Los Angeles Business Journal back issues from February 1994:
Biggest Century City lease deal in 6 years signed. (Century City, California)
Feb 07, 1994; ... In the biggest Century City lease transaction in six years, two of that area's most coveted tenants have collectively renegotiated their existing commitment to the signature Century Plaza Towers and renewed their tenancy there into the next century.The new deal reflects the ...
Insurers' payouts on quake damage may surpass $2 billion. (Northridge, California)
Feb 07, 1994; ... As Allstate Insurance Group reported last week that it expects to pay out $350 million to customers on damages incurred in the Northridge earthquake, insurance experts said total insured losses may top the originally estimated $1.5 billion to $2 billion.Northbrook, Ill.-based ...
Quake doesn't shake local firms' plans to remain here; out-of-state agencies avoid cashing in on the disaster. (Northridge, California)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Out-of-state agencies avoid cashing in on the disasterNo signs are surfacing that the Jan. 17 earthquake is further spurring Southland companies to leave the area, while out-of-state agencies say they're not stepping up recruiting efforts to take advantage of the situation. And at ...
State moves fast to boost homeowners' insurance protection. (California)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Responding to insurance-related concerns raised by the Northridge earthquake and the Southland fires, state officials last week introduced new legislation and issued a new regulation aimed at boosting policyholders' rights and protection. California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi ...
Capitalism survives even temblors: some vendors jump into quake 'merchandise' from T-shirts to stars' discards.
Feb 07, 1994; ... Some vendors jump into quake 'merchandise' from T-shirts to stars' discardsSome of them have been cursed at and spit upon, but they keep on selling.They are the entrepreneurs who are making money (and in some cases helping charities) by selling earthquake memorabilia. ...
County wary some quake-related outlays may not get federal offsets. (Los Angeles County, California)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Concerned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency may not recognize some of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's earthquake-related operating expenses as reimbursable, L.A. County transit officials have submitted a proposal to Congress asking that federal transportation officials ...
Fox to move TV station, but not expanding studio lot - for now. (Fox Inc.'s KTTV-TV Channel 11 operations)
Feb 07, 1994; ... In a surprise announcement last week, Fox Inc. said its KTTV-TV Channel 11 operation plans to move in the summer of 1995 from its longtime Hollywood studio -- owned by the station's former owner, Metromedia Co. -- to a three-story West L.A. office building acquired by a Fox affiliate on Jan ....
Media moguls launch new cable TV movie channel; information superhighway gets new competitor for HBO. (Encore Media Corp.'s Starz!; HBO and Co.)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Information superhighway gets new competitor for HBOWith the Feb. 1 service launch of Starz!, a new premium movie cable television channel, the competitive heat on the nation's nascent electronic superhighway has been turned up.By signing previously announced deals worth ...
Stockholders get new offer for California Federal Bank; disappointment greets plan from World Savings owner. (California Federal Bank F.S.B.; World Savings and Loan Association)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Disappointment greets plan from World Savings ownerGolden West Financial Corp.'s announcement last week of a revised proposal to buy troubled California Federal Bank for a combination of cash and securities was somewhat less than what major CalFed shareholders were hoping for, ...
Two San Fernando Valley hotels scramble to reopen; quake-damaged properties face several months' closure.
Feb 07, 1994; ... Quake-damaged properties face several months' closureTwo major San Fernando Valley hotels will remain closed for at least another month as a result of damage from the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake.Meanwhile, a Santa Monica hotel is scheduled to reopen on Feb. 20 and two ...
City orders retrofit of 'tilt-up' concrete wall buildings; landlords admit action is necessary - but expensive. (California's Los Angeles City Council)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Landlords admit action is necessary -- but expensiveThe Los Angeles City Council last week passed an ordinance requiring that owners of pre-1976 "tilt-up" concrete wall buildings retrofit the structures to make them earthquake resistant.Members of the real estate ...
