PASCO COUNTY – The Soule Co. is pursuing its second major expansion in less than four years.
The woman-owned manufacturing company will occupy 127,820 square feet at North Tampa Bay 75 Business Center, where the firm will hire 10 new employees and invest $400,000 in new racking systems and facility buildout.
The company now has three locations and employs 100 people throughout Pasco County, where it manufactures and packages medical supplies. This building will allow the company to expand its existing medical device manufacturing operations.
“Soule has continued to grow and thrive in Pasco County. They are a prime example of why Pasco EDC focuses on providing resources and opportunities to our existing industry,” said Bill Cronin, president and CEO of Pasco EDC. “They are creating new jobs for our residents. I am happy they continue to see all that our county has to offer them and there is no need to look anywhere else.”
Soule manufactures and distributes patient positioning products. Its positioners are designed to reduce pressure management injuries, such as pressure sores, ulcers, tissue ischemia and necrosis.
This expansion will help increase production and productivity to support the needs that are being driven by new and extended contracts with medical group purchasing organizations throughout North America.
“Our outstanding reputation for manufacturing these quality products within the medical industry has propelled this growth and continues to open new doors of opportunity,” said Lindsey Osborne, president of Soule. “We have greatly appreciated the continued support that Pasco EDC has provided to our company and employees through hiring opportunities and training. Our goal is to continue to grow in Pasco County and provide a great place for people to work within our community.”
In 2019, the Pasco Board of County Commissioners approved a $3.7 million Penny for Pasco forgivable loan to ROOKER to build North Tampa Bay 75, an industrial park, to meet the demands of Pasco’s rapidly growing industrial sectors.
ROOKER closed on the purchase of the 85-acre property in December 2021, with the intention of redeveloping a surplus county-owned property.
“The Pasco County/ROOKER partnership took a surplus county property, paying no ad valorem taxes, and created a major employment and tax-generating business park,” said Ron Oakley, chairman of the Pasco Board of County Commissioners. “ROOKER has been a reliable partner delivering on its obligations to Pasco County.”
Building one is a 187,000-square-foot facility designed to accommodate multiple tenants. It was completed in 2023 and is located within half a mile of the I-75 interchange at Overpass Road in Wesley Chapel.
ROOKER will invest an additional $2 million in tenant improvements to modify the facility for the two tenants.
“The Soule Co. expanding into this new speculative space is a great example of why we support preserving certain areas for industrial growth,” said Seth Weightman, District 2 representative on the Pasco Board of County Commissioners. “By having inventory available at this size, a local company was able to expand operations for the second time in four years and remain in Pasco County.”
The remaining 59,180 square feet of building one has been leased to a Fortune 1,000 company in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry.
“The leasing success we have achieved at North Tampa Bay 75 Business Center is a testament to the vision and commitment of Pasco County’s leadership,” said John Rooker, CEO of ROOKER. “The county has made substantial investments in recent years in infrastructure, road improvements and even a new I-75 interchange in this area. Those investments are now attracting high quality employers to locate and grow in the area.”
North Tampa Bay 75 can accommodate up to 850,000 square feet of Class-A industrial space in four buildings. Future buildings within the park can accommodate tenants ranging in size from 40,000 square feet up to 300,000 square feet. ROOKER expects to construct the next building in the park in 2025.
- Expansion 001: The Soule Co. has three locations in Pasco County, where it manufactures and distributes medical devices. Photo courtesy of Pasco EDC
- Expansion 002: The Soule Co. serves clients throughout North America. Photo courtesy of Pasco EDC
- Expansion 003: North Tampa Bay 75 Business Center was an industrial park supported through the Penny for Pasco program. Photo courtesy of Pasco EDC
