Quarterly Update Fall 2012

From the Desk of... Greg Bryant

Economic news continues to be mixed with stagnant employment and declining income levels contrasted by improving housing sales and home values. My recently concluded term as the Chairman of the Florida Bankers Association gave me a broader perspective on these trends. This experience provided opportunities to interact with economic leaders like Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, FDIC Acting Chairman, Marty Gruenberg and Governor Rick Scott along with many state and national legislators. We worked closely with bankers from all over Florida and many other states. My conclusion is that while the banking industry continues to heal we likely face a number of years before the “good times” start to roll. In the meantime, my advice to fellow bankers and business owners has been to:

Take great care of your people
Operate as efficiently as possible
Be on the lookout for selective growth opportunities

I am pleased to report that Bay Cities is well positioned to partner with our clients to further their success. 2012 has seen record levels of lending, even stronger deposit growth and an expansion in our footprint. Some examples of this are:

Our commercial lending team continues to expand with the addition of Bob Williams and Anthony Ditinno in Pinellas County, plus Derek Rancourt and Jonathan Oliver in Hillsborough County.
SBA Lending has rapidly expanded with Bay Cities Bank as a Preferred Lender.
Cash Management capability has grown to include Lockbox, Association Services, Positive Pay and ACH Fraud Prevention.
Residential Lending has grown exponentially in 2012 with a team of highly experienced professionals and a full array of secondary market and portfolio products.
We also expanded our presence in Pinellas County by opening a Loan Production Office in the Countryside area.

Bay Cities is extremely appreciative of our clients. If you find yourself frustrated by the current impersonal brand of banking that is so prevalent today; give us a call. We have an outstanding team of seasoned professional bankers who are ready to tailor a solution for you.

Featured Client

Tampa Bay Research Institute (TBRI)

Originally from the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan, TBRI’s president Dr. Akiko Tanaka received her first introduction to the United States when she was given vanilla ice cream from a kindergarten classmate, the child of a U.S. serviceman. After racing home to tell her mother about this delicious treat, she learned that it was made in the United States, and she was determined that she would one day live in this place that produced such wonderful things. At the age of 11, Akiko lost her best friend to the Asian flu. Impacting her greatly, she decided her mission in life would be to help conquer fatal infectious diseases. After attending the University of Kyoto’s Institute of Virus Research, Akiko came to the United States to further her studies at the University of North Carolina.

Co-Founded by Dr. Tanaka in 1981, the Tampa Bay Research Institute (TBRI) was established as Florida’s first, independent, non-profit, biomedical research organization. TBRI’s research is focused on the eventual development of natural product therapeutics, which, through the engagement of the immune system, may prove useful for the prevention, treatment, or cure of cancer and other chronic diseases.

Based on the writings of ancient Greek and Roman physicians, and recent folklore from the Japanese inhabitants of Kyushu, it is strongly suggested that an extract or teas prepared from pine cones may have medicinal value. TBRI has discovered that these pine cone extracts possess the ability to enhance an ongoing immune response. These responses, when combined with conventional medical therapies, may be very beneficial for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases, ranging from allergies to cancer. Because of the strength of these findings, TBRI has been awarded over 10 patents in this area of research and has licensed the commercial production of the dietary supplement, trade-named ImmunExtra®.

As with most non-profit organizations, the majority of TBRI's funding comes from individuals, foundations and grants. In the current economic environment, government grants are becoming more difficult to obtain, leading to a heavier reliance on individual donations. For more information on contributing, please visit TBRI’s website at http://www.tampabayresearch.org/

Dr. Tanaka and TBRI have maintained their banking relationship with Bay Cities Bank for a number of years, and she recently commented, "It's good to have a bank that makes you feel comfortable and important every time you come in, and Bay Cities does that for me. It reminds me of the banks in Japan were they take the time to get to know you."

Bay Cities is committed to providing financing solutions to the businesses in our community.

Owner-occupied Commercial Mortgages

		10 year Fixed Rate!
		85% Loan to Value
		No Bank Fees
For more information contact a commercial lender at 813-281-0009.

Meet Our Team

Anthony DiTinno

Vice President, Commercial Lending

Anthony DiTinno is a Pinellas County native and is a commercial lender at our Loan Production Office located in the Countryside area. Anthony served in the United States Marine Corps from 1995-2001, graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Business Management and went on to graduate from the Florida School of Banking class of 2010 and the Leadership Pinellas Class of 2010. He has over eight years of banking experience in Pinellas County. Anthony looks forward to serving the customers of Bay Cities Bank for many years to come.

Bret Jahn

Vice President, Market Manager

Bret Jahn manages our 4th Street Office as Vice-President Market Manager. Bret has over 28 years of experience in banking and financial services in Pinellas County. He also spent five years as an Independent Financial Advisor. Bret is currently the President of the St. Petersburg Kiwanis Club, and is on the board of director’s at Friends of Weedon Island and Northeast High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He is also active in Network Professionals, Business Builders and the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce.

Bret enjoys giving personalized attention to his clients and states “At Bay Cities Bank we are accessible and dedicated; ready to serve our clients with top quality products and sensational service.”