Carpenter repairs California United Bank's assets. (CU Bankcorp. CEO Steve Carpenter)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Encino bank's CEO scores turnaround in record timeCalifornia United Bank, which just a year ago was listed by bank rating services as one of the financially sickest banks in the country, has achieved a complete turnaround in record time, according to bank analysts. ...
Cranking up the Disney machine: President Richard Frank hikes Walt Disney Studios' movie, TV output, maps route to superhighway.
Feb 07, 1994; ... When Richard Frank was growing up in Bayside, N.Y., in the 1950s, his family had the lone television set in a group of duplexes. The small television with a grainy picture had a large magnifying glass sitting in front so everyone could see "Zorro" and "American Bandstand" on that small ...
Cutbacks spur changes in top employers' ranking; other industries close in on aerospace as biggest employer. (Los Angeles County's aerospace industry) (The List) (Industry Overview)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Three aerospace companies remain the top private-sector employers in Los Angeles County, despite major layoffs, while other defense contractors have dropped dramatically on The List. Meanwhile, the total number of jobs provided by L.A.'s biggest employers has fallen by more than 100,000 over ...
Bad weather back East means good times for Southland gas producers. (liquefied natural gas industry)
Feb 07, 1994; ... The cold front enveloping the East Coast and Midwest is providing a warmly welcomed mini-boom in natural gas sales for at least one local production conglomerate."It would appear that January send-outs of gas to the market could well be the highest monthly level ever," said Tom ...
Telecommuting: an alternative to the freeways. (The Alternative Office: Portable & Home)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Did Southern California's "Culture of the Car" come crashing down with the freeways on Jan. 17? Not entirely, but many die-hard freeway commuters have taken a turn on the information highway and have found a life without speed limits or spilled coffee at stop lights.These ...
How mobile computers can help you find yourself. (The Alternative Office: Portable & Home)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Notebooks, sub-notebooks and personal digital assistants are joining that growing list of electronic armor -- including cellular phones, pagers and pocket calculators -- which define and empower mobile workers. Driving around without your IBM ThinkPad is becoming unthinkable. Leaving behind ...
Home sweet home - office. (home-based business) (The Alternative Office: Portable & Home)
Feb 07, 1994; ... The whole notion some years back was that those people who worked out of their home where either lucky, lazy, in sales, or working at home was another phrase for I'm unemployed. However accurate it may have been then, the ranks of those who work out of their home is growing; and companies ...
Advanced cellular telephone service arrives in Los Angeles; new digital cellular service is unveiled. (Los Angeles, California) (The Alternative Office: Portable & Home)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Competition in the Los Angeles area market for cellular telephone service is heating up. Los Angeles Cellular Telephone Company recently announced the introduction of the first and only fully-digital cellular calling service in Southern California.The new digital service is called ...
Even small businesses need safe, low-cost document storage. (The Alternative Office: Portable & Home)
Feb 07, 1994; ... A common dilemma faced by small businesses is what to do with files and records that need to be kept but aren't used every day. Even with the most portable offices, laptop computers are hooked up to printers, which generate paper documents. Somewhere, there are records to be maintained. ...
Developer, hotel file claims against MTA for rail construction damage. (Ratkovich Co.; Wilshire Associates Inc.; Los Angeles County's Metropolitan Transportation Authority) (Real Estate)
Feb 07, 1994; ... Ratkovich Co. and Wilshire Associates, the partnership behind the Wiltern Center complex, have filed a claim with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority related to physical damage caused by Metro Rail construction, and are seriously considering suing the MTA to collect, said Clare ...
New venture brings do-it-yourself approach to computer-based media. (Communicate!)
Feb 14, 1994; ... It took a couple of weeks in the hospital after a near-fatal accident to provide Emilie Smith Caruso with the wherewithal to start her own multimedia services company.With a $250,000 settlement she and her husband received from a hot-air balloon company, Caruso last fall was able ...
