Union Bank of California's Wine Industry Services Team Opens Office in Napa Valley

Union Bank of California has opened a wine industry services office in St. Helena to increase support for wine and related industries in Napa and surrounding counties. The new office is located at 899 Adams Street, Suite F-1, and is operated by Senior Relationship Manager James A. Barrett.

The bank provides a variety of products and services tailored to meet the needs of growers, wineries, suppliers, distributors and other businesses in the food and beverage industry. These offerings include loans and other credit products to help companies finance acquisitions, organic growth and equipment purchases; cash management services; and international finance for import and export activities.

"Given the bank’s stable capital position and our team’s extensive knowledge about the industry, close proximity to our clients will allow us to solidify our relationships and provide the best type of financing possible for them,” said Senior Vice President Peter D. Sitov, head of the bank’s wine industry services team. "We understand the specific business cycles of this industry, so we can provide solutions to best address each business’ long-range plans.”

Daily operations at the St. Helena office are managed by Barrett, who joined the bank in May as the newest member of the four-person wine industry services team. The group works with wineries throughout Napa and Sonoma counties.

Barrett started his banking career in 1994 with NationsBank in Atlanta and subsequently worked in wine industry lending at Napa National Bank from 1995 to 1998. He also served with Citigroup Private Bank, where he was a vice president responsible for investment finance. Immediately prior to joining Union Bank, Barrett was a senior vice president and senior loan officer at Napa Community Bank.

Barrett has a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Auburn University and a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in finance from Georgia State University. He is a board member for the Rotary Club of Napa and an alumnus of Leadership Napa Valley, a program designed to identify, train and motivate leaders in Napa County. Barrett resides in Napa with his wife and four children.

Based in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation (NYSE:UB) is a bank holding company with assets of $60.6 billion at June 30, 2008. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank of California, N.A., had 337 banking offices in California, Oregon and Washington, and two international offices at June 30, 2008. The company's Web site is located at www.unionbank.com.