Business Digest: SESCO Cement begins full operations at port. October 6, 2026 By Staff Reports SESCO Cement begins full operations at Port Tampa Bay TAMPA - SESCO Cement has begun full commercial operations at its Port Tampa Bay import terminal after receiving its first two ships carrying bulk gray cement. Each vessel is making a partial delivery at the Port Redwing terminal in Gibsonton before continuing to SESCO's terminal in Houston. The route connects the company's Florida and Texas operations. The Tampa facility uses a custom ship unloader and conveyor system to move cement directly from vessels into storage silos. An automated system then loads the cement onto trucks for distribution to ready-mix producers and other customers. SESCO opened the terminal with a ribbon-cutting in June. The company says the facility is positioned to serve Florida construction markets through maritime, highway and rail connections. SESCO expects the facility to become Florida's largest cement terminal. GTE Financial opens New Port Richey location NEW PORT RICHEY - GTE Financial celebrated the grand opening of its new Community Financial Center on Oct. 3 at 9746 Little Road. The location replaces GTE Financial's former Hudson center and offers banking, lending, financial planning and education services. "Pasco County continues to grow, and we want to make sure our physical locations are growing alongside the communities we serve," said Channing D. Thornton, managing director of retail member sales. "Relocating to New Port Richey allows us to better serve existing members while creating greater access for individuals, families and businesses throughout the area." Manager Matthew DeSalvo leads the center. "Whether someone is buying their first home, starting a business, working toward a savings goal or simply looking for financial guidance, we want them to know they have a local team they can turn to," Thornton said. SBA opens nominations for 2027 small business awards WASHINGTON - The U.S. Small Business Administration has opened nominations for its 2027 National Small Business Week Awards. Small business owners may nominate themselves or be nominated by others at sba.gov/nsbw. Nominations are due by 3 p.m. Dec. 7. National Small Business Week will be held May 2-8, 2027. Each state will select a Small Business Person of the Year. Those recipients will compete for the national award. National categories also include Small Business Manufacturer of the Year, Small Business Exporter of the Year, Blue-Collar Small Business of the Year, Rural Small Business of the Year, Veteran Small Business of the Year and the Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery. Florida approves renters insurance rate decrease TALLAHASSEE - Florida Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky has approved an average 12.8% rate decrease for renters insurance policies issued by American Modern Home Insurance Company. The decrease applies to about 121,900 HO-4 policies and takes effect Oct. 11 for new policies and renewals. Policyholders in more than 30 counties are expected to receive average decreases ranging from 13.1% to 13.9%. HO-4 policies generally cover renters' personal belongings against specified losses and provide personal liability coverage. They do not insure the building itself. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has approved rate decreases for four homeowners insurance companies. On the web: floir.gov Quick Hits * Alexander Ugarte launched a fundraising campaign on gofundme.com to help small business owner Jonathan Marte replace landscaping equipment that was reportedly stolen while he was working at a job site. The Lutz-based campaign had raised $515 of the $1,200 needed as of Oct. 4. Learn more at gofundme.com/f/replace-jonathan-martes-stolen-equipment. * The Internal Revenue Service has launched a new IRS mobile app, replacing IRS2Go and expanding mobile access to IRS tools and account services. Taxpayers can also visit the IRS App on IRS.gov for verified links and additional information. * Tampa Bay public broadcaster WUSF won 20 journalism excellence awards, including 10 first-place honors in The Sunshine State Awards, hosted by the Florida chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

