First Home Bank Changes Name to BayFirst, Kicks off Weeklong Celebration Throughout Tampa Bay

St. Pete-Based Community Bank Reinforces Commitment to the Tampa Bay Area with New Name and Five Days of Giving Back

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- St. Petersburg-based community bank, First Home Bank, has made a name for itself by putting the Tampa Bay area first. The Bank will now be known as BayFirst, a name that more clearly defines its long-term goals and aligns with its holding company, BayFirst Financial Corp (NASDAQ: BAFN).

The change to BayFirst ensures consistent messaging conveying the values, progressive nature, and overall strategic direction of the Institution. It also clears up existing confusion about the products and services provided by the Bank in addition to residential mortgage, including community banking and commercial lending.

“The name BayFirst reinforces our commitment to community and our goal to become the bank of Tampa Bay,” said Anthony N. Leo, CEO of BayFirst. “While we will continue to support small business owners and homebuyers across the country through our SBA and residential mortgage divisions, we remain a St. Petersburg-based, independent bank focused on making a difference in our own community and in the lives of those we serve.”

The name unveiling and conversion will be celebrated at a bank-wide event taking place this morning at the headquarters of BayFirst, at 700 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg beginning at 11 a.m. The celebration will then continue throughout the week as BayFirst has additional plans to underscore its renewed commitment to putting the Bay first, including:

• Monday, May 16: The Bank will provide vouchers for discounted food items at various restaurants on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 17: BayFirst will cover the trolley fare for riders on the Central Ave Trolley in St. Petersburg between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 18: The Bank will cover the bus fare for riders on Route 15, running between Netpark and Westshore Plaza along Columbus Drive in Tampa from 9-11 a.m.
• Thursday, May 19: Beginning at 11 a.m. the Bank will sponsor 100 meals provided by Miss Susie’s Newtown Kitchen food truck at its North Sarasota Office, located in the Newtown Community at 1782 Dr. Martin Luther King Way.
• Friday, May 20: Beginning on Rescue Dog Day and running through May 27, BayFirst will match pet adoption fees in the amount of $25 per pet at SPCA Tampa Bay and provide adopting families a $25 gift card to a pet supply store.
  

About BayFirst
Headquartered in St. Petersburg, BayFirst operates seven banking centers in the Tampa Bay area and originates residential mortgages through 20 loan production offices nationwide. In addition to residential mortgages, BayFirst offers a broad range of retail and business banking services, including small business loans through its SBA loan division, CreditBench, and is one of the top producing SBA lenders in the country. Since it opened in 1999, BayFirst has grown exponentially without losing sight of its commitment to making an impact in the community and being Here for What’s Next^® in the lives of its customers. For more information visit: www.BayFirstFinancial.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “is confident that” and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty and a variety of factors could cause our actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. BayFirst Financial Corp. does not have a policy of updating or revising forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by law, and silence by management over time should not be construed to mean that actual events are occurring as estimated in such forward-looking statements.

Contacts:
Anthony N. Leo	Jeffrey M. Hunt
Chief Executive Officer	Chief Strategy Officer
727.399.5678	727.399.5687