TAMPA – A top official with the U.S. Department of Commerce toured the facilities of three Tampa Bay-area companies Wednesday to highlight how the department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) is boosting Florida manufacturing jobs.
William Kimmitt, undersecretary of commerce for international trade, visited Amalie Oil Company in Tampa, Metrea Special Aerospace in Tampa, and RTX Collins Aerospace’s manufacturing center in nearby Largo. Each company is partnering with ITA to win foreign deals that help grow their business.
Kimmitt told Florida Trend that one of ITA’s top priorities is to strengthen the federal government’s advocacy to help U.S. companies win more foreign defense sales. “We’re proud to work with American companies focused on exports, rebuilding American industry, and supporting high-quality manufacturing jobs here in the Tampa Bay area and across the country,” he said.
First, Kimmitt visited Amalie Oil Company, the largest independent oil manufacturer in North America. The namesake of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s hockey arena in downtown Tampa, Amalie has been producing lubricants since 1903, including motor oil, heavy-duty diesel engine oils, transmission fluids, and hydraulic and industrial oils. Amalie works with the ITA to export their products to more than 130 countries, including approximately $400,000 in recent new sales.
Next, Kimmitt visited Metrea Special Aerospace, which performs aircraft modification, maintenance, and engineering for special mission aviation support. In May, ITA helped Metrea win a major foreign procurement deal for advanced border surveillance capabilities for the Australian government. This deal supports more than 500 high-quality jobs, including at Matrea’s Tampa facility.
Finally, Kimmitt visited a manufacturing center in largo where RTX’s Collins Aerospace produces and tests advanced radars, network solutions, mission processors, and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) supporting missile defense systems. Since the beginning of 2025, ITA has helped RTX connect with and sign contracts worth $2.6 billion with several allied nations. In May, the company announced that it would accelerate production with a $26.5 million investment in the Largo facility that will expand the company’s capacity and create 100 new local, high-paying jobs.