1 st Constitution Bancorp

          1st Constitution Bancorp (the “Company”) is a bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. The Company was organized under the laws of New Jersey in February 1999 for the purpose of acquiring all of the issued and outstanding stock of 1st Constitution Bank (the “Bank”) and thereby enabling the Bank to operate within a bank holding company structure. The Company became an active bank holding company on July 1, 1999. The Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Other than its investment in the Bank, the Company currently conducts no other significant business activities.

          As of December 31, 2002, the Company, on a consolidated basis, had total assets of approximately $268.7 million, total deposits of approximately $219.0 million, total loans of approximately $151.0 million and total shareholders’ equity of approximately $21.0 million.

          The main office of the Company and the Bank is located at 2650 Route 130 North, Cranbury, New Jersey 08512, and the telephone number is (609) 655-4500.

1 st Constitution Bank

          The Bank, a commercial bank formed under the laws of the State of New Jersey, engages in the business of commercial and retail banking. As a community bank, the Bank offers a wide range of services (including demand, savings and time deposits and commercial and consumer/installment loans) to individuals, ses and not-for-profit organizations principally in Middlesex, Mercer and Somerset Counties, New Jersey. The Bank conducts its operations through its main office located in Cranbury, New Jersey, and five branch offices in downtown Cranbury, Hamilton Square, Plainsboro, Princeton and Montgomery Township, New Jersey. The Bank’s deposits are insured up to applicable legal limits by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).

         Management efforts focus on positioning the Bank to meet the financial needs of the communities in Middlesex, Mercer and Somerset Counties and to provide financial services to individuals, families, institutions and ses. To achieve this goal, the Bank is focusing its efforts on:

• personal service;
• expansion of its branch network;
• innovative product offerings; and
• technological advances and e-commerce

Personal Service

          The Bank provides a wide range of commercial and consumer banking services to individuals, families, institutions and ses in central New Jersey. The Bank’s focus is to understand the needs of the community and the customers and tailor products, services and advice to meet those needs. The Bank seeks to provide a high level of personalized banking services, emphasizing quick and flexible

responses to customer demands.

Expansion of Branch Banking

          The Bank continually evaluates opportunities for branch bank expansion, either mini branches or full service banks, to continue to grow and meet the needs of the community. During the first quarter of 2002, the Bank opened a sixth branch banking office located at The Windrows at Princeton, New Jersey.  Negotiations are also underway to open a seventh office in Jamesburg, Middlesex County, which, if negotiations are successful, is projected to open in the second quarter of 2003.  The Company can provide no assurance that negotiations will be successful or, if successful, that the new branch will open  on the anticipated schedule.

          Significant bank merger activity has occurred in recent years.  During 2001, the state’s largest bank, Summit Bancorp, merged with Fleet Bancorp, a Northeast super regional bank with locations in New Jersey. This merger resulted in the closing of several branch locations throughout the Bank’s market area. 

          In 2000, the Bank introduced “1st Choice Banking,” a seamless cash management solution that links checking and investments into one account for customers. With a minimum balance of $10,000, customers enjoy all the flexibility of a free checking account while earning an investment rate of return which keeps pace with the current short-term money markets.

          Technological Advances and e-Commerce.  The Bank recognizes that customers want to receive service via their most convenient delivery channel, be it the traditional branch office, by telephone, ATM, or the Internet. For this reason, the Bank continues to enhance its e-Commerce capabilities. At www.1stconstitution.com, customers have easy access to online banking, including account access, and to the Bank’s bill payment system. Consumers can apply online for loans and interact with senior management through the e-mail system. Business customers have access to cash management information and transaction capability through the Bank’s online Business Express product offering. This overall expansion in electronic banking offers the Bank’s customers another means to access the Bank’s services easily and at their own convenience.

