and the economic engine that runs Florida's Gulf Coast economy.