Hancock Holding Company celebrates regional resilience

GULFPORT — Minutes before Hancock Holding Company (Nasdaq: HBHC) executives opened The Nasdaq Stock Market Aug. 25, President and CEO John M. Hairston offered impassioned thanks to countless people helping the Gulf Coast recover from Hurricane Katrina.

When he finished, people in Nasdaq's New York studio and across America knew for sure the coastal Gulf South has grown stronger, better, and brighter since Katrina struck with full-force fury 10 years ago.

"Today, as we near the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and our company's 25th year on Nasdaq, Hancock Holding Company honors the people who showed that the values we share as Americans are brightest on the darkest days," said Hairston. "In the past 10 years, the Gulf Coast has rebuilt a robust, diverse regional economy that brings thousands of people and businesses to the area and billions of dollars to America's economy each year."

Chief Operating Officer Shane Loper, Whitney Bank President Joe Exnicios, Chief Financial Officer Mike Achary, and Investor Relations Manager Trisha Carlson joined Hairston in saluting a decade of corporate and community growth along a Gulf crescent hit hard by the infamous storm on August 29, 2005.

This morning, in conjunction with the Nasdaq ceremony, Hancock Holding Company also launched a new, interactive dedicated website—www.hancockwhitney.com—spotlighting caring, commerce, and opportunity across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama areas devastated by Katrina.

In 2005 Gulfport, Mississippi, based Hancock Bank and New Orleans based Whitney National Bank—two century-old financial organizations—both served areas at the epicenter of Katrina's destruction. In 2011 Hancock and Whitney came together under Hancock Holding Company, which still sustains the well-known Hancock Bank and Whitney Bank brands throughout the Gulf South.

Video and photos of the bell ceremony are available from the Nasdaq MarketSite.

Strong Storm, Stronger Spirit

When Katrina's 12-hour onslaught of relentless winds, record waves, and rising waters ended, more than one million homes were gone or heavily damaged. Thousands of businesses were in shambles. More than 1,800 people died. Tens of thousands of survivors were stranded without food, water, shelter, utilities, or fuel.

At Hancock Holding Company, a waterspout razed the roof of the company's corporate headquarters tower, sending a catastrophic vortex of rain, sea spray, and debris blasting through 15 floors, blowing out or busting more than 1,000 windows. Nearly 50 percent of Hancock and Whitney regional offices and branches were severely damaged, flooded, or simply disappeared. Twenty percent of associates lost everything. Another 1,200 found their homes barely standing. More than 1,000 associates on the Mississippi Coast no longer had offices. In New Orleans, 1,000 more associates simply waited and hoped until the city reopened.

Despite their initial shock, local people and bank associates immediately got busy helping each other tackle the daunting tasks of recovering, rebuilding, and reinventing "normal."

"Mother Nature was tough. Our people were tougher," said Hairston.

The Force of Caring

Hairston lauded local people for their resolve to rebuild and move forward. He also praised associates for finding creative ways to serve clients and communities, often with no facilities or utilities. He said associates restored hope by turning to the company's core values to get people the cash they needed and by offering "helping hands, hot meals, and reassuring hugs" to coworkers, clients, and strangers in need.

He also thanked the thousands of first responders, men and women in uniform, faith-based volunteers, and people just wanting to help who gave time, money, and prayers to storm victims. Care, Hairston said, came from everywhere and everyone.

"The force of human kindness was extraordinary," he added.

From Then to Now

On August 29, 2006, Hancock opened Nasdaq to mark the first anniversary of Katrina and the beginning of regional recovery. Since then, the Gulf Coast has risen again as a vibrant hub for new business, industry, and families.

Tourism, education, healthcare, energy, petrochemical, industrial, agricultural, shipping, and manufacturing segments help power the region's prosperity and America's independence. Major ports are growing and expanding to keep up with imports and exports. People choose to relocate to the region every day to help carry on the recovery momentum.

Today, Hancock Holding Company is even more of a major player in the region's renaissance—growing from $4.8 billion in 2005 to $21.5 billion in 2015. The Gulf South financial services leader serves five states. Its fully restored, expanded corporate campus and regional offices anchor local business district development.

"Our company was founded on the premise of being a company that never knows completion. We honor our traditions but constantly find new, better ways to do the right thing. We believe the Gulf Coast shares that philosophy," Hairston said. "We grew because of shareholders who believed in us, clients who trusted us, communities that supported us, associates who sacrificed for us, and Americans here and abroad who took the time to care."

More about Hancock Holding Company

With history dating to the late 1800s, Hancock Holding Company's banking subsidiary provides clients with comprehensive financial choices through Hancock Bank locations in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and Whitney Bank offices in Louisiana and Texas, including traditional and online banking; commercial and small business banking; energy banking; private banking; trust and investment services; certain insurance services; mortgage services; and consumer financing.

Additional information and online banking are available at www.hancockbank.com and www.whitneybank.com.