Moving on up

One of the largest builders in the Naples-Fort Myers market is expanding northward, seeking to capitalize on the construction boom in and around downtown Sarasota.

Bonita Springs-based Gates Construction first announced it planned to open an office in Sarasota in February. More recently Gates officials announced the company merged with Sarasota-based Storie Construction Group, a 12-employee firm with past and present clients that include Starbucks, Goodwill and Dollar Tree. Mark Card, owner of Storie, was named principal of the Sarasota office.

“We have some high-profile projects coming up in Sarasota, and we want to have a local presence there,” Gates Founder and Chairman Todd Gates tells Coffee Talk.