Los Angeles Business Journal back issues from March 2001:
Northrop Mobilizing to Battle Titans.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Northrop Grumman Corp., just weeks away from the expected approval of its $5.1 billion acquisition of Litton Industries Inc., is aggressively moving to retake its position as a premier defense contractor. Poised to almost double in size, it is suddenly empowered to compete for ...
China Shipper Nears L.A. Deal.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... The Port of Los Angeles is in final negotiations to build a major cargo terminal for a fledgling Chinese shipping line that has vowed to become one of the top five shipping companies in the world. Unlike the national controversy ignited when the Port of Long Beach announced ...
Vans Taking Flight.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... SHOPPING mall owners have more than a few reasons for concern these days, with department store sales down, movie theatres on the rocks and consumer confidence levels plummeting. But Santa Fe Springs-based Vans Inc. has hit on a concept that is bringing crowds to malls, where ...
Merger Activity To Slow in 2001.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... After several years of feverish deal making, local merger and acquisition activity is poised for a substantial drop-off in 2001 as a result of the slowing national economy. The number of deals in Los Angeles County actually increased a bit during the first two months of 2001, ...
Glendale Nears Choice to Build Town Center.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Two of Southern California's biggest developers are locked in a battle to build a plum $100 million redevelopment project in downtown Glendale. Rick Caruso and Jerry Snyder, each with big reputations but vastly different styles, both made their presentations to the Glendale ...
Money Madness.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Illegal Office Pools Raise The Stakes for Hoops Fans IT'S that time of year again, baby! March Madness tips off on March 15, which means tens of thousands of otherwise diligent, hardworking and law-abiding Angenelos will forget about their jobs for a while to concentrate on the ...
MiniMed Investments Strengthen Market Advantage.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Following a strategy that has been successfully employed by such high-tech giants as Microsoft, Intel and Cisco Systems, Northridge-based MiniMed Inc. is solidifying its dominance in the field of diabetes-related technologies by making judicious investments in various developers of ...
Vise Tightens On HMOs as Costs Climb.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Health maintenance organizations - sandwiched between hospitals demanding higher reimbursement for medical services and employers wanting to hold the line on rate increases - are being squeezed like never before. And that squeezing is coming at a time when HMOs themselves are facing ...
Scoop Dreams.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001 ... An ice-cream maker with a growing presence in the L.A. area has come up with a way to avoid the labor crunch while stocking its stores with some of the perkiest employees around. Cold Stone Creamery of Scottsdale, Ariz., encourages its franchisers to hold auditions, or casting ...
Red Velvet Marilyn.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001 ... It is known cryptically as "Red Velvet Pose No. 6." To Butterfields Auctioneers, it is better known as Marilyn Monroe naked. And that means big bucks. Butterfields will auction off the famed nude photos of the Hollywood icon - including poses No. 2 through No. 6 -- on March 22 ...
Short-Order Cops.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001 ... Call it community policing with a twist. Last week, patrons of Acapulco Restaurant in Sun Valley and Lulu's Cafe in Van Nuys were stunned to find uniformed LAPD officers and top brass waiting tables, preparing orders and cleaning up after customers. It was all part ...
Canon Fodder.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001 ... Perhaps Rodeo Drive isn't all it's cracked up to be. Carroll & Co., the landmark Beverly Hills men's clothier, recently marked its 51st year of business in the city best known for its upscale shops and high-priced homes. Richard Carroll founded the family-owned ...
Swarm of Health Legislation Facing California Lawmakers.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... The state's power crisis will not be the only cause of sparks this year in Sacramento, as doctors, hospitals and HMOs go toe-to-toe over health care-related legislation. While all sides are still slogging through more than 100 health care-related bills introduced by the Feb. 23 ...
City Hall Veteran Pushes School Partnership.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... James Hahn Proposes Joint Powers Authority to Build Schools, Seeks Cutting of Business Red Tape THE Business Journal presents the fourth in its weekly installments of interviews with the six major candidates for L.A. mayor. This week: James Hahn, son of the legendary Kenneth ...
