Exhibit
99.1
PRESS
RELEASE
Available
for Immediate
Publication: March 20, 2008
Contacts: Capital
Corp of the West, Donald T.
Briggs, Jr., 209-725-7405
MERCED,
Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Capital Corp of the West (Nasdaq:CCOW - News), the
parent company of County Bank, has announced that, based on unaudited internal
financial reports, its January and February 2008 month-end capital positions
met
or exceeded the regulatory definition of a well-capitalized financial
institution. According to Don Briggs, chairman of the Regulatory Oversight
Committee, “As of today we are well-capitalized.” Regulators define a
well-capitalized institution as one that is above 10 percent in its risked-based
capital ratio.
“We
know
that there have been questions in the marketplace and in the media about our
2007 earnings,” Mr. Briggs stated. “Like many other financial institutions in
California’s Central Valley, the collapse of the real estate market
significantly impacted our fourth quarter and our overall earnings for 2007.
However, our performance in January and February 2008 has restored us to a
well-capitalized position.”
County
Bank customer deposits are insured by the FDIC to applicable limits and are
backed by a bank with a solid community reputation that has been committed
to
serving its customers for more than 30 years. Briggs states, “County Bank looks
forward to continuing its tradition of donating a portion of earnings each
year
in the 13 California counties it serves.”
About
Capital Corp of the West
Capital
Corp of the West, a bank holding company established November 1, 1995, is the
parent company of County Bank, which has more than 30 years of service as
"Central California's Community Bank." Currently, County Bank has forty-one
branch offices serving thirteen counties in California. Its primary
concentration is in the Central Valley of California. As of the latest FDIC
data, County Bank has a 7.29% market share in the six Central California
counties in which it has a significant retail branch presence, ranking County
Bank fifth out of forty-one financial institutions in that market
area.
Note:
This document includes forward-looking statements and information is subject
to
the “safe harbor” provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are subject
to risks and uncertainties and include information about possible or assumed
future results of operations. Many possible events or factors could affect
the
future financial results and performance of the Company. This could cause
results or performance to differ materially from those expressed in our
forward-looking statements. Words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”,
“estimates”, “intends”, “plans”, “assumes”, “projects”, “predicts”, “forecasts”,
variations of such words and other similar expressions are intended to identify
such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future
performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions which
are
difficult to predict. Among the factors that may cause future performance to
vary significantly from current expectations are uncertainties in the following
areas: local, national and international economic conditions; competition;
the
Company’s credit quality and the adequacy of its allowance for loan losses;
actions by banking regulators in response to our loan losses; changes in market
interest rates; risks in integrating acquired businesses and branches; regional
weather and natural disasters; the possible adverse effect of concentrations
in
the loan portfolio; turmoil in credit and capital markets and potential impaired
access to additional capital if needed; potential adverse changes in market
interest rates; and the effect of existing and future regulation of the banking
industry and the Company in particular; civil disturbances or terrorist threats
or acts, or apprehension about the possible future occurrences or acts of this
type; outbreak or escalation of hostilities in which the United States is
involved, any declaration of war by the U.S. Congress or any other national
or
international calamity, crisis or emergency. Therefore, actual outcomes and
results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in, or
implied by, such forward-looking statements.
The following information was filed by Capital Corp Of The West on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 as an 8K 2.02 statement, which is an earnings press release pertaining to results of operations and financial condition. It may be helpful to assess the quality of management by comparing the information in the press release to the information in the accompanying 10-K Annual Report statement of earnings and operation as management may choose to highlight particular information in the press release.