Are Japanese planning pullout from Hollywood? (Japanese corporations that bought movie studios may sell portions of, or the entire studios)
Feb 14, 1994; ... When Sony Corp. and Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co. bought movie studios, many in Hollywood feared that the movie industry would become dominated by the Japanese. Now, just a few years later, Hollywood executives say Japan's power in Hollywood is fading and they expect Sony and ...
Candy, flowers are OK for Valentines' Day but.... (Valentine's Day gifts)
Feb 14, 1994 ... One way to show your true feelings to that special lady this Valentine's Day is by giving her a $8,225 Barry Kieselstein gold heart inlaid with diamonds from Neiman Marcus.A little pricey? Have Elizabeth Caldwell, president of Total Recall Ltd. in Beverly Hills, write an original ...
Ports, airport wary of new air quality rules due from EPA; they fear improvement tab could drive away business. (Southern California; Environmental Protection Agency)
Feb 14, 1994; ... They fear improvement tab could drive away businessThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will unveil a sweeping air quality plan for Southern California this week which local officials contend could drive trade away from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as limit ...
Even temblor fails to really turn employers on to telecommuting. (Northridge Earthquake)
Feb 14, 1994; ... The initial surge in interest in telecommuting after the Northridge earthquake has subsided, revealing that there is still plenty of resistance to the idea by employers.Most experts in telecommuting and those involved in such operations said last week they are disappointed in the ...
MTA takes a new look at minority-subcontracting rules. (Los Angeles County, California Metropolitan Transportation Authority)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Some critics say low bidders often lose to nitpickingFacing criticism that its equal opportunity regulations are so technically complex they are unnecessarily costing taxpayers millions, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is re-examining its policies requiring that ...
20th Century Industries takes a big hit from quake. (Northridge, California, Earthquake, 1994)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Insurer plans charge against earnings of $54.4 million20th Century Industries, the Woodland Hills-based insurance company with a large concentration of homeowners' policies in the San Fernando Valley, announced last week it will take a $54.4 million charge to earnings this quarter ...
Princess Cruises to buy two more 'love boats' for $700 million total. (Princess Cruises Lines)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Princess Cruises' announcement last week that it will spend nearly $700 million to build two new ships should significantly increase the line's market share and could alter the character of its itineraries, said industry analysts. The capital investment will push the Century City-based line ...
Jacobs Engineering: the next generation; founder Joseph Jacobs' handpicked successor, Noel Watson boosts earnings even in tough times. (Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. new CEO Noel G. Watson) (Company Profile)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Founder Joseph Jacobs' handpicked successor, Noel Watson boosts earnings even in tough timesDr. Joseph Jacobs, the brilliant entrepreneur who founded Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., isn't going to let just anyone run his company for him.Between 1974 and 1984, Jacobs, who ...
Commercial real estate world remains pretty static. (Los Angeles County, California)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Overbuilding makes for little new activity for developersGiven the still-overbuilt state of local business-property markets, it's no surprise that this year's List of L.A. County's largest commercial real estate developers looks a lot like last year's.Two formerly active ...
Earth Technology acquisition sets stage for employee, market surge. (Earth Technology Corporation USA's acquisition of Summit Environmental Group Inc.)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Earth Technology Corp., a $62 million in annual revenues firm, announced last week that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a larger company -- $80 million in annual revenues Summit Environmental Group Inc. -- in a deal valued at between $35.8 million and $41.6 million. ...
Study finds lure of Chinatown fades with inattention. (Los Angeles , California)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Business leaders call for cleanup, new focus on crimeChinatown, once a strong cultural, emotional, business and social center for Chinese immigrants, has deteriorated and is in dire need of revitalization, according to a study commissioned by the Chinatown Economic Development ...
