Tampa Bay companies make list of largest contract manufacturers

Four companies with significant local presence were ranked among the largest contract manufacturers in the world by Electronic Business magazine and featured in the publication's September 2003 issue.St. Petersburg-based Jabil Circuit (NYSE: JBL) was ranked the fifth largest electronic manufacturing services provider in the world with $3.7 billion in revenue for 2002 and 26,000 employees at facilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia including a 600,000 square foot headquarters in St. Petersburg. Jabil manufactures for international electronics companies in the automotive, computing and storage, consumer, instrumentation and medical, networking, peripheral and telecommunications markets.Ranked #33, Reptron Manufacturing Services (Nasdaq: REPT) offers a full range of integrated supply-chain solutions for leading electronics original equipment manufacturers. Headquartered in Tampa in a 150,000 square foot facility, Reptron Manufacturing also has locations in Minnesota, Michigan and China.Sparton Corp. (NYSE: SPA) was ranked #35 and has six locations throughout North America including a 120,000 square foot facility in Brooksville. The company provides design engineering and electronics contract manufacturing services utilizing six manufacturing locations along with eleven alliance partner facilities throughout North America and Europe.At #36, Sypris Electronics is a leading provider of electronics manufacturing and engineering services for government agencies, the Department of Defense, the avionics and aerospace community and defense prime contractors. Sypris Electronics operates out of a 318,000 square foot facility in Tampa and is a subsidiary of Sypris Solutions (Nasdaq: SYPR), a diversified provider of technology-based outsource services and specialty products."The fact that four companies with significant investments in our region were highly ranked in this worldwide survey shows the strength of the high tech manufacturing sector in our area," said Stuart Rogel, President and CEO with the Tampa Bay Partnership. "This current list will attract more attention on our region and helps all our economic development efforts."About Tampa Bay Partnership:The Tampa Bay Partnership is a CEO-led regional economic development organization with a mission to work with its partners to market the region nationally and internationally, to conduct regional research, and to coordinate efforts to influence business and government issues that impact economic growth and development.