Competition

          The Bank experiences substantial competition in attracting and retaining deposits and in making loans. In attracting deposits and borrowers, the Bank competes with commercial banks, savings banks, and savings and loan associations, as well as regional and national insurance companies and non-bank financial institutions, regulated small loan companies and local credit unions, regional and national issuers of money market funds and corporate and government borrowers.  Within the direct market area of the Bank, there are a significant number of offices of competing financial institutions.  In New Jersey generally, and in the Bank’s local market specifically, large commercial banks, as well as savings banks and savings and loan associations, hold a dominant market share and there has been significant merger activity in the last few years, creating even larger competitors. Locally, the Bank’s most direct competitors include Fleet Bank, PNC Bank and Sovereign Bank. The Bank is at a competitive disadvantage compared with these larger regional commercial and savings banks. By virtue of their larger capital, asset size or reserves, many of such institutions have substantially greater lending limits (ceilings on the amount of credit a bank may provide to a single customer that are linked to the institution’s capital) and other resources than the Bank.  Many such institutions are empowered to offer a wider range of services, including trust services, than the Bank and, in some cases, have lower funding costs (the price a bank must pay for deposits and other borrowed monies used to make loans to customers) than the Bank.

          In addition to having established deposit bases and loan portfolios, these institutions, particularly large regional commercial and savings banks, have the financial ability to finance extensive advertising campaigns and to allocate considerable resources to locations and products perceived as profitable.

          In recent years non-bank financial institutions have begun to offer services that compete for deposits with the Bank, such as brokerage firms and insurance companies offering such instruments as short-term money market funds, corporate and government securities funds, mutual funds and annuities.  It is expected that competition in these areas will continue to increase. Some of these competitors are not subject to the same degree of regulation and supervision as the Company and the Bank and therefore may be able to offer customers more attractive products than the Bank.

          However, management of the Bank believes that loans to small and mid-sized businesses and professionals are not always of primary importance to the larger banking institutions, whereas they represent the main commercial loan business of the Bank. The Bank competes for this segment of the market by providing responsive personalized services, local decision-making, and knowledge of its customers and their businesses.

Lending Activities

          The Bank’s lending activities include both commercial and consumer loans. Loan originations are derived from a number of sources including real estate broker referrals, mortgage loan companies, direct solicitation by the Bank’s loan officers, existing depositors and borrowers, builders, attorneys, walk-in customers and, in some instances, other lenders. The Bank has established disciplined and systematic procedures for approving and monitoring loans that vary depending on the size and nature of the loan.

Commercial Lending

          The Bank offers a variety of commercial loan services including term loans, lines of credit, equipment and receivable financing loans. A broad range of short-to-medium term commercial loans, both secured and unsecured, are made available to businesses for working capital (including inventory and receivables), business expansion (including acquisition and development of real estate and improvements), and the purchase of equipment and machinery. The Bank also makes construction loans to real estate developers for the acquisition, development and construction of residential subdivisions.

          Commercial loans are granted based on the borrower’s ability to generate cash flow to support its debt obligations and other cash related expenses. A borrower’s ability to repay commercial loans is substantially dependent on the success of the business itself and on the quality of its management. As a general practice, the Bank takes as collateral a security interest in any available real estate, equipment, inventory, receivables or other personal property of its borrowers, although occasionally the Bank makes commercial loans on an unsecured basis. Generally, the Bank requires personal guaranties of its commercial loans to offset the risks associated with such loans.

Residential Consumer Lending

          A portion of the Bank’s lending activities consists of the origination of fixed and adjustable rate residential mortgage loans secured by owner-occupied property located in the Bank’s primary market areas. Home mortgage lending is unique in that a broad geographic territory may be serviced by originators working from strategically placed offices either within the Bank’s traditional banking facilities or from affordable storefront locations in commercial buildings. The Bank offers construction loans, second mortgage home improvement loans and home equity lines of credit.

          The Bank finances the construction of individual, owner-occupied houses on the basis of written underwriting and construction loan management guidelines. First mortgage construction loans are made to contractors on both a pre-sold and a “speculation” basis. Such loans are also made to qualified individual borrowers and are generally supported by a take-out commitment from a permanent lender.  The Bank makes residential construction loans to individuals who intend to erect owner occupied housing on a purchased parcel of real estate. The construction phase of these loans have certain risks, including the viability of the contractor, the contractor’s ability to complete the project and changes in interest rates.