Post production firms reconfigure into Four Media; investment includes funds for Burbank plant upgrade. (motion picture production; Four Media Co.)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Investment includes funds for Burbank plant upgradeIn the rapidly changing and consolidating post-production industry, newly created Four Media Co. is investing $9 million this year to gain a competitive edge. The outlay includes improvements at its Burbank plant as well as a ...
Interactive cable channel sets 1995 service startup; venture links ACTV with Prime Ticket, William Morris. (ACTV Inc.)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Venture links ACTV with Prime Ticket, William MorrisAn interactive cable television channel will be launched in Los Angeles early in 1995 by ACTV Inc., a New York-based firm that has pioneered personalized TV technologies already introduced in Canada but that have yet to hit the ...
Study reports 16 Southland hotels changed their ownership last year. (Los Angeles County, California)
Feb 14, 1994; ... <Pre> Hotel acquisitions (Los Angeles County hotel transactions in 1993, in chronological order; in millions of dollars) Property name Location Sales Price L'Ermitage Hotel Beverly Hills $12.5 Bell ...
Brokers scramble amid shambles of their own offices; quakes slams Beitler, Sands San Fernando Valley outlets. (San Fernando Valley real estate brokerage offices; Northridge, California, Earthquake, 1994)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Quake slams Beitler, Sands San Fernando Valley outletsOperations of two of the San Fernando Valley's leading real estate brokerage offices -- one residential and one commercial -- were severely disrupted by the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake.The 30-some brokers manning ...
Care providers' mettle tested in aftermath of quake; they treat 9,300 casualties, assess damaged structures. (Los Angeles, California; Northridge, California, Earthquake, 1994) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994; ... They treat 9,300 casualties, assess damaged structuresWhen a major earthquake rocked the Southland last month, neo-natal nurses at Saint John's Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica grabbed newborns out of the nursery as plaster cracked and bricks crumbled around them. At ...
Most Southland hospitals recover quickly from temblor's disruption. (Los Angeles County, California; Northridge, California, Earthquake, 1994) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994 ... After some initial short-term shutdowns, most of the 148 hospitals in Los Angeles County were up and running within days of the Jan. 17 earthquake. Power outages, burst water pipes, failed air conditioning and heating systems forced several facilities to cease operations. But only a few ...
Demand for counseling services soars after quake. (Los Angeles County, California mental health counseling services; Northridge, California, Earthquake, 1994) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Thousands of anxiety-stricken Angelenos seek reliefThe Northridge earthquake created what experts say was an unprecedented demand for mental health counseling services in Los Angeles County.And, in what is surely one of the rarest of coincidences, the quake occurred on ...
Dentists get their fill of quake-related business losses; boil-water order helped take away dentists' lifeblood. (Southern California; Northridge, California, Earthquake, 1994) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Boil-water order helped take away dentists' lifebloodAs soon as the boil-water order went into effect across greater Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley in the wake of last month's Big Enough One in Northridge, Dr. Kenneth Hirsch knew he was temporarily out of business. ...
Court to decide if 'silver' fillings are health hazard; ruling could affect thousands of L.A. dentists, patients. (District Court of San Diego; dental fillings; Los Angeles County dental clinics) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Ruling could affect thousands of L.A. dentists, patientsDo the "silver" fillings put into untold numbers of teeth every day for decades pose a serious health threat to dental patients?A hearing scheduled to be held in the U.S. District Court in San Diego on March 14 could ...
Mergers abound in Southland as health reform looms; survival provides impetus for flurry of consolidations. (Los Angeles County, California healthcare industry; health care reform) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Survival provides impetus for flurry of consolidationsKeeping track of the health care industry mergers in Los Angeles can be daunting these days.Woodland Hills-based Health Net merged at the end of January with QualMed Inc. of Colorado. Burbank-based Summit Health Ltd ....
Repercussions still shake insurers after court ruling; provision of experimental care remains controversial issue. (health insurance industry; provision of experimental care) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Provision of experimental care remains controversial issueRepercussions continue to rock the health insurance industry after a Riverside County Superior Court jury a few weeks ago slapped Woodland Hills-based Health Net with what is believed to be the largest U.S. judgment ever ...
