News/Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2005

Hancock Bank celebrates Jackson County growth with new branch, clock restoration

     GULFPORT, MS (April 8, 2005) - Hancock Bank is celebrating its growth in Jackson County and the construction of a new financial center by donating to the community a symbol of Pascagoula's historic role in the economic development of South Mississippi - the former Pascagoula-Moss Point Bank clock.

     The 4,500-square-foot Hancock Bank Pascagoula East Financial Center will be the newest of 11 full-service Hancock Bank Jackson County offices and will be located at 3939 Denny Avenue in Pascagoula.      

Helping break ground for Hancock Bank’s new Pascagoula East financial center in South Mississippi include (from left) Hancock Holding Company director Jim Horne; Hancock Bank VP & Eastern Division manager David Thomas; Hancock Holding Company director Jim Estabrook, Jr.; Jackson County Economic Development Foundation executive director George Freeland; Hancock Bank President & CEO George Schloegel; Triangle/Pascagoula East branch manager Lindsey Larsen; and VP & senior business banker Henry Fox.

The branch features a unique emergency generator that will automatically start upon loss of commercial power. The generator will operate critical equipment essential to continue bank operations. For example, in the event of a power failure during a hurricane, the generator would not provide electricity for the building's air conditioning but would power the branch's ATM.

     The nine-member branch team of local financial services experts will help customers select the right financial solutions from among Hancock's full array of money management options.

     "We've been doing business in Jackson County for more than 20 years, and we're really excited about what this new branch offers our customers," said Pascagoula native David K. Thomas, a Hancock Bank vice president and the Eastern Division manager. "The branch delivers our full spectrum of financial solutions, including traditional lobby banking, five drive-up banking lanes with a commercial drawer and drive-up ATM, a drive-up night depository, trust and investment services, mortgage services, insurance and comprehensive wealth management services."

     Hancock Bank officials also announced the forthcoming restoration and donation of the historic clock that graced the exterior façade of the downtown Pascagoula Hancock Bank branch for decades. The four-panel clock, a beloved piece of Pascagoula history, was originally mounted on the building in the 1940s when the structure housed the Pascagoula-Moss Point Bank (PMP). PMP became part of Hancock Bank in 1985.

     The clock's works had deteriorated considerably during the last two decades and, eventually, no longer worked. Hancock facilities managers placed the clock in storage for about two years to deter further damage from the elements and to determine if restoring the clock mechanism and stained-glass faces were feasible. Today, Hancock Bank officials plan to fully refurbish the clock and partner with city officials and the Main Street Association to display the clock in a central downtown area accessible to all citizens.

     "We're committed to the strategic growth of Jackson County and to preserving our hometown heritage, and we are continually looking for new and innovative ways of meeting that pledge to our community," said Thomas.

— 30 —

FOR MORE INFORMATION
R. Paul Maxwell, VP & Corporate Communications Manager
(228) 214-5252 or 1.800.522.6542 (x.85252)
paul_maxwell@hancockbank.com