Tampa company set to add 400 jobs

TAMPA - While the unemployment rate is at an all-time high, a Bay Area company is looking to add about 400 jobs to its staff.

A company right off of Anderson, Chromalloy Tampa, is investing about $25 million in Hillsborough County over the next several years. It's also looking to double the amount of staff workers.

"The state and county has bent over backwards to work with us to make sure we can bring jobs right here in Tampa, it was the right decision for the company," Chromalloy Tampa Vice President and General Manager Tom Trotter said.

Chromalloy coats, repairs and builds parts for gas turbine engines. Those engines are used in many commercial and military airlines. The company is looking to boost its production.

Henry Gonzalez is the Chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and says expansions like this one are hard to come by.

"I think everyone of our employers is hopefully investing in education and in some cases expanding their presence here. There has been a great deal of contraction, but there's lot of good stuff going on," he said.

Many analysts think the worst of the job losses is past, and the economy is beginning a slow recovery.

For the first time this year the Dow closed above 10,000 last week. And the number of newly laid off workers has fallen to the lowest level since January— signs the economy maybe on its way up.

"It's a return to normal. And what normal is hard to tell, because we think there is a new normal out there. So it's hard to say when we reached the point of stability," said Gonzalez.

Company officials could not say exactly when the job openings will be posted or which type of positions will be available. For more information about Chromalloy Tampa, click on over to www.chromalloy.com.