          In most cases, the Bank will sell its mortgage loans with terms of 15 years or more in the secondary market. The sale to the secondary market allows the Bank to hedge against the interest rate risks related to such lending operations. This brokerage arrangement allows the Bank to accommodate its clients’ demands while eliminating the interest rate risk for the 15 to 30 year period generally associated with such loans.

          The Bank in most cases requires borrowers to obtain and maintain title, fire, and extended casualty insurance, and where required by applicable regulations, flood insurance.  The Bank maintains its own errors and omissions insurance policy to protect against loss in the event of failure of a mortgagor to pay premiums on fire and other hazard insurance policies. Mortgage loans originated by the Bank customarily include a “due on sale” clause, which gives the Bank the right to declare a loan immediately due and payable in certain circumstances, including, without limitation, upon the sale or other disposition by the borrower of the real property subject to a mortgage. In general, the Bank enforces due on sale clauses. Borrowers are typically permitted to refinance or repay loans at their option without penalty.

Non-Residential Consumer Lending

          Non-residential consumer loans made by the Bank include loans for automobiles, recreation vehicles, and boats, and personal (secured and unsecured) and deposit account secured loans. The Bank also conducts various indirect lending activities through established retail companies in its market areas. Non-residential consumer loans are attractive to the Bank because they typically have a shorter term and carry higher interest rates than are charged on other types of loans. Non-residential consumer loans, however, do pose additional risk of collectability when compared to traditional types of loans, such as residential mortgage loans granted by commercial banks.

          Consumer loans are granted based on employment and financial information solicited from prospective borrowers as well as credit records collected from various reporting agencies. Stability of the borrower, willingness to pay and credit history are the primary factors to be considered. The availability of collateral is also a factor considered in making such a loan. The Bank seeks collateral that can be assigned and has good marketability with a clearly adequate margin of value. The geographic area of the borrower is another consideration, with preference given to borrowers in the Bank’s primary market areas.

Supervision and Regulation

          Banking is a complex, highly regulated industry. The primary goals of the bank regulatory scheme are to maintain a safe and sound banking system and to facilitate the conduct of monetary policy. In furtherance of those goals, Congress has created several largely autonomous regulatory agencies and enacted a myriad of legislation that governs banks, bank holding companies and the banking industry. This regulatory framework is intended primarily for the protection of depositors and not for the protection of the Company’s stockholders. Descriptions of, and references to, the statutes and regulations below are brief summaries thereof, and do not purport to be complete. The descriptions are qualified in their entirety by reference to the specific statutes and regulations discussed.

The Company

State and Federal Bank Holding Company Regulations

          The Company is a bank holding company within the meaning of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”). As a bank holding company, the Company is required to file with the Federal Reserve Board an annual report and such additional information as the Federal Reserve Board may require pursuant to the BHCA. The Federal Reserve Board may also make examinations of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Company is subject to capital standards similar to, but separate from, those applicable to the Bank.

          Under the BHCA, bank holding companies that are not financial holding companies (as defined below) generally may not acquire the ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares, or substantially all the assets, of any company, including a bank or another bank holding company, without the Federal Reserve Board’s prior approval. The Company has not applied to become a financial holding company but did obtain such approval to acquire the shares of the Bank. A bank holding company that does not qualify as a financial holding company is generally limited in the types of activities in which it may engage to those that the Federal Reserve Board had recognized as permissible for bank holding companies prior to the date of enactment of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 (“GLBA”). At present, the Company does not engage in any significant activity other than owning the Bank.

          A holding company and its banking subsidiary are prohibited from engaging in certain tie-in arrangements in connection with any extension of credit or lease or sale of any property or the furnishing of services.

          In addition to federal bank holding company regulation, the Company is registered as a bank holding company with the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (the “Department”). The Company is required to file with the Department copies of the reports it files with the federal banking and securities regulators.

Capital Adequacy

          The Company is required to comply with minimum capital adequacy standards established by the Federal Reserve. There are two basic measures of capital adequacy for bank holding companies and the depository institutions that they own: a risk based measure and a leverage measure. All applicable capital standards must be satisfied for a bank holding company to be considered in compliance.

