OneWest Bank, FSB Tops Regional Banking List

The list of banks serving the San Fernando Valley region was expanded this year to include regional banks along with the community banks featured in past lists. The San Fernando Valley Business Journal ranks the banks based on their assets as of June 30 as reported to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Topping the list is OneWest Bank, FSB based in Pasadena with $26.4 billion in assets. Private investors founded the bank in 2009 using the assets of mortgage lender IndyMac after that institution filed for bankruptcy. James Otting became president and chief executive in October 2010. He previously worked for US Bank and Union Bank. Otting was unable to be reached. First Republic Bank in San Francisco, City National Bank in Beverly Hills, East West Bank in Pasadena, and Rabobank, N.A. in Roseville round out the top five. California Bank & Trust ranked No. 6 on the list with about $10.8 billion in assets. With large banks focusing on large businesses that leaves California Bank & Trust and other regional and community banks to go after the small and mid-sized businesses, said Jim Metcalfe, vice president and branch manager in Encino. Having worked for Wells Fargo for 25 years, Metcalfe is in a good position to see how the national banks and the local banks differ in their styles toward client relationships. Relationship building is more art than science, Metcalfe said, with people skills at the center. The big banks rely more on management tools and sticking to a script when dealing with customers, he said. “We go out and take time to know a client’s business,” Metcalfe said. “We take a genuine interest in their success.” Among the community banks serving the Valley region, Community Bank in Pasadena ranked the highest at No. 13 with $2.6 billion in assets and $2 billion in deposits. As of June 30, 2010, Community Bank reported assets of $2.5 billion and deposits of about $1.9 billion. The amount of the bank’s assets puts them on the large end of community banks, said President and CEO David Malone. Community brings the capabilities of a large bank with the delivery system of a small bank that places a premium on developing relationships with its clients in the business world, Malone said. There are some clients who have banked with Community for more than 20 years, Malone said. “That is a testament that the level of service and attention is unsurpassed in the marketplace,” Malone said. Other community banks in the top 20 are First California Bank, based in Westlake Village, California United Bank in Encino, and Grandpoint Bank in Los Angeles. First California had increase in its assets to $1.8 billion as of June 30 from about $1.5 billion as of June 30, 2010. President C.G. Kum attributed the increase to its acquisitions of Western Commercial Bank and San Luis Trust Bank and the pre-paid card division of Palm Desert National Bank. “These were opportunities to acquire financial benefits and strategic benefits,” Kum said. “As an example, Western Commercial Bank gave us a presence in the west San Fernando Valley to complement our office in Encino.” Two community banks dropped off this year’s list. First Commerce Bank merged with Grandpoint Bank and retained its branches in Encino and Brentwood. California Oaks State Bank joined California United Bank in January in a deal valued at $17.2 million. Download the 2011 SFV’s Includes the 2011 SFV’S Community & Regional Banks Serving the Valley list for download list(pdf)