TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa company shaped the skyline of Florida’s most famous theme park by building the heavy steel frame for EPCOT’s iconic Spaceship Earth.
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What we know:
Before Walt Disney World visitors could marvel at the giant silver geodesic dome, workers measured, cut and welded its skeleton at a fabrication shop off U.S. 41 in Tampa. Tampa Steel Erecting Company, a family-owned business established in 1945, won the 1981 contract to construct the massive dome.Â
Company president Bob Clark, now 88, remembers building the structure on six legs using more than 2,000 tons of steel. Clark estimates a crew of about 30 people brought the complex design to life piece by piece.Â
Beyond Spaceship Earth, the company fabricated steel for other major theme park attractions, including Magic Kingdom’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular in Hollywood Studios.
Nationwide construction footprints
The backstory:
The family business has built a reputation that stretches far beyond Orlando’s theme parks. Tampa Steel Erecting Company has manufactured bridge parts for infrastructure projects across the United States.Â
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Locally, the company worked on key landmarks, including Tampa International Airport, One Tampa City Center and The Florida Aquarium.
National media acclaim
What they’re saying:
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” Clark said, recalling the sheer scale of the Spaceship Earth project. “How do you build a job like this? One item at a time.”
The unique build landed the local company in national headlines, featured in Life magazine and earned recognition from Engineering News-Record.Â
Reflecting on his career, Clark said, “It gives you a feeling of accomplishment when you see the projects that you have done.”
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