Business Bank of Nevada Opens Carson City Branch.

Business Editors/Banking Writers

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 28, 1999

Business Bank of Nevada (OTC:BBNV) has opened its fourth bank branch, and first in Northern Nevada, announced Al Alvarez, president and CEO of the bank, following the December meeting of the Board of Directors.

"The opening of our new branch in Carson City will bring personal banking service back to the people of Carson City and the surrounding communities," said Alvarez. "Recent mergers and bank closings in the Reno/Sparks and Carson City areas have left both business and personal banking clients with limited community banks with which to do business."

The bank officially opened its current offices on December 13 at 3476 Executive Pointe Way, near East College Parkway. It will maintain normal banking hours of Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be open this coming New Year's Eve, Friday, Dec. 31, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The bank will begin construction on a new branch facility next Spring, to be located within a block of the current location.

"Being fully Y2K compliant with all of our operations enabled us to open our Carson City branch prior to the end of this year," noted Alvarez. "Additionally, as a service to our long-term business and personal customers in Southern Nevada, we're opening our main Plaza Branch on New Year's Day, in case they have need for banking services over the holiday weekend."

Jerry Gregory, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for Business Bank of Nevada, has been hired to lead the bank's expansion of services into Carson City and all of the adjoining counties, including the Lake Tahoe area. Gregory, a life-long resident of Northern Nevada and a veteran of more than 35 years in banking, was previously with Sierra West Bank in a similar capacity, prior to that bank being acquired by Bank of the West.

"In addition to Gregory, we've pulled together a strong team of local banking professionals and long-time residents of Carson City including Weldon Lary as Vice President/Executive Account Officer, Lori Haney, Vice President/Branch Manager, and Holly Black, Vice President/Regional Operations Manager. Collectively, these individuals have more than 75 years of local banking experience," noted Alvarez.

Business Bank of Nevada is in its fifth year of operations and is one of the fastest-growing independent community banks in the state. The company reported assets of more than $118 million as of Sept. 30, 1999.

At the December Board of Directors meeting, Alvarez projected significant performance increases in the year 2000 due to the continued mergers of larger national and regional banks throughout Nevada, causing many banking customers, especially small and mid-sized business customers, to look to smaller, community banks for more personalized banking services.

Business Bank of Nevada is a full-service, independent community bank with an emphasis on personalized service and products, such as its 24-hour automated telephone banking system, business PC banking, and merchant and ATM services, as well as its Business Express Courier service, which is available to business customers for transporting non-cash deposits and documentation for loans, deposit accounts and its merchant services.

In addition to the new Carson City branch, Business Bank of Nevada has three offices in Las Vegas, at 6085 W. Twain (on the corner of Jones and Twain), at 3885 S. Maryland Parkway (just north of Flamingo), at 7280 W. Lake Mead Boulevard (just north of Tenaya).

Statements in this release which express "belief," "intention," "expectation" or "prospects," as well as other statements which are not historical fact, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve certain risks and uncertainties.