A St. Petersburg-based community bank is celebrating its new name with a full week of giveaways, events and specials throughout Tampa Bay. First Home Bank, which has made a name for itself by putting the Tampa Bay area first, will now be known as BayFirst, a name that more clearly defines its long-term goals and aligns with its holding company, BayFirst Financial Corp.

True to its community-first ethos, BayFirst is giving aways meals, offering free bus and trolley fare, and even helping families adopt new pets from SPCA Tampa Bay as part of the festivities. The name unveiling and conversion were celebrated at a bank-wide event this morning at the BayFirst headquarters at 700 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. The celebration is now continuing throughout the week as BayFirst has additional plans to underscore its renewed commitment to putting the Bay first, including:

• Monday, May 16: The Bank will provide vouchers for discounted food items at various restaurants on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 17: BayFirst will cover the trolley fare for riders on the Central Ave Trolley in St. Petersburg between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 18: The Bank will cover the bus fare for riders on Route 15, running between Netpark and Westshore Plaza along Columbus Drive in Tampa from 9-11 a.m.
• Thursday, May 19: Beginning at 11 a.m. the Bank will sponsor 100 meals provided by Miss Susie’s Newtown Kitchen food truck at its North Sarasota Office, located in the Newtown Community at 1782 Dr. Martin Luther King Way.
• Friday, May 20: Beginning on Rescue Dog Day and running through May 27, BayFirst will match pet adoption fees in the amount of $25 per pet at SPCA Tampa Bay and provide adopting families a $25 gift card to a pet supply store.

‘BayFirst’ name changes reflects company priorities

“The name BayFirst reinforces our commitment to community and our goal to become the bank of Tampa Bay,” said Anthony N. Leo, CEO of BayFirst. “While we will continue to support small business owners and homebuyers across the country through our SBA and residential mortgage divisions, we remain a St. Petersburg-based, independent bank focused on making a difference in our own community and in the lives of those we serve.”

Headquartered here in St. Pete, BayFirst operates seven banking centers in the Tampa Bay area and originates residential mortgages through 20 loan production offices nationwide. In addition to residential mortgages, BayFirst offers a broad range of retail and business banking services, including small business loans through its SBA loan division, CreditBench, and is one of the top producing SBA lenders in the country.

Since it opened in 1999, BayFirst has grown exponentially without losing sight of its commitment to making an impact in the community and being “Here for What’s Next®” in the lives of its customers. For more information visit BayFirstFinancial.com.