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Pohlad Family Increases Investment in Valley,
Adds Capital to Meridian Bank

PHOENIX, AZ – (July 18, 2008) – The Carl R. Pohlad family, owners of Meridian Bank, N.A. has added significant capital and taken other measures to strengthen and position Meridian Bank for additional, future growth. The investment reinforces Meridian’s commitment to the Valley and positions the bank and its depositors for solid results and opportunities moving forward.

The Pohlad family of Minneapolis, Minn., which traces its roots in banking back to the 1940s, is one of the nation’s preeminent banking families. Pohlad family holdings today include companies in the banking and financial services, business services, real estate investment banking, beverage, retail and entertainment industries, as well as ownership of the Major League Baseball Minnesota Twins.

The family’s ownership provides distinct advantages to Meridian Bank, including direct access to capital and the backing of considerable resources. The actions taken by the Pohlad family include additional investments in Meridian and its parent company, Marquette Financial Companies (MFC) in the form of equity investments, loans and the purchase of real estate assets. Measures also include the transfer of underperforming assets to MFC and real estate investments to a family-owned company, which have reduced problem assets of Meridian Bank by 72% in the second quarter.

“These investments reflect the family’s commitment to Meridian Bank and its operating subsidiaries, and confidence in management’s ability to work through this difficult market,” said Doug Hile, Meridian Bank Chairman and CEO. “Despite a difficult environment, Meridian Bank remains a well-capitalized bank with strong capital ratios, a solid balance sheet and manageable levels of non-performing assets. We are well-positioned to not only weather this industry-wide downturn but to emerge stronger and as resourceful as ever,” Hile said. The recent infusion of capital will allow the bank to achieve better operational and financial results while allowing it to strategically position for new opportunities, he noted.

Founded in 1978, Meridian Bank marks its 30th anniversary this year. Through its strategic growth plan, the bank made a variety of acquisitions and investments, growing from $150 million in 2002 to $2.1 billion in 2008, with operating subsidiaries in Phoenix, Minneapolis, and other locations across the U.S.

Meridian Bank has a number of subsidiaries in the residential real estate construction and commercial finance industries that have been negatively impacted by the downturn in the economy and housing markets across the country. Meridian Bank has increased the reserves for loan losses and written down investments in construction real estate companies, resulting in a reported loss of ($42.8) million for the quarter ended June 30, 2008, compared to a loss of ($14.1) million in the first quarter of 2008. The write-downs of the investments in the construction lending businesses are non-cash charges that do not impact tangible capital levels.

With $2.1 billion in assets, Meridian Bank continues to be well capitalized by all industry definitions with $290 million of capital, even after the losses reported today. Parent company MFC is a $3 billion financial services company with $400 million of capital and a diversified portfolio of real estate investment banking, commercial finance and commercial banking businesses.

As a privately held entity, Meridian Bank does not typically release earnings and performance information. “Given the difficult market conditions facing the banking and financial services industries, we want to proactively communicate so that our customers and key constituents have the most accurate, timely information available,” noted Hile.

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