Business description of HERITAGE-COMMERCE-CORP from last 10-k form

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

        This Report on Form 10-K contains various statements that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Rule 175 promulgated thereunder, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, Rule 3b-6 promulgated thereunder and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward- looking. These forward-looking statements often can be, but are not always, identified by the use of words such as "assume," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "anticipate," "may," "might," "should," "could," "goal," "potential" and similar expressions. We base these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events, our assumptions regarding these events and our knowledge of facts at the time the statements are made. These statements include statements relating to our projected growth, anticipated future financial performance, and management's long-term performance goals, as well as statements relating to the anticipated effects on results of operations and financial condition.

        These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may be outside our control and our actual results could differ materially from our projected results. In addition, our past results of operations do not necessarily indicate our future results. The forward-looking statements could be affected by many factors, including but not limited to:

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Competition for loans and deposits and failure to attract or retain deposits and loans;



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Local, regional, and national economic conditions and events and the impact they may have on us and our customers, and our assessment of that impact on our estimates including, the allowance for loan losses;



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Risks associated with concentrations in real estate related loans;



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Changes in the level of nonperforming assets and charge-offs and other credit quality measures, and their impact on the adequacy of the Company's allowance for loan losses and the Company's provision for loan losses;



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The effects of and changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve Board;



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Stability of funding sources and continued availability of borrowings;



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Our ability to raise capital or incur debt on reasonable terms;



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Regulatory limits on Heritage Bank of Commerce's ability to pay dividends to the Company;



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Continued volatility in credit and equity markets and its effect on the global economy;



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The impact of reputational risk on such matters as business generation and retention, funding and liquidity;



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Oversupply of inventory and continued deterioration in values of California commercial real estate;



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A prolonged slowdown in construction activity;



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The effect of changes in laws and regulations (including laws and regulations concerning taxes, banking, securities, and executive compensation) which we must comply, including but not limited to, the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010;



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The effects of security breaches and computer viruses that may affect our computer systems;



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Changes in consumer spending, borrowings and saving habits;

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Changes in the competitive environment among financial or bank holding companies and other financial service providers;



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The effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies, as well as the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board and other accounting standard setters;



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The costs and effects of legal and regulatory developments, including resolution of legal proceedings or regulatory or other governmental inquiries, and the results of regulatory examinations or reviews;



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The ability to increase market share and control expenses; and



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Our success in managing the risks involved in the foregoing items.

        We are not able to predict all the factors that may affect future results. You should not place undue reliance on any forward looking statement, which speaks only as of the date of this Report on Form 10-K. Except as required by applicable laws or regulations, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PART I

ITEM 1 — BUSINESS

General

        Heritage Commerce Corp, a California corporation organized in 1997, is a bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. We provide a wide range of banking services through Heritage Bank of Commerce, our wholly-owned subsidiary and our principal asset. Heritage Bank of Commerce is a California state-chartered bank headquartered in San Jose, California and has been conducting business since 1994.

        Heritage Bank of Commerce is a multi-community independent bank that offers a full range of commercial banking services to small and medium-sized businesses and their owners, managers and employees. We operate through 10 full service branch offices located entirely in the southern and eastern regions of the general San Francisco Bay Area of California in the counties of Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa. Our market includes the headquarters of a number of technology based companies in the region commonly known as "Silicon Valley."

        Our lending activities are diversified and include commercial, real estate, construction and land development, consumer and SBA guaranteed loans. We generally lend in markets where we have a physical presence through our branch offices and a SBA loan production office. We attract deposits throughout our market area with a customer-oriented product mix, competitive pricing, and convenient locations. We offer a wide range of deposit products for business banking and retail markets. We offer a multitude of other products and services to complement our lending and deposit services.

        As a bank holding company, Heritage Commerce Corp is subject to the supervision of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the "Federal Reserve"). We are required to file with the Federal Reserve reports and other information regarding our business operations and the business operations of our subsidiaries. As a California chartered bank, Heritage Bank of Commerce is subject to primary supervision, periodic examination, and regulation by the California Department of Financial Institutions ("DFI"), and by the Federal Reserve, as its primary federal regulator.

        Our principal executive office is located at 150 Almaden Boulevard, San Jose, California 95113, telephone number: (408) 947-6900.

        At December 31, 2011, we had consolidated assets of $1.31 billion, deposits of $1.05 billion and shareholders' equity of $197.8 million.

        When we use "we", "us", "our" or the "Company", we mean the Company on a consolidated basis with Heritage Bank of Commerce. When we refer to "HCC" or the "holding company", we are referring to Heritage Commerce Corp on a standalone basis. When we use "HBC", we mean Heritage Bank of Commerce on a standalone basis.

        The Internet address of the Company's website is "http://www.heritagecommercecorp.com." The Company makes available free of charge through the Company's website, the Company's annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports. The Company makes these reports available on its website on the same day they appear on the Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") website.

Heritage Bank of Commerce

        HBC is a California state-chartered bank headquartered in San Jose, California. It was incorporated in November 1993 and opened for business in January 1994. HBC operates through ten full service branch offices. The locations of HBC's current offices are: