Jacksonville-based sporting goods giant Fanatics is preparing to close its distribution facility near Tampa and lay off 286 employees, a major shift in the company’s operations in Florida.
The facility in question, located in the Riverview/South Hillsborough County area (between Tampa and Manatee counties), will be closed.
According to the company’s notice, the layoffs and closures will begin with business changes in January, with separations starting March 1 and a complete site closure scheduled for July 31, 2026.
Fanatics said the reason is that its facilities “can no longer support the scale, technology and innovation necessary to achieve our long-term goals.” The layoffs affected 286 employees at the facility. Fanatics employs more than 22,000 people worldwide. Fanatics acquired the Riverview site (previously part of the Majestic manufacturing business) in 2017.
The impact will also be felt locally. Approximately 300 workers will lose their jobs and the closure of the distribution hub will result in fewer facility-based operations in that area of Hillsboro/Manatee County. For Tampa Bay area officials and workforce development groups, this raises questions about transitional services, reemployment opportunities and how the region supports displaced residents.
Additionally, for Fanatics, this signals a strategic realignment of its logistics footprint in Florida, which could impact how other large e-commerce and fulfillment operations consider Florida.
Worker notification and legal issues
Although Fanatics submitted the required notice for the mass layoffs to the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) database, some legal watchdogs are now investigating whether the company provided the full 60 days’ advance notice required by the federal WARN law, raising the possibility of legal liability if Fanatics is found to have failed in its legal obligations to affected workers.