Ruling could lead to moving experience for doctors; hospitals-owned medical buildings face new strictures. (ownership of hospital buildings) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Hospital-owned medical buildings face new stricturesThe earthquake that rumbled through Los Angeles on Jan. 17 created highly publicized problems for hospitals, including the severe damage it wreaked on a medical office building owned by Kaiser Permanente. But such damage may be ...
Viva strives to bring managed care to the inner city; L.A.'s newest HMO is slated to open doors March 1. (Viva Health Plan; Los Angeles, California) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994; ... L.A.'s newest HMO is slated to open its doors March 1As the health care industry scrambles to reposition itself in anticipation of national health care reform legislation, one of those who expects to be in the forefront is Ruth Lopez-Williams, founder of L.A.'s newest health ...
Flap grows over prenatal care for illegal immigrants; Wilson scored over plan to eliminate program funds. (Gov. Pete Wilson's plan to eliminate state funding for illegal immigrants' prenatal care) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Wilson scored over plan to eliminate program fundsA major feature of Gov. Pete Wilson's election-year budget is the elimination of state funding for illegal immigrants' prenatal care. And if that state funding is indeed withheld, Los Angeles-area health care facilities' revenues ...
Medical transcriptionists feel the heat of hospital cost cutting efforts. (Los Angeles County, California) (Special Report: Health Care)
Feb 14, 1994; ... Several hundred medical record "transcriptionists" in Los Angeles County, who comprise a cottage industry which sprang up as hospitals began outsourcing medical record keeping a few years ago, are being hit hard by industrywide cost cutting triggered by the federal government's health care ...
Spinoff aerospace/defense concern will launch public stock offering. (Hi-Shear Technology Corp.)
Feb 21, 1994; ... A 9-month-old spinoff aerospace/defense contractor is losing no time diversifying its technology into commercial businesses -- and plans an initial public offering next month.Torrance-based Hi-Shear Technology Corp., a spinoff of New Hills, N.Y.-based Hi-Shear Industries Inc., ...
Barry Diller's vision for Fox lot fades into sunset. (Fox Inc.)
Feb 21, 1994; ... Fox Inc.'s plans to convert a recently purchased West L.A. building into KTTV-TV Channel 11's new studio is only the first visible sign that former Fox Chairman Barry Diller's ambitious vision -- consolidation of the media giant's empire onto a made-over Century City studio campus -- is no ...
Thrifts gauge quake impact on property loan portfolios; many damaged properties seen entering foreclosure.
Feb 21, 1994; ... In the last month, Home Savings of America has learned that 2,600 of its single-family home loan borrowers and 400 of its apartment building loan borrowers have suffered property damage as a result of the Northridge earthquake, Mary Trigg, spokeswoman for the thrift, told the Business ...
Ex-field hands score as deejays on Hispanic radio. (Juan Carlos Hidalgo and Jesus Garcia)
Feb 21, 1994; ... Howard Stern, Rick Dees and all the other high-paid morning radio deejays are taking a back seat to a pair of guys in their 20s who were picking strawberries and lemons in Ventura County not too long ago.Meet -- or rather turn on -- Juan Carlos Hidalgo and his partner, "El ...
Status of apparel maker Cross Colours raises questions; distributors report problems reaching company offices.
Feb 21, 1994; ... Has the Los Angeles-based Cross Colours clothing label, so successful in the last three years, suddenly gone poof?A near overnight sensation, Cross Colours urban wear burst onto the national scene in the early 1990s, featuring looks created by leading black designers Carl Jones and ...
Hoteliers express support for L.A.'s decision to end two convention bids. (Los Angeles, California will not bid for 1996 Democratic and Republican national conventions)
Feb 21, 1994; ... The local hotel industry reacted with subdued support for Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan's decision last week not to pursue the Democratic and Republican parties' national conventions in 1996.For the most part, local hoteliers said they were disappointed but understood the ...
