{{Short description|Former bank in Texas, United States}} {{Infobox company | name = MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc. | logo = | image = MetroBankDynastyPlazaHouston.JPG | image_caption = MetroCorp headquarters and MetroBank branch - Dynasty Plaza, Chinatown and Greater Sharpstown, Houston, Texas | type = Public | traded_as = {{NASDAQ|MCBI}} | founded = Houston, Texas, United States | location = Texas<br />California | key_people = Mr. George M. Lee, CEO<br />Mr. David Choi, CFO | num_employees = 315 | industry = Finance and Insurance | products = Banking <!--| revenue = $58.43 million USD--> | website = [http://www.metrobank-na.com www.metrobank-na.com]<br />[http://www.metrounitedbank.com www.metrounitedbank.com] }}
'''MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc.''' (MetroCorp, Nasdaq: MCBI) was an American banking corporation headquartered in Chinatown and in Greater Sharpstown in Houston, Texas.<ref>"[http://investor.shareholder.com/mcbi/contactBoard.cfm Contact the Board] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615015023/http://investor.shareholder.com/mcbi/contactBoard.cfm |date=2011-06-15 }}." MetroBank. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "Corporate Secretary MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc. 9600 Bellaire Blvd. Suite 252 Houston, TX 77036 United States ."</ref><ref name="Contact Us">"[http://www.metrobank-na.com/contact.asp Contact Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126233420/http://metrobank-na.com/contact.asp |date=2010-11-26 }}." MetroBank. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "MetroBank, N.A. 9600 Bellaire Blvd., Suite 252 Houston, Texas 77036"</ref><ref name="GreaterSharpMap">"[http://www.sharpstowndistrict.com/wp-content/gallery/maps/c_sh_majorroads8x11.png Map Major Roads] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307194851/http://www.sharpstowndistrict.com/wp-content/gallery/maps/c_sh_majorroads8x11.png |date=2012-03-07 }}." Greater Sharpstown Management District. Retrieved on August 15, 2009.</ref><ref name="Chinatownmap">Rodriguez, Lori. "[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/alief/news/4787587.html Opinions vary over naming the growing Asian community on Houston's southwest side]." (). Alternate version without Chinatown map: "[http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2007_4342160 DIVERSITY DEBATE / Chinatown outgrowing name / Opinions vary over naming the growing Asian community on Houston's southwest side] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011125447/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2007_4342160 |date=2012-10-11 }}." ''Houston Chronicle''. Wednesday May 9, 2007. A1.</ref>
MetroCorp, first incorporated in 1998, was an overseas Chinese bank holding company for two overseas Chinese banks in the United States: '''MetroBank National Association''' ('''MetroBank''', {{Lang-zh|s=首都银行|t=首都銀行|p=Shǒudū Yínháng}}) and '''Metro United Bank'''. The company was one of the few overseas Chinese banks / financial institutions that were publicly held. MetroBank operated banks in Greater Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth Area in Texas.<ref>"MetroCorp Bancshares Inc. (Nasdaq:MCBI), a Texas corporation, which through its subsidiary, MetroBank, NA, provides community banking services in Houston[...]"</ref><ref>"[http://www.metrobank-na.com/locations.asp Branch Locations]." MetroBank. Retrieved on December 27, 2010.</ref> MetroBank had its headquarters in its parent company's offices.<ref name="Contact Us"/>
As of 2007 MetroBank was one of four overseas Chinese banks with its headquarters in Houston, and it was the only Houston-based overseas Chinese bank that is publicly traded.<ref name="Morenobanks">Moreno, Jenalia. "[http://www.chron.com/business/article/Houston-s-Chinatown-near-Beltway-8-sparks-1842539.php Houston's 'Chinatown' near Beltway 8 sparks banking boom]." ''Houston Chronicle''. Sunday February 18, 2007. Retrieved on October 16, 2011.</ref> The other MetroCorp subsidiary, Metro United Bank, operated in California.<ref name="BarrScrutiny">Barr, Greg. "[http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2009/09/28/story7.html MetroBank comes under watch of industry regulators]." ''Houston Business Journal''. Sunday September 27, 2009. Last modified on Thursday September 24, 2009. Retrieved on December 27, 2010.</ref> Metro United had its headquarters in the City of Industry.<ref>"[https://www.metrounitedbank.com/aboutus.asp About Us]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110714080837/https://www.metrounitedbank.com/aboutus.asp Archive]) Metro United Bank. Retrieved on December 27, 2010. "Metro United Bank is headquartered in Rowland Heights and was established to meet the diverse financial needs of customers throughout Southern and Northern California."</ref>