Struggling Kushner-Locke Gets Needed Bank Reprieve.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Troubled television producer Kushner-Locke Co. received a one-month reprieve from its leading lender last week, providing it time to sell off its library and to explore other capital-generating options. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Chase ...
XFL Introducing Changes As Viewers Head for Exits.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Scrambling to reverse the disastrous ratings slide of its XFL football broadcasts, NBC is tinkering with the league's rules and format of its broadcasts. The XFL has eliminated on-field player introductions, shortened the length of halftimes and played with the clock. It also has ...
Lakers' Brand Is in Top 10.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... The Dallas Cowboys hold the world's most valuable sports franchise brand, beating out the L.A. Lakers and Dodgers, which ranked No. 9 and No. 31, respectively, according to a first-of-its-kind study. FutureBrand, a global corporate brand consultancy, valued the Cowboys' name and ...
Numero Uno Joins Steakhouse Craze.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Numero Uno Pizzeria, struggling to survive in the pizza business, is diversifying into the steakhouse and coffeehouse sectors. The Los Angeles-based company has concluded that the pizza business is oversaturated and that more growth is taking place in other areas of the ...
Starbucks-like Chain Of Teahouses Planned.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Hoping to match Starbucks Coffee Co.'s success in selling premium priced coffee, teas and blended drinks, an El Segundo firm plans to open a chain of teahouses nationwide. The chain, to be called Cup N Saucer, will be a wholly owned subsidiary of WorldNet Resource Group Inc., a ...
Radio Free Virgin Fine Tunes Its Online Radio Station.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Promising to deliver its unique brand of programming to a wider audience with a standard of quality that far exceeds traditional radio, Richard Branson's Radio Free Virgin, the online radio station streaming from the Miracle Mile district of Los Angeles, will introduce widespread changes ...
Museum Forms a Web Site Presence During Rebuilding.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... The Children's Museum of Los Angeles in downtown has been closed since last August, and the two locations where it will reopen are not going to be ready until 2003 and 2005, respectively. But parents and kids won't have to wait nearly that long to access the museum's exhibits. ...
Chamber Endorses Council Candidates for First Time.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... FOR the first time in modern L.A. history, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is actually endorsing candidates in local city elections. Late last month, the L.A. Chamber's Political Action Committee -- revived two years ago for the charter reform baffle, after decades of ...
New Chamber President.(Thomas Decker)(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Speaking of the chamber, former Bank of America executive Thomas Decker has been named the chamber's interim president, replacing Ezunial "Eze" Burts, who resigned last month. Decker, now an independent business consultant, was BofA' s community liaison until the bank was ...
Polanco Rumors.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Ever since state Sen. Richard Polanco suddenly withdrew from the First District City Council race on Feb. 21, rumors have been flying all over the city about what might be his true reasons for bowing out. Virtually everybody conceded that the Senate Majority Leader was a lock to win the ...
Customs Agents Uncover Rerouted Chinese Apparel.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... U.S. customs officials at the Port of Los Angeles are stopping tons of apparel goods marked "Made in Cambodia" or "Made in Hong Kong" because they suspect the goods may have been rerouted illegally from China. China is one of the top producers of apparel imported to the United ...
My Favorite Sites.(Autobytel.com Inc.)(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Coachwooden.com I happen to be a big Coach (John) Wooden fan. This guy's got an unbelievable record, but more importantly he developed this thing called the pyramid of success. The Web site has the pyramid, and it kind of shows you what he was thinking when he developed it. The ...
Celebrity Exchange To Begin Selling Data.(Hollywood Stock Exchange Inc.)(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... The 450,000 Hollywood Stock Exchange Web site subscribers who have been "buying" and "selling" fantasy stocks and bonds tied to the popularity of specific movies and celebrities will themselves be put up for sale this week. Actually, it's data about them that will be sold. ...
