Even pirates need an official bank.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League, known for its pewter-colored helmets and connection to privateers, has partnered with a local company that's been quickly growing through acquisitions.
Community Bank & Co., a unit of CBM Florida Holding Co. in Bradenton, signed a five-year marketing and services deal with the Bucs. Called the Pewter Partner alliance, the agreement will let Community Bank put its automated teller machines in Raymond James Stadium. The alliance also clears Community Bank to use the team's skull-and-crossbones logo, advertise during radio broadcasts of Bucs' games and create co-branded financial products.
Community Bank replaces BB&T Corp. in Winston-Salem, N.C., as the Bucs' official bank. Financial terms were not disclosed when the bank announced the agreement on Oct. 14.
CBM Florida Holding was formed in 2009 and has grown in Florida through acquisitions of Community Bank of Manatee and First Community Bank of America in Pinellas Park. In July, the company said it had agreed to buy Old Harbor Bank in Clearwater.
Excluding Old Harbor, Community Bank has made itself a significant player in the Tampa Bay market. The bank's deposit market share in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area was 0.5% at June 30, making it one of the area's 20 biggest banks, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The $760.3 million-asset company operates 17 branches throughout the area.