Pacific Theatres opens its doors to major expansion; cinema chain maps program for nationwide network. (Pacific Theatres Corp.)
Feb 21, 1994; ... Pacific Theatres Corp. is going on the offensive, looking to build cinemas and acquire theater chains that would give the Los Angeles-based privately held exhibitor a national presence, according to President Jerry Forman.In late January, Pacific announced a partnership with ...
Santa Clarita Valley movie studios still shooting; they battle rumors of heavy quake damage, travel woes.
Feb 21, 1994; ... It has taken 10 years for the Santa Clarita Valley to become a film production center and city officials and studio owners there are aggressively trying to avoid letting the Northridge earthquake impede that growth.They are waging a "damage control" campaign to combat perceptions ...
Probing heaven and earth; Cal Tech President Thomas Everhart rockets science into the public eye. (California Institute of Technology)
Feb 21, 1994; ... Thomas Everhart's resume and biographical narrative is six pages long and filled with lists of college and honorary degrees, jobs, awards, memberships on national commissions and boards, and special commendations.To say that Everhart, president of California Institute of Technology ...
Remote access to work: best choice or only choice. (Telecommunications: the Essential Link)
Feb 21, 1994; ... The January '94 earthquake disaster in Los Angeles highlighted the benefits of remote access or telecommuting for many businesses. The recent earthquakes and resulting destruction of local highways forced business to look for new and innovative ways to conduct business. In order to restart ...
Telecommuting: not technology, but psychology. (Telecommunications: the Essential Link)
Feb 21, 1994; ... Telecommuting and remote work centers have been evaluated and implemented in a number of businesses and other organizations for several years now. The issues surrounding telecommuting have recently been thrust into the limelight, due to the local geological events which have rearranged our ...
Specialized software: turns telephone systems into management tools. (Telecommunications: the Essential Link)
Feb 21, 1994; ... Most managers, when questioned on the role of the telephone system in their company, shrug their shoulders and reply, "To make and receive phone calls." The basic need for a company to be able to communicate with its market often drives the purchase of a telephone system. While it is ...
Focus on the tenant: the key to profitable STS ventures. (shared tenant services) (Telecommunications: the Essential Link)
Feb 21, 1994; ... With the break-up of AT&T in 1983, and the deregulation of the telecommunications industry, consumers were assured that competition would lead to technological advancements and service at vastly reduced rates.However, this new found freedom had a price. Gone were the days of being ...
Teleconferencing: adding efficiency to the business meeting. (Telecommunications: the Essential Link)
Feb 21, 1994; ... In a conference room on the 23rd floor of a Los Angeles office building, 25 attorneys close a merger between two corporations with assets of more than $100 million each. Board members from each firm listen intently from eight different cities across the United States, while bondholders and ...
Health care & telecommunications: prescription for system selection. (Telecommunications: the Essential Link)
Feb 21, 1994; ... There are few business arenas as complex and challenging as health care. Telecommunications resources can provide the foundation for productivity, optimal patient and client care and ultimately, long term organizational success. Effective communications systems provide solutions that help ...
Interactive programming and advertising: how it will be delivered in the years ahead. (Telecommunications: the Essential Link)
Feb 21, 1994; ... Interactive is the buzz-word of the '90s. The reason is that the emerging interactive television industry is a very high stakes game. Many independent research reports have predicted that there will be over $6 billion in revenues from subscription services alone by the end of the decade. ...
Phones in flight. (airline information services) (Telecommunications: the Essential Link)
Feb 21, 1994; ... For the first time in aviation history, the airlines have an opportunity to offer their passengers the communication options and entertainment amenities they have come to expect in their homes, offices, hotels, and even their cars. Within the last year, many new conveniences have began to ...