First Choice Bank Receives Business Enterprise Award for 2016

Company Release - 8/21/2017

CERRITOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- First Choice Bank (OTCQX: FCBK) (the “Bank”) is honored to be recognized once again for the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund's Business Enterprise Award. The Bank has been a recipient every year since 2011.

The Bank is pleased that its commitment and dedication to financing and supporting community activities, especially for low and moderate income communities, is recognized by the US Treasury Department’s CDFI. The CDFI’s 2016 grant award recognizes and rewards the Bank’s continuing efforts to increase its lending and service activities within the economically distressed communities that the Bank serves.

First Choice Bank is a community focused financial institution serving diverse consumers and commercial clients, as a CDFI bank. Peter Hui, the Bank’s Chairman, said, “We are very proud of all of our efforts to make our community prosper. It is gratifying to receive this award as recognition of that commitment.”

ABOUT FIRST CHOICE BANK

First Choice Bank, headquartered in Cerritos, California, is a community focused financial institution, serving diverse consumers and commercial clients and specializing in loans to small businesses, Private Banking clients, Commercial and Industrial (C&I) loans, and commercial real estate loans with a niche in providing finance for the hospitality industry. The Bank is a Preferred Small Business Administration (SBA) Lender. Founded in 2005, First Choice Bank has quickly become a leading provider of financial services that enable our customers to grow, maintain strength, and reach unprecedented levels of success. We strive to surpass our clients' expectations through our efficiency and professionalism and are committed to being "First in Speed, Service, and Solutions." First Choice Bank stock is traded on the Over the Counter (OTCQX); our Ticker Symbol is FCBK.

The Bank's web site is www.FirstChoiceBankCA.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Except for the historical information in this news release, the matters described herein contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Such risks and uncertainties include: the credit risks of lending activities, including changes in the level and trend of loan delinquencies and charge-offs, results of examinations by our banking regulators, our ability to maintain adequate levels of capital and liquidity, our ability to manage loan delinquency rates, our ability to price deposits to retain existing customers and achieve low-cost deposit growth, manage expenses and lower the efficiency ratio, expand or maintain the net interest margin, mitigate interest rate risk for changes in the interest rate environment, competitive pressures in the banking industry, access to available sources of credit to manage liquidity, the local and national economic environment, and other risks and uncertainties.Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. First Choice Bank undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investors are encouraged to read the First Choice Bank annual reports which are available on our website.

First Choice Bank
Robert M. Franko, 562.345.9241
President & Chief Executive Officer
or
Yvonne L. Chen, 562.345.9244
Chief Financial Officer

Source: First Choice Bank