Westborough

In an era of competition from national and international institutions, pricey technology and uncertainty about coming regulations, what's a small local bank to do? The obvious answer, chosen by large numbers of banks across the country over the past couple of decades, is to merge with, buy, or be bought by, a rival. In Massachusetts, though, the situation is a bit different. Bruce Spitzer, spokesman for the Massachusetts Bankers Association, said 75 percent of the organization's members are mutually chartered banks. That means they can't be acquired by stock banks — which include big players like Bank of America — without going through a complex and lengthy conversion process.

It appears A123 Systems' presence in MetroWest has survived following bankruptcy and sale of the lithiom-ion battery maker to a Chinese firm, and will perhaps emerge more robust than it was before A123 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2012. The Livonia, Mich.-based company announced a new organizational structure with its owner, Wanxiang Group, last week. In short, Wanxiang will roll its battery-making activities in China into A123 operations that existed there before Wanxiang bought the majority of A123's assets in January. What does this mean for A123's facilities in Westborough and Hopkinton? Not much, according to Roger Lin, director of marketing for A123 in Massachusetts.

A123 Systems, which has offices in Hopkinton and Westborough, outlined its organizational alignment with The Wanxiang Group and announced the appointment of a new CEO, after Wanxiang purchased nearly all of A123's businesses in January.

Penta Communications Inc. announced Friday that it plans to move to the historic 1790 House in Westborough by the end of the year.

Audio technology company Bose Corp. has completed a long-term extension of its lease in Westborough.

An Atlanta law firm is investigating whether A123 Systems complied with federal securities laws when making statements to investors.

Richards Barry Joyce & Partners, a commercial real estate brokerage with a significant presence in the MetroWest region, has been acquired by the Houston-based real estate firm Transwestern, RBJ announced this week.

Chick-fil-A, the Atlanta-based fast-food chain that specializes in serving up chicken sandwiches, is closer to the debut of its first stand-alone New England restaurant after receiving a special permit from the Westborough Planning Board earlier this month.

TJX Cos. has alluded to a planned launch of a new e-commerce site for its off-price retail brands, including Marshalls, TJ Maxx and HomeGoods, a number of times over the last year. But it seems the Framingham-based company, which raked in higher-than-expected revenue in its most recent quarter, is taking a measured approach.

Active Rx, an Arizona-based franchise of senior wellness centers, opened its first New England location on Lyman Street in Westborough on Monday.