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First Home Bank in St. Petersburg changes name to BayFirst

The change matches the company’s branding with that of its parent company.
 
St. Petersbug's First Home Bank announced Monday it was changing its name to BayFirst.
St. Petersbug's First Home Bank announced Monday it was changing its name to BayFirst. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]
Published May 16, 2022|Updated May 16, 2022

Say goodbye to First Home Bank.

The St. Petersburg community bank announced Monday that it was changing its name to BayFirst, a name matching that of its holding company, BayFirst Financial Corp.

“The name BayFirst reinforces our commitment to community and our goal to become the bank of Tampa Bay,” CEO Anthony Leo said in a statement. “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.”

The company planned to make the name change official on Monday with a week of promotions designed to raise awareness of the brand. Among them: Free vouchers for food discounts at restaurants on Central Avenue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday; free trolley fare for Central Avenue Trolley riders from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday; and free bus fare for riders on Route 15 on Columbus Drive from Netpark to Westshore Plaza from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday.

It’s the second time a Tampa Bay bank has announced a name change in the past week. Tampa’s First Citrus Bank announced last week it was merging with Michigan’s DFCU Financial in a deal worth more than $100 million; its six Tampa Bay branches will adopt the name change pending finalization of the deal.

Related: St. Petersburg's First Home Bank parent cuts 65 jobs amid mortgage losses

BayFirst, which has seven branches in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Sarasota counties, announced last month it was cutting 65 jobs amid losses in its residential mortgage division.