SUNZ Insurance confirms corporate headquarters move to downtown Bradenton
BRADENTON -- SUNZ Insurance confirmed Thursday the worker's compensation insurance company will move its headquarters to downtown Bradenton.
When SUNZ purchased the First Bank building at 1301 Sixth Ave. W. for $2.295 million on Dec. 30, Terri Stevens, SUNZ president, told the Bradenton Herald the company would likely move its operations. Stevens confirmed renovations to the 40-year-old building would begin soon and employees would begin transitioning from their Sarasota facility to Bradenton by the second quarter of this year.
SUNZ had a 200 percent increase in staff during 2015, "and we do not anticipate the growth rate to diminish any time soon," said Stevens. "We strive to provide our current employees, and those we anticipate joining SUNZ in the future, with a great environment to work in. We are thrilled to be able to realize the effort this year with our move and new office space. Our goal is for employees to thrive in our new work environment."
The 10-year-old company employs about 50 people. It will occupy 30,000 square feet of the six-sto
ry building, or about half of the space, which will likely bring the building to full capacity. Businesses in the building include an Insignia Bank branch and Keller Williams on the Water, a real estate company.
"SUNZ's new office space is critical for us to increase our capabilities in key areas that align with our current and future growth goals," CEO Steve Herrig said in a news release. "We are excited about the growth we are experiencing and this move represents our commitment to build on the success our team has accomplished.
Mayor Wayne Poston said he is excited and honored by the collaboration with SUNZ.
"This is a true partnership with the city and SUNZ working together to build a successful business relationship in our community," said Poston. "We believe the job creation on the part of SUNZ will benefit both of our economic development goals."
Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041, or follow him on Twitter @urbanmark2014.
This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 8:08 PM with the headline "SUNZ Insurance confirms corporate headquarters move to downtown Bradenton ."