BankUnited is expanding its Florida footprint by opening a new Tampa branch and planning a St. Petersburg location to support growing businesses and communities.
BankUnited Inc. (NYSE: BKU) has strengthened its commitment to Florida’s rapidly expanding Gulf Coast market with the opening of a new full-service banking branch in Tampa’s Westshore district. The financial institution also confirmed plans to launch another full-service branch in St. Petersburg during the fourth quarter of the year, underscoring its long-term strategy to expand customer access and deepen relationships with businesses and consumers across the Tampa Bay region.
The latest expansion reflects BankUnited’s continued investment in one of Florida’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas, where population growth, commercial development, and increasing business activity are creating new opportunities for financial institutions. By establishing additional banking locations in two of the region’s most vibrant commercial centers, BankUnited aims to provide convenient access to comprehensive financial services while supporting local businesses, entrepreneurs, professionals, and families.
The opening of the Westshore branch represents another milestone in the bank’s broader regional growth strategy. Located in one of Tampa’s premier business districts, the branch is designed to serve both personal and commercial banking customers with a complete suite of financial products and services. The upcoming St. Petersburg branch will further extend BankUnited’s reach across the Tampa Bay area, allowing the institution to meet rising demand for relationship-based banking solutions.
Expanding Presence in a High-Growth Market
Florida continues to be one of the strongest banking markets in the United States, benefiting from sustained economic growth, an expanding population, increasing corporate relocations, and a vibrant small business ecosystem. Tampa Bay has emerged as a major destination for companies across industries including financial services, healthcare, technology, logistics, real estate, manufacturing, tourism, and professional services.
Recognizing these favorable market dynamics, BankUnited has been steadily increasing its investment throughout the region. The addition of new banking locations demonstrates the company’s confidence in the area’s long-term economic outlook while reinforcing its commitment to serving customers where they live and conduct business.
According to BankUnited leadership, both the new Westshore branch and the planned St. Petersburg office will provide comprehensive banking solutions tailored to the needs of local residents, entrepreneurs, professionals, and commercial enterprises.
“Our new Westshore branch and the planned St. Petersburg branch will provide personal and commercial banking solutions to the professionals and businesses that make these communities thrive,” said Ernie Diaz, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer, Small Business and Commercial Banking at BankUnited.
Diaz emphasized that Tampa continues to experience significant expansion across multiple sectors, creating increasing demand for sophisticated banking products and financial expertise.
“The Tampa region is experiencing strong growth across many industries and BankUnited is there to support customer needs and help bolster the regional economy,” he said.
Comprehensive Banking Services
The newly opened Westshore branch offers a complete range of banking products and services designed to meet the diverse financial needs of individuals and businesses alike.
Retail banking customers can access everyday financial services including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, debit cards, personal loans, mortgages, home equity financing, and digital banking solutions. Customers also benefit from personalized financial guidance and relationship-based service delivered by experienced banking professionals.
For business clients, the branch provides commercial banking services that support companies at every stage of growth. These offerings include:
- Business checking and savings accounts
- Commercial lending
- Small business financing
- Treasury management solutions
- Merchant services
- Cash management
- Commercial real estate financing
- Equipment financing
- Lines of credit
- Deposit management solutions
The combination of retail and commercial banking capabilities enables BankUnited to serve a broad customer base ranging from individual consumers to middle-market businesses and larger corporate organizations.
Building on Recent Tampa Investments
The opening of the Westshore location follows another significant investment by BankUnited in the Tampa market. Recently, the bank established a new downtown Tampa corporate office, further strengthening its presence in one of Florida’s leading financial and commercial centers.
That corporate office enhances the bank’s capabilities in several specialized banking areas, including commercial banking, corporate banking, and commercial real estate (CRE) lending. Together with the new retail branches, these investments create a more comprehensive regional banking network capable of serving customers across multiple business segments.
Commercial real estate remains an important component of BankUnited’s growth strategy. Florida’s continued residential, office, industrial, hospitality, and mixed-use development activity has created strong demand for experienced lenders capable of financing complex commercial projects.
The expansion of commercial banking resources also positions BankUnited to support companies relocating to Florida, expanding operations, or investing in new facilities throughout the region.
Leadership for Continued Growth
Supporting the bank’s regional expansion is the appointment of an experienced banking executive to oversee operations in Tampa.