In 2014, East West Bank acquired MetroBank for $268 million in cash and stock,<ref>"[http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2014/01/california-bank-closes-on-deal-to-buy.html California bank boosts Texas footprint with MetroCorp deal]." ''Houston Business Journal''. January 23, 2014. Retrieved on April 29, 2016.</ref> and MetroBank branches were to be rebranded in 2014.<ref>"[http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/money-makers/2014/05/sign-of-the-times-metrobank-to-make-the-switch-to.html Sign of the times: MetroBank to make the switch to East West Bank]." ''Houston Business Journal''. May 6, 2014. Retrieved on April 29, 2016.</ref>
==History== Metro Bank was founded in 1987 in SW Chinatown.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Houston's SW Chinatown{{!}}Canada{{!}}chinadaily.com.cn | url=http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2015-01/23/content_19382754.htm | access-date=2025-07-05 | website=usa.chinadaily.com.cn}}</ref>
In September 2009, MetroBank had 10 Greater Houston branches and 3 Dallas-Fort Worth branches, with assets of $1.2 billion. Metro United had assets of $426.8 million. During that year, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency asked MetroBank to revise its balance sheet. MetroBank signed a formal agreement with the office to do this within 90 days.<ref name="BarrScrutiny" />
In 2010, MetroBank signed an agreement with Bank of China-Shanghai so that MetroBank could offer services involving the renminbi, the currency of the People's Republic of China.<ref>Wooten, Casey. "[http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/06/21/daily4.html MetroBank inks settlements deal with Shanghai bank]." ''Houston Business Journal''. Monday June 21, 2010. Retrieved on December 27, 2010.</ref>
==MetroBank== The first of the two, MetroBank (also known as Metro Bank), headquartered in Houston, Texas, with branch offices in Bellaire, Texas, Sugar Land, Texas, Dallas, Texas, Plano, Texas, Richardson, Texas and other communities throughout the Greater Houston, this bank was the original one for the company..
Like its competitor Southwestern National Bank, the location of in the bank in the south reflects one of the newest trends of Chinese American and Asian American population diffusion into the area other than the traditional regions settled by Asian Americans such as the western United States and northeastern United States. The rapid expansion of this bank in comparison to other overseas Chinese banks in the traditional regions where most Chinese American / immigrant and Asian American / immigrant was due to the booming economy of the late 1990s, in the regions of Telecom Corridor (Silicon Prairie) and Silicon Hills, which attracted a significant number of Chinese / Asian scientists and engineers. As of 2006, the asset of the bank is $976.384 million USD according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
==Metro United Bank== {{More citations needed section|date=May 2021}} Although the establishment of its original bank marked the new residential trend of Chinese Americans and Asian Americans, a significant majority of them still reside in the traditional regions of the western coast of the United States. The huge market was simply too big to ignore for the company and it thus begun its expansion into California, the state with most Chinese American and Asian American population.
On October 5, 2005, the company purchased '''First United Bank''', and its locations in San Diego, California and Los Angeles, renamed it as the '''Metro United Bank''' ({{Lang-zh|s=第一银行|t=第一銀行|p=Dìyī Yínháng}}), thus completed its expansion by venturing into the traditional region where most Chinese Americans reside.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=MetroCorp reaches California market with acquisition of First United Bank|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2005/10/03/daily37.html|access-date=2021-01-05|website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Texas|Companies|China}} * History of the Chinese Americans in Houston
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.metrobank-na.com MetroBank homepage] *[http://www.metrounitedbank.com Metro United Bank homepage] {{Chinese American banks}}{{Chinese American|state=collapsed}}
Category:Banks established in 1987 Category:Banks based in Texas Category:Defunct companies based in Texas Category:Defunct banks of the United States Category:Companies based in Houston Category:Chinese-American banks Category:Banks disestablished in 2014 Category:2014 mergers and acquisitions Category:Financial services companies based in Texas