WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce (USHCC) announced today that Sovereign Bank and Grupo Santander
will, together, serve as Diamond-level sponsors of the USHCC 27th Annual
National Convention and Business Expo. The annual event, which showcases
the growing influence of Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S., will be
held in Philadelphia, September 20-23, 2006.
"We are honored and delighted to be partnering with Sovereign Bank and
Santander for what will be the largest and most successful gathering of
Hispanic businesses ever assembled in the City of Brotherly Love," said
Michael L. Barrera, president & chief executive officer (CEO). "On behalf
of our board of directors and the 215 local chamber members that we
represent, I congratulate Sovereign Bank and Santander for recognizing and
understanding the unprecedented growth and expansion of Hispanic small
businesses across the nation and their enormous contributions as a national
economic force."
Jay Sidhu, chairman and CEO of Sovereign, said: "In our view, the
Hispanic market is one of most attractive and exciting markets in the
United States. We have been devoting increased energy and resources to the
Hispanic market, including development of a banking program which will
provide opportunities to obtain more capital to start and grow small
businesses.
"Additionally, we are forging partnerships with local Hispanic
organizations - not merely as a project or promotion, or for public
relations purposes. We're making a long-term commitment to bring value to
this customer base in as many ways as possible."
Juan Rodriguez Inciarte, executive vice president of Santander, said:
"The Hispanic communities of the United States are a vibrant, crucial part
of the country's economic, political and civil life. Hispanic people and
the businesses they found are contributing to the U.S. growth more than
ever before. We salute your good work, business skills and dynamism."
The USHCC Annual National Convention and Business Expo will be hosted
in conjunction with the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The convention serves as the country's premier business and networking
event for Hispanic entrepreneurs and business leaders from all sectors of
the economy, and for Fortune 500 businesses, national organizations and
federal government agencies that want to partner with the fastest-growing
segment of the U.S. marketplace.
About the USHCC
The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is the nation's largest
and most influential advocate for the more than 2 million Hispanic-owned
businesses in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, which generate
more than $300 billion annually. It serves as the umbrella organization for
more than 215 local Hispanic chambers nationwide by actively promoting the
economic growth and development of Hispanic business leaders and
entrepreneurs.
About Sovereign
Sovereign Bancorp, Inc., ("Sovereign") (NYSE: SOV), is the parent
company of Sovereign Bank, an $89 billion financial institution with nearly
800 community banking offices, over 2,000 ATMs after giving effect to the
recently announced branding agreement in which Sovereign ATMs will be
placed in CVS/pharmacy locations and approximately 12,000 team members with
principal markets in the Northeast United States. Sovereign offers a broad
array of financial services and products including retail banking, business
and corporate banking, cash management, capital markets, wealth management
and insurance. Sovereign is the 17th largest banking institution in the
United States. For more information on Sovereign Bank, visit
http://www.sovereignbank.com or call 1-877-SOV-BANK.
Sovereign Bank is a registered trademark of Sovereign Bank or its
affiliates or subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
About Santander
Santander (SAN.MC, STD.N) is the largest bank in the euro zone and the
fourth largest in Europe by market capitalization. Founded in 1857,
Santander has EUR 809 billion in assets and EUR 961 billion in managed
funds, more 66 million customers, 129,000 employees, and 10,200 offices in
40 countries. It is the largest financial group in Spain and Latin America,
and has significant market positions elsewhere in Europe, including the
United Kingdom through its Abbey subsidiary and Portugal, where it is the
third largest bank. Through Santander Consumer it also operates a leading
consumer financing franchise in Germany, Italy, Spain and nine other
European countries. In 2005, Santander recorded EUR 6.22 billion in net
profit, up 72.5 percent from the previous year. In May 2006, Santander
completed its acquisition of 19.8 percent of Sovereign Bancorp., the 18th
largest bank by assets in the U.S. For more information on Santander, visit
http://www.gruposantander.com.
SOURCE Sovereign Bank; U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
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Related links:
http://www.sovereignbank.com
http://www.gruposantander.com
CONTACT:
Guillermo A. Meneses of U.S. Hispanic Chamber
of Commerce, +1-202-842-1212, ext. 123, or gmeneses@ushcc.com; or
Deborah Pulver of Sovereign Bank, +1-610-378-6784, or cell,
+1-610-207-4651, or dpulver@sovereignbank.com
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