BankUnited recently hired Kris-Eric Surillo as Market Leader and Vice President to manage both the new Westshore branch and the existing Tampa/Henderson banking location.
Surillo brings approximately two decades of banking experience to the role, having built an extensive career serving customers throughout the Tampa Bay market. Before joining BankUnited, he held leadership positions at Synovus Bank, where he gained significant experience in retail banking, team leadership, customer relationship management, and business development.
Throughout his career, Surillo has earned recognition as a motivational leader with a strong ability to recruit, develop, and coach high-performing banking teams. His leadership approach emphasizes exceptional customer service, employee engagement, and long-term relationship building—qualities that align closely with BankUnited’s customer-focused banking philosophy.
His appointment reflects the company’s broader strategy of investing in experienced local leadership capable of strengthening customer relationships while driving continued growth across the Tampa Bay region.
Supporting Local Businesses
Small businesses remain a critical driver of Florida’s economy, accounting for a significant share of employment and economic activity. BankUnited’s expanded branch network is expected to provide enhanced financial resources for entrepreneurs and business owners seeking capital, treasury solutions, and strategic banking advice.
The bank’s commercial banking professionals work closely with clients to understand their operational goals and develop customized financial solutions that support expansion, working capital needs, equipment purchases, and long-term investment.
In addition to lending services, businesses can benefit from sophisticated treasury management tools that improve cash flow efficiency, streamline payment processing, reduce fraud risk, and optimize liquidity management.
As Tampa Bay continues attracting startups, technology companies, healthcare organizations, and professional service firms, relationship-focused commercial banking has become increasingly valuable for companies seeking financial partners that understand local market conditions.
Strengthening Community Relationships
Beyond financial products, BankUnited has emphasized building lasting relationships within the communities it serves. Local branches provide customers with direct access to experienced bankers who can offer personalized financial guidance rather than relying exclusively on digital channels.
While digital banking continues to play an increasingly important role in modern financial services, many consumers and business owners still value face-to-face interactions when making significant financial decisions such as purchasing homes, financing commercial properties, expanding businesses, or planning investments.
The addition of physical branch locations demonstrates BankUnited’s commitment to maintaining a balanced banking model that combines advanced digital capabilities with personalized local service.
This approach allows customers to access online and mobile banking tools while also benefiting from in-person expertise whenever needed.
A Trusted Banking Institution
BankUnited has established a strong reputation as one of Florida’s leading banking institutions. Headquartered in Miami Lakes, the company is among the largest independent depository institutions based in the state and serves customers across several major U.S. markets.
The bank recently received recognition as one of Newsweek’s World’s Most Trustworthy Companies, highlighting its commitment to customer service, financial stability, corporate governance, and operational excellence.
Such recognition reflects the importance of trust within the banking industry, where customers increasingly seek institutions that demonstrate transparency, reliability, strong risk management, and long-term financial strength.
Broad Geographic Footprint
Although Florida remains its primary market, BankUnited has expanded well beyond its home state to serve customers across multiple strategic regions.
Today, the bank operates in:
- Florida
- New York
- Dallas, Texas
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Morristown, New Jersey
- Charlotte, North Carolina
This diversified geographic footprint enables BankUnited to support customers with multi-state banking needs while continuing to leverage its strong presence throughout Florida.
Its customer base includes individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations, institutional clients, commercial real estate developers, and nonprofit organizations.
The opening of the Westshore branch and the planned launch of the St. Petersburg location represent more than simple additions to BankUnited’s branch network. They reflect a broader strategic initiative focused on expanding customer access, strengthening commercial banking capabilities, and supporting one of the nation’s fastest-growing regional economies.
As Tampa Bay continues to attract new residents, businesses, and investment, demand for sophisticated financial services is expected to grow alongside the region’s economic development. BankUnited’s investments in new branches, experienced leadership, and enhanced commercial banking resources position the institution to play an increasingly important role in supporting that growth.
With a combination of personalized customer service, comprehensive banking solutions, experienced local leadership, and expanding regional infrastructure, BankUnited continues to reinforce its position as a trusted financial partner for consumers and businesses across Florida. The addition of the Westshore branch and the forthcoming St. Petersburg location further demonstrate the bank’s confidence in the future of the Tampa Bay market and its commitment to helping individuals and organizations achieve their financial goals while contributing to the continued strength of the regional economy.
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