WINTER PARK, Fla. – October 31, 2008 – Emergent National Bank (in organization), a proposed commercial bank in Winter Park, reported it has received preliminary approval from the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency to open a national bank.

 Emergent Chairman Geof Longstaff and bank President Shannon D. Marks said the bank will open during the first quarter of 2009 in 16,000 square feet of space at 501 S. New York Ave. in Winter Park.

 Longstaff, co-founder and chairman of Mercantile Commercial Capital, LLC, which specializes in U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loans for small business owners who want to acquire or develop their own facilities, said Mercantile Commercial Capital will be acquired by the newly chartered bank and relocate its headquarters to the Emergent facility in Winter Park.

 Mercantile Commercial currently ranks as one of the most active SBA 504 specialists in the U.S., Longstaff said.

 “With Emergent National Bank (in organization) and Mercantile Commercial Capital under one roof we will be able serve the widest possible range of commercial enterprises, real estate development projects and business ventures,” Longstaff said.

 For more information, please contact:

Geof Longstaff Emergent National Bank (in organization), 407-786-5040Shannon Marks, Emergent National Bank (in organization), 407-786-5040Chris Hurn, Emergent National Bank (in organization), 407-786-5040Larry Vershel, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142