Amusement
Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park will introduce a 4-D interactive ride next year in its Boardwalk section. Voyage to the Iron Reef riders will play the role of trying to rescue the park from mechanical sea creatures attempting to destroy it.
Automotive
Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. in Cypress appointed Dan Booth president of its financing arm, Mitsubishi Motors Credit of America Inc. He replaces Jeff Young, who “left the company to pursue other business opportunities.”
Hyundai Motor America Inc.’s new headquarters won honors from CoreNet Global Southern California. The LEED Gold certified building in Fountain Valley brought the automaker a Project Leadership Award at the annual REmmy Awards.
Education
Chapman University received a gift of more than 200 oil and watercolor paintings and $3 million to help establish a museum. Collectors Mark and Janet Hilbert of Newport Coast made the donation of California Scene art. The future art facility will be in the former Villa Park Orchards Historic Packing House in 2017. Mark Hilbert owns and manages residential properties.
B. John and Amelia Garrick of Laguna Beach gave $9 million to the University of California-Los Angeles for a new engineering center. The money will establish the B. John Garrick Institute for the Risk Sciences at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. Garrick co-founded engineering consulting firm Newport Beach-based PLG Inc. and sold it to Menlo Park-based Failure Group Inc. in 1993 for about $7 million, according to a news report at the time.
University of California-Irvine researchers developed a bloodstream infection test technology to speed up accurate diagnosis of ailments, including Ebola, the school said. The Integrated Comprehensive Droplet Digital Detection, or “IC 3D,” technology can detect bacteria in milliliters of blood with no cell culture needed.
Finance
Foothill Ranch-based mortgage lender loanDepot.com LLC acquired Mortgage Master Inc. on undisclosed terms. LoanDepot, headed by founder and Chief Executive Anthony Hsieh, is among the largest nonbank consumer lending companies in the U.S., with about $8.4 billion in loans funded in 2013. Walpole, Mass.-based Mortgage Master has 700 employees across 44 branches in 14 states. It has four locations in California, with none in Orange County.
Irvine-based mortgage lender American Interbanc Mortgage was acquired by Seashine Financial LLC, also in Irvine. Seashine Financial is part of Shanghai-based holding company Seashine Capital.
Media
U.S. distribution rights to a film made by Chapman Filmed Entertainment LLC sold for a “mid-six figures” amount to ARC Entertainment, according to news reports. The production company is based at Chapman University’s film school. ARC in Santa Monica plans a spring 2015 theatrical and video-on-demand release, the reports said. “The Barber” cost about $1 million to make, according to production company chief executive and Dodge Dean Bob Bassett. The company raised money from investors to make the film.
Restaurants
El Pollo Loco insiders plan to sell 6 million shares, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Costa Mesa-based El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc., the parent company of the fast food chicken chain, gave no date for the sale in the filing, which came four months after it raised $113 million in an initial public offering. A “lock-up” period that bars insiders from selling shares after an initial public offering ends Jan. 21.
Transportation
John Wayne Airport’s largest airline filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to add service to Puerto Vallarta in June. Southwest Airlines would fly a single daily nonstop, the company said. The move comes as Southwest plans to raise its capacity companywide by 6%, the report said. Southwest has been adding international destinations systemwide.