          The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”), required each federal banking agency to revise its risk-based capital standards to ensure that those standards take adequate account of interest rate risk, concentration of credit risk and the risks of non-traditional activities. In addition, pursuant to FDICIA, each federal banking agency has promulgated regulations, specifying the levels at which a bank would be considered “well capitalized,” “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized,” or “critically undercapitalized,” and to take certain mandatory and discretionary supervisory actions based on the capital level of the institution.

          The regulations implementing these provisions of FDICIA provide that a bank will be classified as “well capitalized” if it (i) has a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 10.0 percent, (ii) has a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 6.0 percent, (iii) has a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 5.0 percent, and (iv) meets certain other requirements. A bank will be classified as “adequately capitalized” if it (i) has a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 8.0 percent, (ii) has a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 4.0

percent, (iii) has a Tier 1 leverage ratio of (a) at least 4.0 percent, or (b) at least 3.0 percent if the institution was rated 1 in its most recent examination, and (iv) does not meet the definition of “well capitalized.” A bank will be classified as “undercapitalized” if it (i) has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8.0 percent, (ii) has a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.0 percent, or (iii) has a Tier 1 leverage ratio of (a) less than 4.0 percent, or (b) less than 3.0 percent if the institution was rated 1 in its most recent examination. A bank will be classified as “significantly undercapitalized” if it (i) has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0 percent, (ii) has a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 3.0 percent, or (iii) has a Tier 1 leverage ratio of less than 3.0 percent. An institution will be classified as “critically undercapitalized” if it has a tangible equity to total assets ratio that is equal to or less than 2.0 percent. An insured depository institution may be deemed to be in a lower capitalization category if it receives an unsatisfactory examination.

          As of December 31, 2002, the Bank’s capital ratios exceed the requirements to be considered a well capitalized institution under the FDIC regulations.

          The risk-based capital guidelines for bank holding companies such as the Company currently require a minimum ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets (including off-balance sheet activities, such as standby letters of credit) of 8%. At least half of the total capital is required to be Tier 1 capital, consisting principally of common shareholders’ equity, noncumulative perpetual preferred stock, a limited amount of cumulative perpetual preferred stock and minority interest in the equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries, less goodwill. The remainder (Tier 2 capital) may consist of a limited amount of subordinated debt and intermediate-term preferred stock, certain hybrid capital instruments and other debt securities, perpetual preferred stock and a limited amount of the general loan loss allowance. At December 31, 2002, the Company maintained a Tier 1 capital ratio of 13.84% and total qualifying capital ratio of 14.75%.

          In addition to the risk-based capital guidelines, the federal banking regulators established minimum leverage ratio (Tier 1 capital to total assets) guidelines for bank holding companies. These guidelines provide for a minimum leverage ratio of 3% for those bank holding companies which have the highest regulatory examination ratings and are not contemplating or experiencing significant growth or expansion. All other bank holding companies are required to maintain a leverage ratio of at least 1% to 2% above the 3% stated minimum. The Company’s leverage ratio at December 31, 2002 was 9.64%.

Restrictions on Dividends

          The primary source of cash to pay dividends, if any, to the Company’s stockholders and to meet the Company’s obligations is dividends paid to the Company by the Bank. Dividend payments by the Bank to the Company are subject to the New Jersey Banking Act of 1948 (the “Banking Act”) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (the “FDIA”). Under the Banking Act and the FDIA, the Bank may not pay any dividends, if after paying the dividend, it would be undercapitalized under applicable capital requirements. In addition to these explicit limitations, the federal regulatory agencies are authorized to prohibit a banking subsidiary or bank holding company from engaging in an unsafe or unsound banking practice. Depending upon the circumstances, the agencies could take the position that paying a dividend would constitute an unsafe or unsound banking practice.