GTE Financial expanding into Jacksonville. The Tampa-based credit union plans 2026 and 2027 openings in Southside. * By Karen Brune Mathis * | 5:00 a.m. May 4, 2026 * | 2 Free Articles Remaining! * Columnists * Mathis Report Tampa-based GTE Financial is preparing to build-out a Jacksonville office at The Palms at Gate Parkway in South Jacksonville, which its job postings show will be one of two offices in the area. The second office appears to be at Intracoastal Plaza at 14444 Beach Blvd. GTE Financial says it is a not-for-profit financial cooperative operating through West Central Florida with $3 billion in assets and 24 community financial centers. It calls its customers "member-owners." GTE Financial said in an emailed statement May 1 that it is scheduled to open its first full-service retail branch in Duval County in late 2026 and a second location in 2027. "The expansion into Jacksonville is part of GTE Financial's long-term commitment to meaningful growth, recently approved by the NCUA to serve six new service areas throughout the state of Florida," said the statement by Channing Thornton, managing director of retail member sales, referring to the National Credit Union Administration. The administration, created by the U.S. Congress in 1970, says it is an independent federal agency that insures deposits at federally insured credit unions, protects the members who own credit unions, and charters and regulates federal credit unions. Thornton said GTE Financial is recruiting leadership and relationship officers in the market. The statement did not provide the addresses for the offices. "The new service areas are distributed across Florida. We will prioritize opening locations in Jacksonville while exploring additional sites in other regions," Thornton said. Chartered in 1935, GTE Financial says it is locally owned and operated in the Tampa Bay area, serving more than 230,000 individuals and businesses. The GTEFinancial.org site says funds deposited at GTE are covered by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. It calls itself a "community-centric credit union that truly focuses on providing advantageous products with service you can count on." The site says it is the official credit union of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 24 centers in 16 cities comprise six in Tampa, two each in Clearwater, Lakeland and St. Petersburg and one each in 12 more. The closest to Jacksonville is in Ocala. The website shows personal, student and business services that include checking, savings, money market and health savings accounts; IRAs; certificates; credit cards; auto, home, personal, home equity, motorcycle, boat and RV loans; and wealth and advisory. The Palms at Gate Parkway The city is reviewing a permit for GTE Financial in 1,983 square feet of space at 7570 Gate Parkway, Unit 105, at an estimated project cost of $1.75 million. BDG Architects LLP of Tampa is the architect. AEC Integrated LLC of Jacksonville is providing private plan review. Plans show three offices, a breakroom, a lounge, lobby and rotunda and a walk-up ATM. Jacksonville-based Ash Properties is the landlord at the property, at northwest Gate Parkway and Burnt Mill Road, north of Ikea. The general site is at southwest Interstate 295 and Butler Boulevard. The 7570 Gate Parkway structure is one of three two-story buildings comprising The Palms at Gate Parkway. As Building 1, it is the southernmost structure. It is at the left when facing the central building. Unit 105 is on the ground floor. Also in the building are The Chocolate Bar, Foxtail Coffee Co. and Fore Score Golf Tavern. The site is across Gate Parkway from The Block Jax outdoor food hall, live music venue, kids play park and dog park. Intracoastal Plaza A second office is shown on site plans for Intracoastal Plaza, also owned by Ash Properties. The Ash Properties plan shows GTE Financial as a 3,392-square-foot building on Outparcel 1, next to Shores Liquors. Le Petit Paris Cafe is on Outparcel 3. Intracoastal Plaza is at southeast Beach Boulevard and San Pablo Road. Cushman & Wakefield Managing Director David Hillegas and Senior Associate Francesca Neuman represented GTE Financial in the lease negotiations for both locations. Job postings GTE Financial says in job postings that it will open two Financial Community Centers in Jacksonville. It is seeking candidates with target hire dates in September for personal banker in two locations identified as Jacksonville Intercoastal and Jacksonville Palms. The intracoastal area, as it is considered because of the Intracoastal Waterway, also is generally in Southside. The financial institution says the member relationship officer "will ensure members' needs are achieved by conducting a thorough financial assessment and recommending the most appropriate products and services fulfilling the member's immediate and future financial goals. They will assist in generating leads, building new and maintaining existing member relationships while providing a great member experience." It asks candidates to "join us as we get to know the Jacksonville community, support local families, and create a positive impact for both current and future members."