Coral Gables, FL - March 29, 2010

Mercantil Commercebank, one of the largest banks based in South Florida, has been awarded the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Top 100 Minority Business Awards® in the category of Community Involvement.

The Top 100 Minority Business Awards program applauds South Florida's minority business community and celebrates the region’s rich diversity and spirit of entrepreneurship.

The Chamber’s Top 100 Minority Business Awards recipients were recognized after a comprehensive application process in which the bank elaborated on its various facets of community involvement.

"It is an honor to be an award recipient in the Community Involvement category of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Top 100 Minority Business Awards," said Millar Wilson, President and CEO of Mercantil Commercebank. "The Bank is proud to accept this award on behalf of all our employees. It is a testament to each and every individual within our organization that goes above and beyond in the call of serving their community," added Wilson.

The Bank has historically supported many worthwhile organizations, including: the American Red Cross Greater Miami and The Keys, Habitat for Humanity, The March of Dimes, The Marian Center, New World School of Arts, Florida International University, CHARLEE Groups Homes, La Liga Contra el Cancer and Voices for Children, to name a few.

"One of our hallmarks, throughout our 30-year long history, has been community involvement at all levels of the Bank," continues Wilson. "It is an integral part of our corporate culture."

While charitable and philanthropic organizations, especially those serving the underserved communities, have been especially challenged by the weakened economy, Mercantil Commercebank considers its tradition of continued support to be very important. Recent outreach endeavors have included:

• An employee matching campaign that raised substantial funds in support of the American Red Cross’ International Disaster Response for the Haiti Earthquake.
• Participation in the 2010 Habitat for Humanity Annual Blitz Build, where dozens of Mercantil Commercebank staff members volunteered in the building of Habitat homes.
• Involvement in the 6^th Annual Brownsville Community Paint and Beautification Day hosted by the Neighborhood Housing Service Project of South Florida. Mercantil Commercebank employees spent their day painting and landscaping houses for soon-to-be selected residents of the Brownsville community.
• Upcoming launch of the photography pilot program, the Mercantil Commercebank Zoolens^SM Photography Project, in conjunction with Miami Metrozoo. The program involves a selection of Miami-Dade County Public Schools within the Bank’s local market areas, and encourages awareness and support of wildlife photography; participating schools and students will receive prizes.

ABOUT MERCANTIL COMMERCEBANK:
Mercantil Commercebank N.A. is one of the largest banks in South Florida serving its community for 30 years. Mercantil Servicios Financieros (MSF), a Venezuelan company, beneficially owns the Bank through U.S. bank holding companies. MSF is the largest provider of financial services in Venezuela with more than 85 years of experience. Mercantil Commercebank has assets of $6.0 billion. The Bank is headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida and has 17 Banking Centers - 15 located in South Florida; one in Manhattan, New York; and one in Houston, Texas. The Bank offers a wide variety of domestic, international, personal and commercial banking services, including investment, trust, and estate planning through its subsidiaries, Mercantil Commercebank Investment Services, Inc. and Mercantil Commercebank Trust Company, N.A. For more information, please visit www.mercantilcb.com.

Editor’s Note: There’s another bank in South Florida whose moniker includes the word 'Mercantile.' Please note that we are MERCANTIL COMMERCEBANK. Thank you.