Local steel fabricator wins $10 million contract on TPA's historic expansion

(August 31, 2015) - A Tampa-based company that helped build Tampa International Airport’s original automated people mover in 1971 is once again playing a major role transforming the airport and the way passengers move around the campus. 

Tampa Tank – Florida Structural Steel has been awarded a $9.8 million contract to fabricate all of the steel beams for the Airport’s new 1.4-mile automated people mover. A key component of the Airport’s historic $953 million expansion, the people mover will transport passengers between the Main Terminal, Economy Parking and the new 2.6-million square foot rental car center.

“It makes us proud to know that we will be helping build the best airport in the world,” said sales manager Adam Bourgeois.

Tampa Tank will fabricate roughly 3,800 tons of steel for the project. That includes: 3,000 tons of steel bridge girders, 400 tons of steel guide beams and 400 tons of steel posts.

Bourgeois said the contract is not only important to their company, but to the entire Tampa community.

“The contract for TTI-FSS puts local people to work and showcases Tampa’s ability to build a project like the TPA expansion using a local workforce,” he said.

Due to a growing amount of work, including the project at Tampa International Airport, TTI-FSS has recently expanded to a new facility and added roughly 108 jobs.

“This has allowed this project to stay local to Tampa,” Bourgeois said.

The new facility will allow them to handle greater workloads in the future, keeping more jobs in the Tampa Bay region.

Bourgeois said the company is excited about the opportunity to work at the airport, especially given their extensive history. The company helped build the airport’s original automated people mover – the first airport people-mover in the world. They also helped rehabilitate the Short Term Parking Garage ramps in 2014 and provided the fabricated steel for many of the roadway bridges passengers take in order to get to the airport.

“Tampa Tank / Florida Structural Steel has a long history in the Tampa Bay region and takes tremendous pride in being part of the Tampa team that will make this community gem even better,” said company CEO David Hale.