Ricky Martin Pegged for 'Assassination'.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... RUMORS that Ricky Martin is being eyed as a potential cast member for "The Assassination" are now confirmed by Constellation Entertainment, which reports that he is already signed. Martin's approximate $5 million paycheck in the $25 million picture may be more than that of the ...
Sitting on a Pile of Cash, Stamps.com Sticks to Business.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... A quick glimpse at Stamps.com, the Santa Monica-based provider of Internet mailing and shipping services; is downright frightening, but quick glimpses can be misleading. The company axed 150 workers last month, just a few months after cutting 240 employees and back-to-back ...
B2B Site Tunes Out.(B3 Corp.)(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... A local B2B player hatched from an AOL Time Warner unit announced last week that it has received $15 million from investors. Burbank-based B3 Corp., a unit of AOL Time Warner's Warner Music Group, took in the funding from Wells Fargo & Co. and New York-based Zilkha Capital Partners. ...
Aerospace Sites Take Off.(Aerospace Hardware Exchange)(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... While countless B2B startups crashed and burned in the aerospace sector during last year's Internet mania, newborn companies with solid business models are still getting funded. One of the latest startups to lift off is Redondo Beach-based Aerospace Hardware Exchange, which went ...
Divine Inspiration is Behind Patron Saint of the Internet.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... HAVING trouble finding what you're looking for online? Is your Net connection getting interrupted for no good reason? Does your computer crash every time you download a video clip? Have faith, ye troubled souls -- salvation is near. Word out of Vatican City is that ...
BANKABLE NAME.(First Commerce Bank)
Mar 05, 2001; ... A YEAR AFTER CHANGING ITS NAME AND ADDING A SECOND BRANCH, FIRST COMMERCE BANK HAS MOVED INTO THE BLACK A bank by any other name might still handle deposits and withdrawals, but for First Commerce Bank, a new name -- along with a new location and a new approach to business -- ...
Briefing.(Life-Like Prosthetics)(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001 ... A FIRST PERSON ACCOUNT OF RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS HOPEFULLY you'll never need Carlos Sambrano's services, but if you do, you'll be happy to know how serious he takes his job. The owner of Life-Like Prosthetics in Torrance has been making a better life for amputees for 25 years ....
Virtual Offices Lend Big Feel to Home-Based Business.(Todaro Communications)(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... TONY Todaro had 20 subcontractors and an impressive roster of high-tech and financial services-industry clients, but he was still working out of his home in Redondo Beach. He was hesitant to lease office space again. Five years earlier, he moved his marketing-communications firm, Todaro ...
When Lender Relationship Turns Sour, It's Time to Go.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... SOMETIMES bankers find themselves in the position where they have business clients that no longer meet the bank's qualifications or requirements. When this occurs, bankers are in a situation where they must think about asking these clients to leave the bank. For many, this can ...
LIGHTNING ROD.(Southern California Edison boss Stephen Frank)(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Southern California Edison boss Stephen Frank, at the center of the state's energy problems, defends the utility's handling of the crisis, laments deregulation FOR Stephen E. Frank, the last seven months have been a whirlwind -- some might say a nightmare. As chairman, chief ...
PEOPLE.
Mar 05, 2001 ... Newsmakers Accounting & Consulting John W. Tracey has been admitted into the partnership of Lucas Horsfall Murphy & Pindroh LLP, a certified public accounting and business consulting firm in Pasadena. He provides income tax planning and compliance services for ...
VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS.(Statistical Data Included)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Ranked by capital under management in L.A. & Orange County offices THE PACESETTER REDPOINT VENTURES REDPOINT Ventures continues to be the most active venture capital firm in Los Angeles and Orange counties, investing $81.4 million last year, down only ...
