CENTRAL AREA
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
New HQ: Payment Systems Corp., an e-commerce and payment services company, has moved its corporate office to a larger downtown L.A. space. Payment Systems’ new 12,000-square-foot office is in City National Plaza at 515 S. Flower St. The office was previously at 633 Fifth St.
WEST SIDE
CULVER CITY
On the Road: OpenGate Capital LLC, a Century City private-equity investment firm, has completed the sale of Ride Control LLC to MAT Holdings Inc., a Long Grove, Ill.-based maker and distributor of products in the auto, hardware and power equipment markets. The sale of Ride Control, a Troy, Tenn., maker of aftermarket auto products, includes the Gabriel and GRC brand names. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
SANTA MONICA
Served Up: Fresh Bros., a Manhattan Beach-based pizza chain, has opened its eighth L.A. location with an outpost in Santa Monica. The new pizzeria, at 1447 Lincoln Blvd., will offer takeout and delivery, as well as seating for 45 diners.
Retail Honor: Santa Monica Place, an open-air retail complex owned by Santa Monica real estate investment trust Macerich Co., has been named the best high street retail development at this year’s Mapic Awards. The awards are part of the Mapic retail real estate conference in Cannes, France, organized by Reed Midem. The high street category was open to shopping centers, retail parks, factory outlets and retailers.
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
ENCINO
Golf Fundraiser: California United Bank in Encino, a subsidiary of CU Bancorp, raised more than $315,000 at its November golf tournament. The money will be distributed equally to the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, Casa Pacifica and Easter Seals Disability Services of Southern California.
NORTH HILLS
Locked Up: Galpin Ford, a North Hills dealership that has sold the most Ford vehicles for 22 years in a row, has signed a deal to install the LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System on Galpin’s fleet of vehicles. This is the largest deal of its kind for Canton, Mass.-based LoJack Corp. The deal also provides for training for Galpin staff and on-site LoJack installers.
SOUTH BAY
LONG BEACH
Medical Laurel: Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach has earned the Department of Health and Human Services’ Gold Medal of Honor for excellence in organ donations. Miller was one off 22 hospitals across the United States and the only one in a six-county area receiving the distinction. The hospital also received the department’s Pediatric Distinction Award for its life-saving efforts through organ donation.
