GULFPORT, Miss., Dec. 22, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Hancock Holding Company, parent company of 108-year-old Hancock Bank, today issued a photo with the following suggested cutline:
BEACON FOR A NEW GULF SOUTH -- Hancock Bank, one of the Mississippi Gulf Coast's largest employers, officially re-lit its 250,000-square-foot One Hancock Plaza downtown Gulfport headquarters Thursday night for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. The ceremony honored Hancock's nearly 2,000 associates in the company's four-state market who facilitated Hancock's post-storm recovery and represents the region's re-emergence as an economic growth center. One Hancock Plaza -- located in one of the most devastated storm areas -- suffered more than $35 million in Katrina damages; and 400 Hancock associates had significant storm losses. Yet, since Katrina, the 108-year-old company has experienced record growth and performance.
The photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3167
The photo is also available at NewsCom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.
