German architecture firm to open first US office in Tampa
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Apr 9, 2024

A German architecture firm with “personal and professional connections” to Tampa will open its first U.S. office here.

JSWD has taken over a 2,960-square-foot storefront at 8401 N. Dale Mabry Highway that was previously home to Sorrento Sweets. The architecture firm will create 30 jobs in the next year, according to the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, which announced the location Tuesday.

Jobs at JSWD will include architects, technical writers and model builders, as well as administrative and business development roles.

“We have been looking to expand our business into the U.S. market, and Tampa was on our radar because of a professional connection with the University of South Florida and a personal connection because my wife is from Tampa,” Olaf Arne Drehsen, founding general partner of JSWD, said in a statement. “I know firsthand that Tampa is producing a strong talent pipeline. Couple that with a favorable business climate and collaborative community, and I’m confident we have all that we need to be successful in the U.S.”

JSWD was founded in 2000 and has 280 architects in its home base of Cologne, Germany. It also has a second office in Berlin. The EDC said the architecture firm’s Tampa office is the continuation of a trend in foreign investment in Hillsborough County.

“The interest we’re seeing from international companies is not by chance but is a result of years of collaboration with our regional partners to strategically target international companies that are considering a U.S. expansion,” Joe Lopano, chair of the Tampa Bay EDC and CEO of Tampa International Airport, said in a statement. “JSWD is another fantastic (foreign direct investment) win, and we look forward to supporting them as they build their local workforce and grow their U.S. customer base.”