SECURITY GUARD FIRMS.(Statistical Data Included)
Mar 05, 2001; ... Ranked by number of security personnel in L.A. County THE PACESETTER PINKERTON/BURNS The names atop the list of the 25 largest security guard firms in Los Angeles County are familiar, but they now appear together rather than in succession. ...
Tech Firm Looks to V-Chip, Biochip to Reverse Fortunes.
Mar 05, 2001; ... YOU'D think that a firm named after the Amazonian vine that boosts the immune system might be somewhat immune to market conditions. But just like most new technology companies, Acacia Research Corp. has seen its stock nosedive since its razzle-dazzle run last spring. In fact, ...
Equity Line of Credit Gains Favor as Source of Capital.(Cappelo Capital Corp.)(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... THE "equity line of credit" is big business on Wall Street these days, said managing director Rob Deutschman of Cappelo Capital Corp. in Santa Monica. The basics of an equity line of credit are simple, though actual implementation requires a lot of detail-work: A publicly traded ...
ECONOWATCH L.A. COUNTY.(Illustration)
Mar 05, 2001; ... <Pre> ECONOWATCH L.A. COUNTY % + fromLatest Previous previousperiodperiod period GENERAL ...
THE LABJ STOCK INDEX TRACKING 200 SELECTED LOS ANGELES COUNTY-BASED COMPANIES.
Mar 05, 2001 ... MARKET DIARY Another tough week on Wall Street, with the LABJ 200 Index of local stocks dropping 1.4 percent in value. While the local index's performance over the past 52 weeks (down 14.4 percent) is hardly reason to celebrate, it is nowhere near the carnage suffered on the ...
Barreto Nominated For SBA Post.
Mar 05, 2001 ... Hector V. Barreto, a Los Angeles entrepreneur and former chairman of the Latin Business Association, has been nominated by President Bush to head the U.S. Small Business Administration. If elected, Barreto, who has no formal government experience, is expected to be a strong ...
Grocery Chain Otters Stock Deal.
Mar 05, 2001 ... Grocery warehouse chain Smart & Final Inc. is offering its employees a way to gain value from stock options that have been worthless for more than two years. The company's board adopted a voluntary exchange program in which directors and employees can trade in their stock ...
EToys to File for Bankruptcy.
Mar 05, 2001 ... With its stock trading at less than 10 cents per share, online retailer eToys announced that it has decided to file for bankruptcy. The once-promising toy seller said in February that it is laying off all its employees after disappointing holiday sales crippled its operations ....
GM Sues Over Emissions Mandate.
Mar 05, 2001 ... Following the state air resource board's rejection of General Motors' bid to delay implementation of the new rules, the automaker filed suit to overturn California's zero-emission vehicle mandate. The so-called ZEV mandate would require major automakers to begin offering a ...
Disney Buys Magazine Stake.
Mar 05, 2001 ... Walt Disney Internet Group, whose Web sites include Disney.com and ESPN.com, said it is firing 135 workers as part of its drive to turn a profit. Most of the cuts will come from Disney Internet's technology organization and its ABCNews.com and ABC.com Web sites. The ...
Foundation Eyeing Station Location.
Mar 05, 2001 ... Seeking a central location close to the low-income neighborhoods it serves, one of the nation's largest health-care foundations is exploring the construction of a new 100,000-square-foot headquarters complex in downtown Los Angeles near historic Union Station. The Woodland ...
Tenants Due Refunds.
Mar 05, 2001 ... Local property manager R.W. Selby & Co. must pay $450,000 in refunds to apartment tenants who lost their security deposits because of improper charges by the company, according to a court-approved settlement announced by state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer. The settlement, approved by ...
Encore Ends Tech Funding.
Mar 05, 2001 ... Santa Monica-based Encore Venture Partners, which raised $150 million and invested in nine fast-growing technology companies, has closed its local office and abandoned its focus on tech firms. Encore, formed in 1999, decided to give up its tech focus after its primary limited ...
Follow the Money.
