By:  Hunter, Todd                                      H.R. No. 327
       73R5445 BNL-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Olegario Vasquez Rana, as the majority shareholder
    1-2  of Mercantile Bank, N.A., recently purchased First City Bank in
    1-3  Corpus Christi, and this well-respected financial institution will
    1-4  surely benefit from the financial expertise and experience that
    1-5  Mr. Vasquez has brought to all of his ventures; and
    1-6        WHEREAS, A successful businessman for nearly four decades,
    1-7  Mr. Vasquez began his career in his father's furniture and
    1-8  appliance business in Mexico City; during the 1950s, he and his
    1-9  brothers expanded the family's involvement in the retail business
   1-10  and later founded Cia. Hermanos Vasquez, the largest furniture
   1-11  store in Mexico City; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, Mr. Vasquez quickly demonstrated his keen business
   1-13  sense and considerable financial acumen; in 1967, he purchased one
   1-14  bus in the cooperative Omnibus de Mexico, and within a few years he
   1-15  became the majority owner of the company; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, This astute entrepreneur has founded several
   1-17  corporations of his own, including the air charter business
   1-18  Aerotaxi Mexicano, the real estate and development company
   1-19  Inmuebles Florida, S.A., and the land clearing company Desmontes
   1-20  Zavala; in addition, Mr. Vasquez established the largest water
   1-21  purification and distribution business in Mexico, and in 1990 he
   1-22  purchased the former MBank Brownsville from MCorp, thus
   1-23  establishing Mercantile Bank, N.A., the largest independent bank in
   1-24  the Rio Grande Valley; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, Many of Mr. Vasquez's enterprises have greatly
    2-2  benefited the people of Mexico; in 1986, Humana Corporation sold
    2-3  Hospital Angeles del Pedregal, S.A., in Mexico City to Mr. Vasquez,
    2-4  who made $28 million in improvements to the facilities and
    2-5  transformed the hospital into the finest medical complex in the
    2-6  country; and
    2-7        WHEREAS, In addition to his notable reputation in the field
    2-8  of business, this outstanding individual also is well known for his
    2-9  national and world records in rifle shooting; a four-time member of
   2-10  Mexico's Olympic shooting team, Mr. Vasquez has served as president
   2-11  of the International Shooting Union since 1980 and has received
   2-12  international recognition and acclaim for his efforts in behalf of
   2-13  the sport; and
   2-14        WHEREAS, Mr. Vasquez has a long and distinguished record of
   2-15  success with his many business interests and civic improvements,
   2-16  and the business and community leaders of Corpus Christi look
   2-17  forward to working with him to ensure the success of his latest
   2-18  endeavor with First City Bank; now, therefore, be it
   2-19        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
   2-20  Legislature hereby congratulate Olegario Vasquez Rana on his
   2-21  acquisition of First City Bank and extend to him a warm welcome to
   2-22  the beautiful city of Corpus Christi with best wishes for many
   2-23  years of continued success; and, be it further
   2-24        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-25  forwarded to Mr. Vasquez as an expression of high regard by the
   2-26  Texas House of Representatives.