Sykes' firm moves, Sykes stays put

John Sykes has been a staunch supporter of downtown Tampa for many years, and his name adorns the top of one of the city's office towers. Now he's backing up that commitment, putting his new firm JHS Capital Holdings Inc. in the M&I Bank Plaza building.

JHS Capital's subsidiary, JHS Capital Advisors, will sublease 20,000 square feet in the 20-story building at 501 E. Kennedy Blvd. from its largest tenant, law firm Fowler White Boggs. The company's 14th-floor office will house all of the company's operations including compliance, supervision, information technology, sales and marketing, and will also accommodate advisors and client associates.

“We believe it is important to stay true to your beginnings and I can think of no better way to renew our commitment to the Tampa area,” Sykes says of the new office. He points out that he has done business downtown since 1977, and his flagship company Sykes Enterprises Inc. is based at the 31-story Rivergate Tower, at 400 N. Ashley Drive.

JHS Capital Advisors, a brokerage and wealth management firm, was established in December 2009 and has approximately 100 advisors along with offices in six other states. Sykes told the Business Review in a profile published April 23, 2010 that he is involved in the enterprise strictly as an investor.

To prove that point, Sykes will remain at his current office in a private hangar at Tampa International Airport, where his two Gulfstream jets are parked.