"[John] and I had been looking for a business to buy, and just hadn't found the right thing yet, and we were talking about it at dinner one night, and he said, 'well, why don't we buy that?'" Jami said.
As the opportunity became reality, the Astrabs turned to Suncoast Credit Union to help finance the acquisition.

“Acquiring a business is a major milestone, and John and Jami had a clear vision for where they wanted to take Amplex,” said Tiger Hoffman, Business Relationship Manager at Suncoast Credit Union. “Our role was to understand that vision and help structure a solution that supported both the purchase and the company’s future growth.”

Today, the company’s main operations hub is in Clearwater, just off Ulmerton Road. The company’s farm is in Plant City and Amplex runs a facility in Homestead in South Florida.

The business has more than 100 employees. The Astrabs, who have four children, 15, 13, 12 and 11, even bring the family to work on Saturdays.

The investments are paying off. Improved communication, new technology and a customer-first mindset have helped position Amplex for its next phase of growth.

"We're starting to see growth because we've been able to change the culture of the business. We've gotten everyone working together as a team and collaborating," John said. "Communication has been a big focus as well. We want to make sure everyone is on the same page and that our customers come first."

Growing with the right partner

When it came time to finance the acquisition of Amplex, the Astrabs spoke with several financial institutions. But they ultimately chose Suncoast Credit Union because they felt the credit union understood both their goals and the business itself.

“We had talked with several other banks but candidly felt the most comfortable with Suncoast because of our personal, prior relationships,” John said.

The Astrabs were already familiar with several members of Suncoast's Commercial team, which helped build confidence throughout the acquisition process. Suncoast provided a multi-million-dollar loan and treasury services to support both the purchase and the company's continued growth.

The couple appreciated Suncoast’s responsiveness and willingness to answer questions throughout the process.

Room to grow

At Amplex's operations center in Clearwater, there's no shortage of activity. Drivers arrive and depart throughout the day, vendors come and go, and thousands of plants move through the facility on their way to customers in Florida and across the country.

The Astrabs have plenty to manage, but worrying about their banking relationship isn't something that keeps them up at night.

“Being able to focus on the day-to-day and not having to worry about your banking partner helps us tremendously,” John said.

While they're still in the early stages of ownership, the couple is already thinking about the future. With a growing business, a dedicated team and a trusted financial partner alongside them, the Astrabs hope Amplex continues to take root and grow for future generations of their family.

"It's important for us to show our kids what hard work looks like and help them understand how a business operates," John said. "It's good for them to know that money doesn't grow on trees. It comes from hard work and understanding that what we do today benefits everyone tomorrow."