          It is the policy of the Federal Reserve Board that bank holding companies should pay cash dividends on common stock only out of income available over the immediately preceding year and only if prospective earnings retention is consistent with the organization’s expected future needs and financial condition. The policy provides that bank holding companies should not maintain a level of cash dividend that undermines the bank holding company’s ability to serve as a source of strength to its banking subsidiary.  A bank holding company may not pay and dividends when it is insolvent.

          The Bank has never paid a cash dividend, and the Bank’s Board of Directors does not plan to pay a cash dividend in the foreseeable future. The Bank paid a stock dividend every year from 1993 to 1999 when it was acquired by the Company. The Company has paid a 5% stock dividend every year since its formation in 1999.

Priority on Liquidation

          The Company is a legal entity separate and distinct from the Bank. The rights of the Company as the sole shareholder of the Bank, and therefore the rights of the Company’s creditors and shareholders, to participate in the distributions and earnings of the Bank when the Bank is not in bankruptcy, are subject to various state and federal law restrictions as discussed above under the heading “Restrictions of Dividends.”  Under state corporation and other laws and federal bankruptcy laws, the Company’s right as shareholder to participate in the distribution of assets of the Bank upon the Bank’s liquidation or reorganization will be subject to the prior claims of creditors of the Bank. In the event of a liquidation or other resolution of an insured depository institution such as the Bank, the claims of depositors and other general or subordinated creditors are entitled to a priority of payment over the claims of holders of an obligation of the institution to its shareholders (the Company) or any shareholder or creditor of the Company. The claims on the Bank by creditors include obligations in respect of federal funds purchased and certain other borrowings, as well as deposit liabilities.

Recent Legislation

          The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act of 1999 (the “GLBF”) became effective in early 2000. The GLBF:

• allows bank holding companies meeting management, capital and Community Reinvestment Act standards to engage in a substantially broader range of nonbanking activities than is permissible for a bank holding company, including insurance underwriting and making merchant banking investments in commercial and financial companies; if a bank holding company elects to become a financial holding company, it files a certification, effective in 30 days, and thereafter may engage in certain financial activities without further approvals;
• allows banks to establish subsidiaries to engage in certain activities which a financial holding company could engage in if the bank meets certain management, capital and Community Reinvestment Act standards;
• allows insurers and other financial services companies to acquire banks and removes various restrictions that currently apply to bank holding company ownership of securities firms and mutual fund advisory companies; and
• establishes the overall regulatory structure applicable to financial holding companies that also engage in insurance and securities operations.

          The FRB has adopted a regulation which allows bank holding companies to submit certifications by February 15, 2000 to become financial holding companies on March 13, 2000. The FRB also promulgated regulations on procedures which would be used against financial holding companies which have depository institutions that fall out of compliance with the management or capital criteria. Only financial holding companies can own insurance companies and engage in merchant banking. The Company has not elected to become a financial holding company and the Bank has no financial

subsidiaries. The GLBF also modified other financial laws, including laws related to financial privacy and community reinvestment.

          As part of the USA Patriot Act, signed into law on October 26, 2001, Congress adopted the International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “Act”). The Act authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the heads of other government agencies, to adopt special measures applicable to financial institutions such as banks, bank holding companies, broker-dealers and insurance companies. Among its other provisions, the Act requires each financial institution: (i) to establish an anti-money laundering program; (ii) to establish due diligence policies, procedures and controls that are reasonably designed to detect and report instances of money laundering in United States private banking accounts and correspondent accounts maintained for non-United States persons or their representatives; and (iii) to avoid establishing, maintaining, administering, or managing correspondent accounts in the United States for, or on behalf of, a foreign bank that does not have a physical presence in any country. In addition, the Act expands the circumstances under which funds in a bank account may be forfeited and requires covered financial institutions to respond under certain circumstances to requests for information from federal banking agencies within 120 hours.

          Treasury regulations implementing the due diligence requirements were issued in 2002. These regulations required minimum standards to verify customer identity, encouraged cooperation among financial institutions, federal banking agencies, and law enforcement authorities regarding possible money laundering or terrorist activities, prohibited the anonymous use of “concentration accounts,” and required all covered financial institutions to have in place an anti-money laundering compliance program.

