HOPEWELL VALLEY COMMUNITY BANK
PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release, Hopewell Township, NJ

Hopewell Valley Community Bank
ANNOUNCES NEW BRANCH

Hopewell Township, NJ – July 22, 2003 – Hopewell Valley Community Bank (“HVCBank”) Chairman Patrick L. Ryan and President/CEO James Hyman today jointly announced that on July 16th the Bank closed on the purchase of its new branch site located at the intersection of Routes 31 & 518 in Hopewell Township, two miles north of our Pennytown office. The site is over four acres and the accompanying 3,000 square foot building was previously occupied by a WaWa convenience store.

Chairman of the Board Patrick L. Ryan noted that: “We were able to secure the facility at an advantageous price in a private transaction with WaWa. While the actual location is in Hopewell, it is directly on the border with Hunterdon County where we are gaining an increasing amount of business. Route 31 is a very busy highway and recent zoning actions have dramatically reduced the available amount of commercial property along its length.”

President and CEO James Hyman said: “This purchase is very timely as this site will not only serve as a state of the art branch but also alleviate our serious need for additional office and administrative space. We are planning on expanding the building to about 4,000 square feet and making the complex a prominent and highly visible “gateway” to Hopewell and Mercer County. The local approval process will begin in August and when construction is finished this location will replace our Pennytown office.”

Hopewell Valley Community Bank is a full service commercial bank with three offices in Mercer County, a member of the FDIC and an equal housing lender. Founded in 1998, HVCB is locally owned and managed to provide professional, highly personalized banking services to individuals, families and small businesses.

For further information, please contact:
James Hyman, President & CEO
Hopewell Valley Community Bank
609 466-2900
jhyman@hvcbonline.com