TAMPA - A successful business that branched out into the Tampa market a few years ago is now pivoting to sustain growth. 

Benicomp is a health insurance company that moved into the area in 2014. Despite the pandemic, they did not slow down with recruiting.

"It's always difficult to hire talent," said Benicomp Health Solutions President Steve Presser. "What we've noticed in the Tampa area especially is a lot of people are gravitating toward Tampa since COVID hit. So you're getting a lot of people from the northeast coming here, so I do think that talent level in Tampa is increasing."  

A great addition to the talent pool for local companies, but competitive for those seeking employment, said Presser. 

"We get hundreds of applicants per position," he added.  

Dashonay Spieght is a new hire who moved to Florida six months before the pandemic. After graduating in 2018 with a degree in public health, she struggled to land a job in her field which is rare for her profession. 

"Health care is such a big field," Speight said. "There's usually positions that are always available, but it was very hard for me." 

Benicomp expanded from their Fort Wayne, Indiana, location and added the Tampa market in 2014. 

Presser says they've decided to take a different approached in seeking candidates for employment. 

"For the most part we look for the soft skills, we hire by the person, people we enjoy working with that are smart and them we train them at Benicomp because we also don't want to do things the way they've always been done. We're trying to disrupt an industry," said Presser. 

Speight says getting hired and keeping her job amid the pandemic was a breath of fresh air. 

"Take every opportunity because you never know where it's going to lead you," Speight added. 

Like many businesses, Presser is now considering post-pandemic options for his company. 

Benicomp has outgrown its old offices on Kennedy Boulevard and are seeking a new office space. 

There are plans to adopt a hybrid working model. 

"I would love to bring the company back into the office," said Presser. "It's not the same working from home."​

Presser says with his company growing so quickly its important now more than ever to sustain one cohesive culture. 

That's something he believes can only be done by having employees meet in person on a regular basis.