          The Act also amends the BHCA and the Bank Merger Act to require the federal banking agencies to consider the effectiveness of a financial institution’s anti-money laundering activities when reviewing an application under these acts.

          Additional proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the banking and financial services industry are frequently introduced in Congress, in the state legislatures and before the various bank regulatory agencies. The likelihood and timing of any such changes and the impact such changes might have on the Company cannot be determined at this time.

          The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), which became law on July 30, 2002, added new legal requirements for public companies affecting corporate governance, accounting and corporate reporting.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act provides for, among other things:

• a prohibition on personal loans made or arranged by the issuer to its directors and executive officers (except for loans made by a bank subject to Regulation O);
• independence requirements for audit committee members;
• independence requirements for company auditors;
• certification of financial statements and reports on Forms 10-K, 10-KSB, 10-Q, and 10-QSB by the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer;
• the forfeiture of bonuses or other incentive-based compensation and profits from the sale of an issuer’s securities by directors and senior officers in the twelve month period following initial publication of any financial statements that later require restatement due to corporate misconduct;

• disclosure of off-balance sheet transactions;
• two-business day filing requirements for insiders filing Forms 4;
• disclosure of a code of ethics for financial officers and filing a Form 8-K for a change or waiver of such code;
• “real time” filing of periodic reports;
• posting of certain Securities and Exchange Commission filings and other information on the company website;
• the reporting of securities violations “up the ladder” by both in-house and outside attorneys;
• restrictions on the use of non-GAAP financial measures;
• the formation of a public accounting oversight board; and
• various increased criminal penalties for violations of securities laws.

          The Sarbanes-Oxley Act contains provisions which became effective upon enactment on July 30, 2002 and provisions which will become effective from within 30 days to one year from enactment. The SEC has been delegated the task of enacting rules to implement various provisions.  In addition, each of the national stock exchanges and Nasdaq has proposed new corporate governance rules, including rules strengthening director independence requirements for boards, the adoption of corporate governance codes and charters for the nominating, corporate governance and audit committees.

The Bank

          The Bank, a New Jersey-chartered commercial bank, is subject to supervision and examination by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. Because the deposits of the Bank are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) the Bank is also subject to regulation by the FDIC.

          The Bank must comply with various requirements and restrictions under federal and state law, including the maintenance of reserves against deposits, restrictions on the types and amounts of loans that may be granted and the interest that may be charged thereon, limitations on the types of investments that may be made and the services that may be offered and restrictions on dividends as described in the preceding section. Consumer laws and regulations also affect the operations of the Bank. In addition to the impact of regulation, commercial banks are affected significantly by the actions of the Federal Reserve Board which influence the money supply and credit availability in the national economy.

Community Reinvestment Act

          Under the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”), as implemented by FDIC regulations, a bank has a continuing and affirmative obligation, consistent with its safe and sound operation, to help meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. CRA does not establish specific lending requirements or programs for financial institutions nor does it limit an institution’s discretion to develop the types of products and services that it believes are best suited to its particular community, consistent with CRA. CRA requires the FDIC to assess an institution’s record of meeting the credit needs of its community and to take such record into account in its evaluation of certain applications by the applicable institution. The CRA requires public disclosure of an institution’s CRA rating and requires that the FDIC provide a written evaluation of an institution’s CRA performance utilizing a four-tiered descriptive rating system. An institution’s CRA rating is considered in determining whether to grant charters, branches and other deposit facilities, relocations, mergers, consolidations and acquisitions. Performance less than satisfactory may be the basis for denying an application. The Bank is currently rated “satisfactory” under CRA.

Insurance of Deposits

          The Bank’s deposits are insured up to a maximum of $100,000 per depositor under the Bank Insurance Fund (“BIF”). The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvements Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”) is applicable to depository institutions and deposit insurance. FDICIA requires the FDIC to establish a risk-based assessment system for all insured depository institutions. Under this legislation, the FDIC is required to establish an insurance premium assessment system based upon: (i) the probability that the insurance fund will incur a loss with respect to the institution, (ii) the likely amount of the loss, and (iii) the revenue needs of the insurance fund. In compliance with this mandate, the FDIC has developed a matrix that sets the assessment premium for a particular institution in accordance with its capital level and overall rating by the primary regulator. Under the matrix as currently in effect, the assessment rate ranges from 0 to 27 basis points of assessed deposits. The Bank is also subject to a quarterly FICO assessment.

