Wells Fargo HSBC Trade Bank Names Lynn Durning to Head New Chicago Office Nation's Only Separately Chartered Bank Exclusively Dedicated to International Trade Finance Celebrates 10th Year CHICAGO, March 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wells Fargo HSBC Trade Bank (The Trade Bank) begins its tenth year announcing the opening of its newest office today in Chicago. New Regional Vice President Lynn Durning has been named to head up the new location at 230 West Monroe Street, Suite 2900. The addition of a Chicago office makes a total of 12 for the joint venture combining Wells Fargo's breadth of financial services with HSBC's extensive network of international locations. The Trade Bank delivers financing solutions and payments expertise to middle market companies engaged in international trade and is the only nationally chartered bank exclusively dedicated to this purpose. "We understand this vital market, and we're seeing a definite growth in the need for our import-export expertise in Chicago and throughout the region," said Durning. " Our new Chicago office positions us to provide financial services locally to companies in the greater Midwest that are engaged in international commerce." The Trade Bank -- one of "The Major Trade Banks" according to World Trade magazine (April 2004) -- helps local companies increase international sales while reducing risk, accelerating cash flow and improving operating margins. Using Wells Fargo's industry-leading Commercial Electronic Office(R) Business Portal, The Trade Bank delivers extensive trade services, cash management and international treasury services to its customers online. It also brings its customers local market knowledge through the HSBC network covering 77 countries and territories. About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company with $428 billion in assets, providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance to more than 23 million customers from more than 6,000 stores and the Internet (wellsfargo.com) across North America and elsewhere internationally. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is the only bank in the United States to receive the highest possible credit rating, "Aaa," from Moody's Investors Service. The HSBC Group HSBC Holdings plc, the holding company for the HSBC Group, is headquartered in the UK. HSBC Group serves over 110 million customers worldwide from over 9,800 offices in 77 countries territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With US$1,277 billion at 31 December 2004, the HSBC Group is one of the world's largest banking financial services organizations. HSBC is marketed worldwide as 'the world's local bank'. DATASOURCE: Wells Fargo & Company CONTACT: media, Susan Stanley of Wells Fargo, +1-415-947-3994 Web site: http://www.wellsfargo.com/

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