West Coast Community Bancorp Named to 2024 OTCQX Best 50

22% return on stock performance in 2023

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Jan. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- West Coast Community Bancorp (OTCQX: SCZC), holding company for Santa Cruz County Bank, is pleased to announce it has been named to the 2024 OTCQX® Best 50, a ranking of top performing companies traded on the OTCQX Best Market last year. The ranking of top performing OTCQX companies is based upon total return and growth in average daily dollar volume in 2023.

The OTCQX Best 50 is an annual ranking of the top 50 U.S. and international companies traded on the OTCQX market.  The ranking is calculated based on an equal weighting of one-year total return and average daily dollar volume growth in the previous calendar year.  Companies in the 2024 OTCQX Best 50 were ranked based on 2023 stock performance. 

Santa Cruz County Bank President and CEO Krista Snelling stated, "Compared to 575 companies of all sizes, industries, and geographic regions, West Coast Community Bancorp ranked 37^th among the 2024 OTCQX Best 50 performing companies with a return of 22.00% to shareholders in 2023. Our ranking confirms the Bank's continued strong financial performance and commitment to building shareholder value."

For the complete 2024 OTCQX Best 50 ranking, visit: https://www.otcmarkets.com/files/2024_OTCQX_Best_50.pdf.

ABOUT THE OTCQX: 
The OTCQX Best Market offers transparent and efficient trading of established, investor-focused U.S. and global companies. To qualify for the OTCQX market, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

ABOUT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK AND WEST COAST COMMUNITY BANCORP 

Founded in 2004, Santa Cruz County Bank is the wholly owned subsidiary of West Coast Community Bancorp, a bank holding company. The Bank is a top-rated, locally operated, and full-service community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz, California with branches in Aptos, Capitola, Cupertino, Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville. Santa Cruz County Bank is distinguished from "big banks" by its relationship-based service, problem-solving focus, and direct access to decision makers. The Bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley. As a full-service bank, Santa Cruz County Bank offers competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and individuals; including business loans, lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction lending, asset-based lending, agricultural loans, SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans, credit cards, merchant services, remote deposit capture, mobile and online banking, bill payment, and treasury management. True to its community roots, Santa Cruz County Bank has supported regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local not-for-profit organizations.  

NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL RATINGS AND AWARDS 

• 2024 OTCQX Best 50: West Coast Community Bancorp "SCZC" stock ranked 37^th in the Best 50 for stock performance based on total return and growth in average daily dollar volume in 2023.
• American Banker Magazine: The Bank is ranked #89 in the Top 200 Community Banks list based upon 3-year average equity for banks under $2 billion in assets and ranked #13 out of 21 California banks. 
• S&P Global Market Intelligence: The Bank is ranked #6 in the Top 100 banks nationwide for 2022 performance for banks under $3 billion in assets and ranked #3 for the best-performing community banks in the Western U.S. with assets under $10 billion. 
• The Findley Reports, Inc.: The Bank has received the top ranking of Super Premier for 13 consecutive years. 
• Bauer Financial Reports, Inc.: The Bank is rated 5-star "Superior" based upon its financial performance. 
• U.S. Small Business Administration: The Bank is in the Top 100 most active SBA 7(a) lenders in the nation. 
• Silicon Valley Business Journal: The Bank is the top ranked, #1 lender by number of SBA loans and #3 ranked by total dollar volume lent to Silicon Valley businesses from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023. 
• Good Times, 2023 Best of Santa Cruz County Award, Voted "Best Bank" for 11 consecutive years. 
• Santa Cruz Sentinel, 2022 Reader's Choice Award, number one bank in Santa Cruz County as voted by Santa Cruz Sentinel readers for 9 years.   

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties may include but are not necessarily limited to fluctuations in interest rates (including but not limited to changes in depositor behavior in relation thereto), inflation, government regulations and general economic conditions, and competition within the business areas in which the Bank is conducting its operations, including the real estate market in California and other factors beyond the Bank's control. Such risks and uncertainties could cause results for subsequent interim periods or for the entire year to differ materially from those indicated. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which reflect management's view only as of the date hereof. The Bank undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. 

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SOURCE West Coast Community Bancorp