This is largest banking firm in the United States with assets of $388 billion. It is among only a handful of truly global financial institutions, with operations in fifty-two countries around the world. Two hundred years of banking history is housed in The Chase Manhattan Corporation's world headquarters at 270 Park Avenue. The building, originally the home of Union Carbide, was later bought by the Manufacturers Hanover Corporation. With the latter's merger with the Chemical Banking Corporation in 1991, the building became the headquarters for the new entity which took the Chemical name. And with the historic 1996 Chase-Chemical merger, creating the nation's largest banking company, Chase's name went up on the entrance lobby's red wall. Today's Chase can be traced to four New York-based institutions, only one of which was initially chartered as a bank. The earliest predecessor was The Manhattan Company, formed in 1799 to supply water to New York City. Aaron Burr, one of its founders, had the state legislature include a provision in the company's charter that served to allow the formation of The Bank of The Manhattan Company. Banking operations soon superseded the water business, which was phased out in the 1840s. Two manufacturing companies also figure prominently in Chase's past. In 1812, the New York Manufacturing Company was formed. In addition to its primary business of "perfecting brass wire, copper wire, cotton cards and wool cards," the company was allowed a banking operation, which, over a number of years, evolved into the Manufacturers Hanover Corporation. Chemical Bank's history began in early 1823 as the New York Chemical Manufacturing Company which produced chemicals, medicines, paints and dyes. As with The Manhattan Company and the New York Manufacturing Company, banking soon became more attractive than industrial production. Chase's fourth predecessor institution and its namesake, the Chase National Bank, was founded in 1877 when John Thompson, his son Samuel and three other New York businessmen pooled $300,000 and opened a bank on lower Broadway. It was named for Salmon Pl Chase, who, as President Abraham Lincoln's Treasury Secretary, had led the fight for passage of the National Bank Acts of 1863 and 1864. Each of the four early banks played an important role as the United States of the nineteenth century saw geographic and industrial expansion at home, and became increasingly involved in commercial and political activities overseas. Over the years, the banks also established a tradition of growing through mergers and acquisitions. The Bank of The Manhattan Company joined forces with Chase National Bank in 1955 to become The Chase Manhattan Bank. In 1961, the Manufacturers Trust Company and the Hanover Bank merged, creating a bank strong with New York's medium-sized businesses. Chemical was equally strong in this area, and their 1991 merger created a powerful institution. Chemical was the port of entry for many women executives into the male-dominated industry by way of its management training program. Chase, under the leadership of David Rockefeller, was a preeminent international bank. The combination of Chemical with Chase has created a global institution, with over 70,000 employees worldwide. Today, Chase concentrates on three basic areas: 1) Chase Global Banking-one of the world's largest and most profitable wholesale banking franchises, serving over 5,000 corporations in 180 countries; 2) Chase Technology Solutions-a custody, cash management and global trust operation with over $4 trillion in assets in global custody and processing over $3 trillion in average daily funds flows; and 3) National Consumer Services-mortgages, credit cards, consumer loans, mutual funds and p.c. banking. It operates the largest branch system in the metropolitan New York area and is the leading bank to small and medium-size firms. Chase is the largest employer in New York City with over 25,000 employees. It is indeed a dominant fixture in the landscape.