Bank of the West Subsidiary Expands with Acquisition of Oregon-Based Contractor's Insurance Services, Inc.

Agency is a Leading Provider of Insurance to Building Industry Throughout Pacific Northwest

FARGO, N.D. & TUALATIN, Ore. -- Bank of the West announced today its wholly-owned subsidiary, BW Insurance Agency, Inc., (BWIA) has acquired Contractor's Insurance Services, Inc., (CIS) a full service insurance agency offering a variety of commercial and personal insurance lines. CIS specializes in providing insurance, risk management and asset protection services for the burgeoning building industry throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Founded in 1985 and based in the Portland suburb of Tualatin, CIS offers group health, life, auto, home, bond, liability and disability as well as Workers Compensation insurance and is licensed to write policies in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and South Carolina. CIS has specialists serving homebuilders and artisan contractors, garage, apartment or condominium owners, and restaurateurs. CIS is a market leader in providing general liability insurance for residential general contractors and artisan contractors as well as suppliers to the construction industry.

"Contractor's Insurance Services' business philosophy is grounded in providing personal service and industry expertise and is a perfect match for BW Insurance Agency," said Tom Anderson, president of BWIA. "This acquisition is a logical extension of BW Insurance Agency's expansion into Bank of the West markets, giving us BWIA presence for the first time in the Pacific Northwest."

Both Oregon and Washington saw solid expansion in the number of construction and building sector jobs in 2005 and 2006 as a result of the housing boom. In 2005, one out of every six new jobs created in Washington was in construction.

This transaction marks the eighth insurance agency acquired by BWIA since December 2005. BWIA today also announced the close of its acquisition of Omaha-based agency Nabity-Perry Insurance, Inc. BWIA in 2006 expanded into markets including Denver and Aurora, Colorado, Omaha, North Platte and Bellevue, Nebraska, St. Paul, Minnesota and Gillette, Wyoming.

BWIA now has 60 locations in nine Western, Midwestern and Rocky Mountain states: Colorado, the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. Its products range from automobile, homeowners and life, to group health, commercial property, commercial general and excess liability, bonding, business automobile and worker's compensation insurance offered through select Bank of the West branches and dedicated BWIA offices.

In Oregon, Bank of the West has 31 branch banking locations including 19 in Metropolitan Portland. Portland also serves as headquarters for Bank of the West's Northwest Division - encompassing Oregon, Washington and Idaho - and is also home to commercial banking and private banking offices. In Metropolitan Portland, Bank of the West employs more than 100 people, whose annual salaries contribute over $5 million to the local economy.

About Bank of the West: Founded in 1874, $56 billion-asset Bank of the West (www.bankofthewest.com) offers a full range of business, corporate, personal, trust and international banking services and currently operates more than 700 branch locations and commercial banking offices in 19 Western and Midwestern states.

About BW Insurance Agency, Inc.: BW Insurance Agency, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of the West. Headquartered in Fargo, ND, BW Insurance Agency currently operates 60 locations predominantly within Bank of the West branches in nine Western and Midwestern states providing property and casualty insurance to individuals and businesses. BW Insurance Agency offers high quality insurance at competitive prices, representing an array of national and regional insurance companies.