Oil company at Tampa port will expand, create 100-200 jobs

Two Port of Tampa tenants have agreed to a land use arrangement that will enable both to expand their businesses, with Amalie Oil Co., saying it could add between 100 to 200 jobs at some point after it expands its facility.

Tampa Ship LLC and Amalie have amended their leases with the port, with both adding portions of 2.67 acres formerly leased to Americold Realty Trust in contracts the port authority commissioners approved this morning.

Amalie operates a lube oil blending, processing and packaging facility and ships products to 50 states and 100 countries, while Tampa Ship repairs, builds and maintains vessels.

The privately-held company will spend $3 million on improvements within two years and said it will increase exports of containers through the port.

The company has continued to expand employment since 2008 through the recession to up to 250 employees at the port, chief operating officer Richard Barkett said.

Amalie's next employment expansion for manufacturing and warehouse jobs will be based on the addition of up to 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space to its 400,000 square foot operation, he said.

"We will need hourly workers, supervisors and managers," said Dennis Madden, senior vice president of global sales and marketing.

"The new facility will allow us to grow what we do now, which is totally lubricant related, and add and expand more readily into the automotive chemical products - both packaged and bulk.

"We will also want to look more closely at how we can facilitate our entry into DEF (diesel exhaust fluid processes), which is the newest and most fascinating exhaust treatment for diesel engines - a road to greener engines."

In other business, port commissioners declined to approve staff recommendations to raise daily parking garage rates from $14 to $15 and increase tariffs by 3 percent on cruse lines.

Commissioners agreed to continue discussion at September's meeting on adding security bond requirements for local shipping agents doing business with passenger steamship lines, after an hour-long discussion.

The tariff issue would have affected just one of three cruise lines operating at the port - Royal Caribbean International - because the others have entered into long-term contracts that include payments that can be lower than a tariff arrangement.

The tradeoff is that operating under higher tariff costs enables a steamship line to discontinue service at any time.