Plant City is continuing to make a name for itself as a Hillsborough County hub of local manufacturing.
On Tuesday, Feb. 21, Peninsula Steel held a grand opening at the company’s new home, 4504 Sydney Road.
City leaders, including Mayor Rick Lott, City Commissioner Mike Sparkman and City Manager Mike Herr were present at the ceremony, as well as Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce President Christine Miller and Plant City Economic Development Corp. President Jake Austin.
Peninsula Steel, a family-owned company run by Pablo and David Villarreal, produces steel products for the construction industry. Products include welded wire mesh, pencil rod concrete accessories and bar supports.
The company currently has 12 employees, David Villarreal said. He serves as the company’s operator. Within the next four to six months, the company has plans to expand to 30 employees.
Prior to a tour of the plant given by the employees, Austin welcomed the company to the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World and congratulated the owners on a successful launch.
“This project’s been a while in the making,” Austin said. “It’s been about three years, from my perspective. We’ve seen this site as a critical, competitive site that we’ve been promoting for Plant City for some time.”
For Austin, the project signified further growth and expansion in Plant City.
“This project represents foreign, direct investment … from Mexico, which is a big deal, not only for Plant City, Hillsborough County and the state, but for the nation,” Austin said. “This one was pretty special to us. We want you to know that we have your backs, and we’re here for you.
We’re going to make sure that every step along the way that you operate in Plant City, we’re there with you, arm in arm.”
David Villarreal also spoke to guests and discussed the company’s future plans in Plant City.
“This project represents three years of hard work and preparation,” David Villarreal said. “It’s a great joy to see everything that has been accomplished today culminating now in this ceremony. It’s truly a source of pride for all of us involved.”
He added that the company is fully committed to employers, customers and suppliers, as well as the Plant City community.
“It is also important to establish and maintain a presence in the target market, producing locally instead of bringing goods from other places,” David Villarreal said. “Plant City was chosen because of its strategic location and the great asset of its labor force. With this in mind, Peninsula Steel plans to grow here in Plant City. The company’s main goal is the creation of jobs, and taking care of those who work in the company as well as those around us. Peninsula Steel comes here to stay.”
Within five years, David Villarreal said, he hopes the company will have 90 employees operating out of three to four plants on the property.
“We have a warehouse in Texas,” he said. “But we wanted to locate in Florida. We looked in Tampa, and that’s how we ended up in Plant City.”
Currently, the company’s employees work in eight-hour shifts. On a tour of the facility, Alejandro Elizondo, the vice president of sales, said that Peninsula Steel fills three trucks per day with 60 tons of steel, the equivalent of 50 trucks, and 1,000 tons of steel in a given month.
Mayor Rick Lott added that he was excited about the addition of Peninsula Steel to Plant City and the town’s growing manufacturing industry.
“We are business-friendly,” Lott said. “We love to manufacture and we love to build things in Plant City. We’re very excited about this.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.