Under Secretary William Kimmitt Leads Site Visits Across Tampa Florida Highlighting Manufacturing and Job Wins
TAMPA, FLORIDA — Today, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade William Kimmitt visited Amalie Oil Company, Metrea Special Aerospace, and RTX Collins Aerospace Largo Consolidated Manufacturing Center to highlight the previously unannounced impact of the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) assistance on U.S. manufacturing and jobs in the Tampa Bay area. Each company is investing in their plants and employees and partnering with ITA to win foreign deals that help sustain and grow their business. In Tampa Bay and across the country, these deals support over 10,000 American jobs.
“It is a privilege to visit with companies and workers in the Tampa Bay area that represent the advanced and innovative solutions keeping American technology, industry, and workers at the forefront of global commerce,” said Under Secretary William Kimmitt. “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.”
For the first stop on the tour, Under Secretary Kimmitt visited Amalie Oil Company in Tampa. Amalie is the largest independent oil manufacturer in North America and has been producing lubricants since 1903, including regular engine motor oils, heavy-duty diesel engine oils, transmission fluids, hydraulic and industrial oils. Amalie utilizes the U.S. Commercial Service to support their exports to over 130 countries.
For the second stop in Tampa, Under Secretary Kimmitt visited Metrea Special Aerospace. Metrea performs aircraft modification, maintenance, and engineering for special mission aviation support. In May 2026, ITA’s Advocacy Center helped Metrea win a major foreign procurement deals for advanced border surveillance capabilities for the Australian Government. This deal supports over 500 high-quality jobs, including at Metrea’s Tampa facility.
On the last stop of the tour, Under Secretary Kimmitt visited RTX’s Collins Aerospace Largo Consolidated Manufacturing Center, where he met with company officials and operations managers before touring their testing and production facilities for advanced radars, network solutions, mission processors, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) supporting missile defense systems and other products for both commercial and defense customers. Since the beginning of 2025, ITA’s Advocacy Center has helped RTX connect with and sign contracts worth $2.6 billion with several allied nations, resulting in new high-paying American jobs around the country, including in the Largo facility.
RTX’s Collins Aerospace serves the global community as a trusted source for innovative and reliable American aerospace and defense products. In May 2026, 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 to deliver critical capabilities both at home and abroad that keep airline passengers safe and military operators mission ready. The investment creates 100 new local, high-paying jobs.
One of ITA’s top priorities is to strengthen the United States’ government advocacy to win more foreign defense sales. The Advocacy Center and U.S. Commercial Service are part of the Global Markets team with operations across the country and world. Both are leading the charge with interagency partners, the Department of War, the State Department, and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS) in support of President Trump’s America First Arms Transfer Strategy.
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