Suncoast Credit Union expands to Sarasota

NORTH PORT — Suncoast Credit Union, the largest credit union in Florida and one of the 10 largest in the country, has expanded to Sarasota.

The $5.8 billion credit union, based in Tampa, recently opened its first Sarasota County branch in North Port, according to a release.

“Building strength in the local economy is something we are very eager and proud to do,” Suncoast President and CEO Tom Dorety says in the statement. “With new and expanding businesses and young emerging talent in Sarasota County, we believe there's an opportunity to offer our products and services and educate the community about the credit union difference.”

The expansion, say credit union officials, stems from a conversion from a federal charter to a state charter made late last year. That allows Suncoast to expand into some areas in Florida. Founded in 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union, Suncoast now has 56 full-service branches with more than 592,000 members. Counties it has a presence in include Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota and Sumter.