Employees

          The Company has two paid employees.  Banking operations are conducted by the Bank, and as of December 31, 2002, the Bank had 58 full-time employees and 9 part-time employees. Neither the Bank’s nor the Company’s employees are represented by any collective bargaining group. The Bank and the Company each considers its relations with such employees to be good.

Special Factors

          The Common Stock of the Company is speculative in nature and involves a significant degree of risk. The special factors below are not listed in order of importance.

Competition

          The Company faces significant competition from many other banks, savings institutions and other financial institutions which have branch offices or otherwise operate in the Company’s market area. Non-bank financial institutions, such as securities brokerage firms, insurance companies and money market funds, have also recently been permitted to engage in activities which compete directly with traditional bank business which has also led to greater competition. Many of these competitors have substantially greater financial resources than the Company, including larger capital bases that allow them to attract customers seeking larger loans than the Company is able to accommodate and the ability to aggressively advertise their products. There can be no assurance that the Company and the Bank will be able to

successfully compete in the future. See “DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS -- Competition.”

Economic Conditions and Related Uncertainties

          Commercial banking is affected, directly and indirectly, by local, domestic, and international economic and political conditions, and by government monetary and fiscal policies. Conditions such as inflation, recession, unemployment, volatile interest rates, tight money supply, scarce natural resources, real estate values, international conflicts and other factors beyond the control of the Company may adversely affect the potential profitability of the Company. Management does not expect any particular factor to affect the Company’s results of operations. However, a downtrend in several areas, such as real estate, construction and consumer spending, could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s ability to maintain or increase profitability.

Federal and State Government Regulation

          The operations of the Company and the Bank are heavily regulated and will be affected by present and future legislation and by the policies established from time to time by various federal and state regulatory authorities. In particular, the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board have had a significant effect on the operating results of banks in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future. Among the instruments of monetary policy used by the Federal Reserve Board to implement its objectives is changes in the discount rate charged on bank borrowings. It is not possible to predict what changes, if any, will be made to the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board or to existing federal and state legislation or the effect that such changes may have on the future business and earnings prospects of the Company.

          The Company and the Bank are subject to examination, supervision and comprehensive regulation by various federal and state agencies. Compliance with the rules and regulations of these agencies may be costly and may limit growth and restrict certain activities, including payment of dividends, investments, loans and interest rate charges, interest rates paid on deposits, and location of offices. The Bank is also subject to capitalization guidelines set forth in federal legislation. See “BUSINESS -- Supervision and Regulation.”

          The laws and regulations applicable to the banking industry could change at any time, and we cannot predict the impact of these changes on our business and profitability. Because government regulation greatly affects the business and financial results of all commercial banks and bank holding companies, the cost of compliance could adversely affect the Company’s ability to operate profitably.

Forward Looking Statements

          When used in this and in future filings by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in the Company’s press releases and in oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer of the Company, the words or phrases “will,” “will likely result,” “could,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “continues,” “expects,” “plans,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimated,” “project” or “outlook” or similar expressions (including confirmations by an authorized executive officer of the Company of any such expressions made by a third party with respect to the Company) are intended to identify forward looking statements. The Company wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward looking statements, each of which speak only as of the date made. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical earnings and those presently anticipated or projected. Factors that may cause actual results to differ from those results expressed or implied, include, but are not limited to, those

listed above under “Special Factors,” the overall economy and the interest rate environment; the ability of customers to repay their obligations; the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses; competition; significant changes in accounting, tax or regulatory practices and requirements; and technological changes. Although management has taken certain steps to mitigate any negative effect of the aforementioned items, significant unfavorable changes could severely impact the assumptions used and have an adverse effect on profitability. Such risks and other aspects of the Company’s business and operations are described in “Description of the Business” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The Company has no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances occurring after the date of such statements.