Mar 05, 2001 ... <Pre> Follow the Money A ROUND OF RECENT LOCAL FUNDINGS RecipientWeb Amount AddressAddress(in millions) City/Zip Westfield America Inc. ...
Attention to Fine Print May Help Reduce Loan Ordeals.
Mar 05, 2001; ... Do you remember the story of the lady whose mortgage ate her house? She borrowed $30,000 and ended up owing her lender an astounding $127,000 just five years later. The payout represented 55 percent of the entire sales price of her home. Loan nightmares like hers are ...
INTEREST RATES & INCOME LOANS.
Mar 05, 2001 ... <Pre>INTEREST RATES & INCOME LOANSINCOME PROPERTY LOANSRATES AS OF FEBRUARY 28, 2001 TYPE RATE LTV POINTS MARGIN ADJUST NOTES CalFed LendingMDU 7.000% 75 1.619NA FN/0/0 ...
Socially Responsible Funds Not a Big Market Segment.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001; ... NOTHING in the big wide world of mutual funds gets more glittering press notices than "socially responsible" funds. Reporters love to write about the subject, and promoters of funds managed with social or religious values -- for instance, barring tobacco or gambling stocks -- ...
Building Is Again Focus of Battle Over Big Billboards.
Mar 05, 2001; ... IT appears Jon Mueller is at it again. Los Angeles city officials confirmed that they were investigating the appearance of a new supergraphic on the surface of Mueller's Westwood Medical Plaza. The building has been ground zero for the city's battle over billboards and ...
Digging the Grove.
Mar 05, 2001; ... Even as Nordstrom is pulling back on expansion plans around the country -- and as the Nordstrom family considers selling its chain -- the company seems fully committed to its 28th California store at The Grove at Farmers Market. Provided the struggling Seattle-based retailer ...
Construction Action.
Mar 05, 2001; ... Matt Construction of Santa Fe Springs has been hired to build a new store in Beverly Hills for luxury goods peddler Cartier. The high-end retailer has been at 370 N. Rodeo Drive for 21 years, but will tear down its existing store and replace it with a four-story, 14,500-square-foot store ...
Downtown Revival?
Mar 05, 2001; ... Still more good news for the Downtown Business Improvement District as Blue Cross of California has committed to moving from the Westside to 801 S. Figueroa St. A subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks, Blue Cross of California leased 22,946 square feet of space to house 65 ...
Crossing Cultures.
Mar 05, 2001; ... Choosing the perfect restaurant in which to entertain Asian business visitors means having to be mindful of cultural differences as well as varied culinary tastes Los Angeles is a keystone to the commerce of the Pacific Rim, a nexus for legions of Asian businesspeople, who flock ...
Warner Bedevils Young Harry Potter Fans.
Mar 05, 2001; ... SOMETIMES in fairy tales, when the wicked witch wants to be really wicked, she makes her victim huge, monstrously big, banging into everything. Could such dark forces be at work on everyone's favorite mini-wizard, Harry Potter? We already know that Potter, the boy ...
Production Values.(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001 ... ACCORDING to a new U.S. Department of Commerce report, the cost of "runaway production" has increased fivefold over the past decade, and has now hit $10 billion a year. Meanwhile, U.S. productions in Canada have leaped from 14 percent to 27 percent of the total U.S. output. The ...
LABJ forum.(Brief Article)
Mar 05, 2001 ... Do Teachers Deserve a Raise? By the narrowest of margins, the Los Angeles Board of Education has approved a 15 percent pay raise and benefit package for teachers. The raise is to be spread over three years, but the increase will put the district in the red unless cost cutting is ...
Model Mayor.(Government Activity)
Mar 05, 2001; ... L.A. mayoral hopefuls should take a cue from Oakland's Jerry Brown As the hitherto slow-moving mayoral race begins to pick up steam, there's some need to find a standard by which to judge the candidates. Given the rather lackluster denouement of the Riordan years, ...