The problem facing residential builders in Central Florida is not finding homebuyers but finding land to build on. The furious pace of construction is trying to keep up with the booming population of the region – now 1.8 million, up 44.3 percent in the past dozen years. Orlando International Airport, which underwent a $1.2 billion expansion in 2003, is the hub of the region and the fourth-fastest-growing airport in the country.

Colonial has become a major player in supporting this growth by building strong relationships with the region’s top homebuilders, such as Jerry Johnson of The Johnson Group, which is building Town Park, a community nearing completion in Port Orange, and Venetian Bay, a 1,600-home development with a Mediterranean theme in New Smyrna Beach.

With 44 branches in Central Florida, Colonial covers ten counties extending from St. Augustine down to Melbourne and over to Winter Haven. Colonial is intent on expanding its presence in the region by adding two to three new branches a year for the next three years to keep up with the growth of these areas which have an average of almost 11% projected population growth over the next seven years.

The bank is capitalizing on enormous retail opportunities by developing relationships with both individuals and small businesses, such as Vinyl Industrial Products, Inc., of St. Augustine, which moved its real estate loan from another institution, then turned to Colonial for an equipment loan and cash management.