PHOENIX – (Feb. 13, 2004) – A second Meridian Capital Bank office in the Phoenix area has opened its doors in Kierland offering business and private banking services to meet the needs of business owners, executives and professionals.

The new Meridian Capital Bank office is located at 7077 E. Marilyn Road, Building 6, Suite 150, Scottsdale, Ariz. It is the second location for Meridian Capital Bank in the Phoenix area. The first was the midtown office at 3550 N. Central Avenue. Both offices are part of Meridian Bank, N.A., which has nine locations throughout the valley.

“Meridian Capital Bank is our answer to the requests from customers for a bank that can help them with their businesses and personal needs with relationship managers who understand their entire financial picture,” said Doug Hile, CEO of Meridian Banks.

“Our strategy is to offer highly responsive service with experienced bankers who know your business, understand this market, and make decisions right here – not at some far-distant corporate office,” Hile said. The new location has three experienced relationship managers, including Sharon Huebner, senior vice president and manager; Lorie Green, vice president; and Marc Weisinger, vice president. Together, they bring 63 years of banking experience in the Phoenix area.

The Kierland location was selected based on its demographic fit with the Meridian Capital strategy to serve business owners and professionals, and commercial middle market companies with annual revenues between $10 million to $150 million. “We see a tremendous opportunity for growth in this area with banking services that are based on delivering relationship-focused service that’s truly responsive to our customers’ needs," Hile said.

In addition to the new location, Meridian has launched a new, expanded Web site (www.meridianbank.com) to better serve the online banking needs of its customers.

About Meridian Bank, N.A.
Meridian Capital Bank is part of Meridian Bank, N.A., which has nine locations and more than $500 million in total assets. It is part of Marquette Financial Companies, a financial services company with a diversified portfolio of banks and specialty financial service companies owned by the Pohlad family of Minneapolis, Minn. Marquette Financial combines a half-century of banking experience with an entrepreneurial approach and a commitment to technological innovation to meet the needs of its customers.

###