MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc. Announces the Appointment of George M. Lee to Co-Chairman of MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc. and MetroBank, N.A.

HOUSTON, Feb. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCBI), a Texas corporation, which provides community banking services through its subsidiaries, MetroBank, N.A., serving Texas, and Metro United Bank, serving California, today announced that George M. Lee has been appointed as Co-Chairman of the MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc.("the Company") and MetroBank, N.A.  ("the Bank").  Mr. Lee has served on both Company and Bank Board since 1999 and as Executive Vice-Chairman since 2003.  He  will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company, Chief Executive Officer of the Bank and Chairman of Metro United Bank.  Mr. Lee stated, "I am honored by the Board's appointment;" he continues, "The Company has faced the challenging financial environment during the past few years and is looking forward to a new phase of stable growth, loan diversification and market expansion with continued commitment to strengthen the value of the Company and return to the Shareholders."

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MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc. provides a full range of commercial and consumer banking services through its wholly owned subsidiaries, MetroBank, N.A. and Metro United Bank. The Company has thirteen full-service banking locations in the greater Houston and Dallas, Texas metropolitan areas, and six full service banking locations in the greater San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco, California metropolitan areas. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had consolidated assets of $1.5 billion. For more information, visit the Company's web site at www.metrobank-na.com.

The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe the Company's future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated or projected include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) general business and economic conditions in the markets the Company serves may be less favorable than expected which could decrease the demand for loan, deposit and other financial services and increase loan delinquencies and defaults; (2) changes in the interest rate environment which could reduce the Company's net interest margin; (3) the failure of or changes in management's assumptions regarding the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses; (4) an adverse change in the real estate market in the Company's primary market areas; (5) legislative or regulatory developments including changes in laws concerning taxes, banking, securities, insurance and other aspects of the financial services industry; (6) the effect of compliance, or failure to comply within stated deadlines, with the provisions of the Formal Agreement between MetroBank and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; (7) increases in the level of nonperforming assets; (8) changes in the availability of funds which could increase costs or decrease liquidity; (9) the effects of competition from other financial institutions operating in the Company's market areas and elsewhere, including institutions operating locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, together with such competitors offering banking products and services by mail, telephone, computer and the Internet; (10) changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines; (11) a deterioration or downgrade in the credit quality and credit agency ratings of the securities in the Company's securities portfolio; (12) the incurrence and possible impairment of goodwill associated with an acquisition; (13) the Company's ability to raise additional capital; (14) the inability to fully realize the Company's net deferred tax asset; and (15) the Company's ability to adapt successfully to technological changes to meet customers' needs and developments in the marketplace. All written or oral forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. These and other risks and factors are further described from time to time in the Company's 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information contact:
MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc., Houston
George M. Lee, Co-Chairman, President & CEO, (713) 776-3876, or
David Choi, Executive Vice President & CFO, (713) 776-3876

SOURCE MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc.