Los Angeles Business Journal back issues from April 2006:
Business strategically silent on immigration.
Apr 03, 2006; ... Like many L.A.-area business owners, Manolo Cevalos has an opinion on the hot-button issue of illegal immigration reform that's pending before Congress. In his case, it lands on the side of those who favor more lenient treatment of workers not in the country legally. ...
Tortilla flats: Wendy's struggling Mexican chain on block.(Fresh Enterprises Inc. Baja Fresh Mexican Grill acquired by Wendy's International Inc.)(Company overview)
Apr 03, 2006; ... THE burrito appears to be unraveling. After nearly four years of tinkering with Baja Fresh, Wendy's International Inc. is ready to unload the struggling Thousand Oaks-based Mexican food chain. Like its rivals, the nation's third-largest restaurant chain is shedding ...
Another three L.A. firms report 'material weakness'.(J2 Global Communications Inc., Superior Industries International Inc., First Consulting Group Inc.)
Apr 03, 2006; ... Four years after Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to eradicate fraud at public companies, some firms are still reporting "material weaknesses" in their internal controls--buzzwords that can send a stock plummeting and legal fees soaring. In Los Angeles County, fax firm J2 ...
For Wall Street, homes are still where heart is.
Apr 03, 2006; ... For L.A.'s homebuilders, the current economic recipe of rising mortgage interest rates, flattening appreciation levels and dwindling sales seemingly would give Wall Street indigestion. But institutional investors aren't losing their appetite for KB Home and Ryland Group Inc ....
Marvelous night for superheroes of L. A. business.
Apr 03, 2006; ... When Spider-Man and a spaceman make the scene, you know you're at a high-flying soiree. Sure enough, there was plenty of whiz-bang last week at the California Science Center s eighth annual Discovery Ball. Spider-Man creator Stan Lee and former astronaut Buzz Aldrin were the ...
Forget the black ties.(PAGE THREE)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006; ... Forget the black ties. Flak jackets were in order last week at the Universal Amphitheatre as liberal pundit Al Franken and conservative commentator Ann Coulter took the stage. At home in front of a mostly liberal audience attending the University of Judaism's lecture series, Franken let ...
Several investment bankers at Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin have bought a vineyard in Oregon's Willamette Valley.(PAGE THREE)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006; ... Several investment bankers at Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin have bought a vineyard in Oregon's Willamette Valley and are growing gapes and making wine. Scott Adelson and John Mavredakis, senior managing directors at Houlihan, have teamed up with Michael Kramer, a former Houlihan ...
Movie move: Comerica Bank brings regional office to L.A.(Up Front)
Apr 03, 2006; ... ONCE again, Hollywood glitz is attracting the attention of the money people. Comerica Bank Inc., which financed the Academy Award-winning movie "Crash" is setting its sights on Southern California for future growth. The Detroit-based lender, with $55 billion in assets, is ...
Study debunks some myths of L.A. economy.(Los angeles)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006; ... True or false: "Since 2000, the rich in the L.A. area are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer." If you answered "true," then you've succumbed to one of the numerous "economic myths" common in discussions of the Southern California economy, according to the UCLA ...
Sea of Red to join blue whale at Pacific Design Center.(construction on the building to start this year)
Apr 03, 2006; ... Ever since Charles S. Cohen bought the Pacific Design Center six years ago, the New York developer has been seeing red. In this case, red is the color of the multihued West Hollywood landmark's third--and final--installment. And after turning around the long-straggling, interior ...
Gas update.(THE LABJ Online Journal)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Gas Update: The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles area rose for the fourth consecutive week, climbing 5.4 cents to $2.716 for the week ended March 27. Prices are 31.9 ...
Reiner resigns.(Rob Reiner )(California Children and Families Commission)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Reiner Resigns: Bowing to political pressure, actor/director Rob Reiner resigned as chair of the commission he established to administer funds from his 1998 cigarette tax initiative. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger named Hector Ramirez, vice president and chief operating officer of Los ...
Manufacturing down.(job losses grow in Los Angeles County)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Manufacturing Down: A report by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. paints a mixed picture of Southern California's manufacturing sector in 2005, noting it is still the nation's leader despite continued jobs losses and the increasing scarcity of industrial land. Los Angeles and the ...
DOE deal.(Northrop Grumman Corp. signed by Department of Energy)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... DOE Deal: A joint venture led by Northrop Grumman Corp. was awarded a five-year, $2.5 billion contract to manage and operate the U.S. Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site. L.A.-based Northrop is the managing partner of the joint venture, which also includes three other entities. Work on ...
Barbie problems.(Mattel Inc.'s barbie dolls sale comes down)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Barbie Problems: Mattel Inc.'s debt rating was cut by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services as sales of Barbie products, the toymaker's largest and most profitable product line, continue to decline. The El Segundo-based company's credit rating was cut to the lowest level of investment grade ...
'Toon time.(actors donating voice for animated television programs to get more salary)
Apr 03, 2006 ... 'Toon Time: Actors who perform voice-overs for animated programs on basic cable scored a big win Tuesday, when the Screen Actors Guild negotiated a 20 percent increase in residual payments, part of a tentative agreement between the union and animated basic cable producers. The proposed ...
Jobless numbers.(rises)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Jobless Numbers: Los Angeles County's unemployment rate rose slightly to 5.3 percent in February from 5.1 percent in January as more people jumped into the job market. But the rate was still substantially lower than the 5.7 percent posted a year ago, according to figures from the state ...
Movie making.(Columbia Pictures signs Tom Gores and Frank Mancuso Jr.)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Movie Making: Los Angeles financier Tom Gores and veteran producer Frank Mancuso Jr. reached a film acquisition and distribution agreement with Columbia Pictures. Gores and Mancuso will work through production firm 360 Pictures. The first film will be the basketball drama ...
Rent hikes.(Los Angeles area)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Rent Hikes: L.A.-area rents, already among the nation's highest, jumped by 7 percent in 2005, and a similar bump this year is expected to push the average monthly rent to more than $1,500, according to a University of Southern California forecast. The run-up in rent is fueled by high ...
Found in translation: attorneys learning Spanish for a better ride on wave of overtime cases.(News & Analysis)
Apr 03, 2006; ... To prepare to represent his Latino worker clients, lawyer John N. Quisenberry is studying case law and drawing up briefs. But he's also honing his Spanish-speaking skills and will learn how to throw pottery and cook mote in Oaxaca, Mexico. Quisenberry, head of the The ...
Plans take flight for adding passengers and cargo at Ontario.(News & Analysis)
Apr 03, 2006; ... After years of rhetoric about the need to redirect growth in air travel from LAX, efforts are finally moving forward under Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to grow both passenger and cargo traffic at Ontario International Airport. Los Angeles World Airports, the L.A ....
Turnaround appears on horizon for L.A. biotech funding.
Apr 03, 2006; ... AFTER describing the advantages and lucrative market for his two-piece, bioprosthetic heart valve to a group of venture capitalists in downtown Los Angeles last week. Dr. Ivan Vesely's suit pocket was filled with business cards and even a few offers of help in polishing his pitch. ...
Ophthalmologist's vision realized in implantable contacts.
Apr 03, 2006; ... Dr. Paul Doughtery carefully makes a 3-millimeter slit near the edge of the cornea of Rod Barshook's right eye and slides a rolled-up contact lens between the iris and the eye's own lens. After the lens unrolls itself, he gently tucks the edges under the iris. A few minutes later another ...
GameFly building buzz with its video game rentals.(Overstock.com Inc.)
Apr 03, 2006; ... CAN a big "O" squash a little fly? Internet clearinghouse Overstock.com Inc. is launching online video game rentals, presenting a new challenge for GameFly Inc., the L.A.-based market leader. Salt Lake City-based Overstock, GameFly and others are hoping to vacuum up ...
Northrop Grumman becomes big gun in info technology.
Apr 03, 2006; ... Northrop Grumman Co. is best known as a tier-one defense contractor, but the Los Angeles company is also the second-largest provider of information technology services to the government--and getting bigger. Northrop pulls in about $5 billion, or one third of its revenue, from ...
New guy at sexy hair plans major fluffing up of sales.(Sexy Hair Concepts appoints Jim Morrison )
Apr 03, 2006; ... Jim Morrison has a vision: sexy hair across the world. Morrison is the newly minted chief executive of Chatsworth-based Sexy Hair Concepts LLC, an approximately $50 million salon products company that he plans to grow into a $250 million company in five years. "It is ...
State board backs onshore electric sources for ships.(California. Air Resources Board)
Apr 03, 2006; ... Is cold ironing a viable, cost-effective strategy for reducing the pollution from the Los Angeles ports? The California Air Resources Board believes it likely is. An air board draft report on the process--in which ships docked at port use an onshore electric source ...
Vic's would be traded away for high-end condo project.(Trader Vic's Inc.)
Apr 03, 2006; ... BEVERY Hilton landmarks, including Trader Vic's restaurant, could be bulldozed to make way for high-end condos, according to a report obtained by the Business Journal. The hotel, and its ballroom in particular, has gained international prominence as the home of the Golden Globe ...
City National acquires another money management firm.(subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corp.)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... City National Corp., the parent of City National Bank in Beverly Hills, is continuing its strategy of acquiring money managers with the purchase of Independence Investment LLC, from Manulife Financial Corp. The deal for the Boston-based money manager was called "a natural fit" ...
Canadian cable deal.(TVN Entertainment Corp. to provide content to Canadian Cable Systems Alliance)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Burbank-based TVN Entertainment Corp. will provide video-on-demand fare for the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance, the company announced last week. The multi-year, umbrella deal covers the 94-member CCSA system, which provide cable service to almost 1 million Canadian households. ...
Attorneys for hire.(Susman Godfrey LLP)(Irell and Manella L.L.P.)(Quinn Emanuel Oliver Urquhart & Hedges L.L.P)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Susman Godfrey LLP joined the ranks last week of law firms paying their first-year Los Angeles law associates $145,000. In addition to benefits, bar exam fees and moving expenses, the package includes at least $15,000 in bonus money. The rush for more associate pay ...
L.A. County poverty.(Los Angeles)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Nearly four in l0 L.A. County residents are poor enough to qualify for government anti-poverty assistance, according to a study released last week from the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. The study cited 2004 U.S. Census data that found 3.9 million people in L.A. County ...
Co-founder steps down.(Alan C. Draper)(UTi Worldwide Inc.)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Alan C. Draper, co-founder and executive vice-president of the Rancho Dominguez-based global logistics company UTi Worldwide, is retiring, effective June 30. He has been with the company and its predecessor entities for 27 years. "My decision to retire was not an ...
Stradling moves into Santa Monica, Newmeyer moves out.(Tejon Ranch Co gets approval to construct industrial complex)(Soros Fund Management L.L.C acquires DreamWorks SKG' movie library)
Apr 03, 2006; ... NEWPORT Beach-based Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth has opened a Santa Monica office and staffed it with three attorneys poached from rival Newmeyer & Dillion, another Newport Beach-based firm. Joining Stradling are partner Timothy F. Silvestre and associates Marisa B. Iasenza ...
Hot spots: MRB Productions jazzes up the world of football promos.(Media & Entertainment)
Apr 03, 2006; ... NEVER mind the 40-yard dash or the Wonderlic intelligence test. USC football stars Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, LenDale White prepped for the upcoming NFL draft by strutting down a runway in fake fur coats, "Matrix"-style get-ups, top hats and canes. The trio--along with Memphis ...
Production company seeks to liven up dead zone at the local multiplex.(Media & Entertainment)(SD Entertainment Inc.)
Apr 03, 2006; ... Jonathan Dem and Paul Sabella are kind of like infill developers. They are trying to fill seats in movie theaters during dead times. The two former co-heads of Metro Goldwyn Mayer's MGM Animation started their own company, SD Entertainment Inc., in 2000, and they've built two ...
Infomercial company views expanded horizons on internet.(Mercury Media gets funding from Eos Partners L.P)(AdStar Inc. introduces new product)(Beyond Media signs partnership deal with DAVE.TV)
Apr 03, 2006; ... For 17 years, direct-response media specialist Mercury Media has been ensuring that the infomercials of self-help guru Anthony Robbins and acne fighters Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields are placed at just the right time, on the right channel and in the best markets to ensure order switchboards ...
Mediawatch.(Table)
Apr 03, 2006 ... <Pre> MOVIE BOX OFFICE Weekend Gross Total Gross Rank Title (mils)(mils)1 Inside Man$29.0$29.0 2 V for Vendetta 12.3 46.2 Stay ...
Winning big: Valle & Associates contracts with law firms for contingency cases.(Innovation)(Company overview)
Apr 03, 2006; ... When Jeff Valle was a partner at Skadden Arps LLP in 1992, a small company came to the firm with an entertainment case that had the potential for a very high payoff. The company's leadership didn't think it could afford his firm's legal fees, however, so it asked for contingency ...
Insider pages moving into venture funding--and out of Pasadena.(Buzznet Inc. launches new website)(Space Exploration Technologies Inc. launches rocket)
Apr 03, 2006; ... An Idealab company is graduating from the incubator. Insider Pages, a "local search" engine based in Idealab's Pasadena offices, has obtained $8.5 million in venture funding and is moving to Northern California. Insider Pages has gained traction on the idea that referrals from ...
Riding the boom from Malibu to downtown.(INNOVATION)(Diary entry)
Apr 03, 2006; ... I get up at about 5:15 every morning and I try to get a quick workout in at home. I check my work e-mails and get some of my work things organized for the day. Then I wake up my first child, feed her, and drop her off at the bus stop around the corner. I come back, take a shower and get ...
Wave guitar.(RKS Guitars intrroduces new product)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006; ... Manufacturer: RKS Guitars, Oxnard Description: Guitar with interchangeable body shells Cost: $899 RKS Guitars, creator of the innovative "Open Architecture" design, which received an award from the Industrial Design Society of America, recently debuted ...
Video and MP-3 belt buckles.(Portable Media Concepts Network's new product)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006; ... Manufacturer: Portable Media Concepts Network, Los Angeles Description: Portable belt buckle that doubles as media device Price: Music Buckle, $79; Video Buckle, $129 MP-3 players are getting smaller and more sophisticated and belt buckles are getting ...
Advertising agencies: ranked by 2005 Los Angeles County billings.(The List)
Apr 03, 2006; ... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Rubin Postaer and Associates once again tops the list of the largest advertising agencies ranked by E.A. County billings. The Santa Monica-based firm reported $957 million in 2005 billings, more than double Davidandgoliath LLC, No. 2 this war. There ...
Public relations agencies: ranked by 2005 L.A. County net fee income.(The List)
Apr 03, 2006; ... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Rogers Group remained No. 1 on list of independent public relations firms ranked by 2005 L.A. County net tee income. It is followed by Chicago-based public relations giant Edelman, which saw local fee income drop slightly in 2005. Edelman reported fee ...
Selling the sizzle: Ken Cole took the top job at Sizzler USA after asking investment bankers. 'You have to fix it without breaking it,' one of them told him.(People)(Interview)
Apr 03, 2006; ... Ken Cole, the son of West Virginian railroader, is the ultimate small town success story. He's gone from soda jerk to chief executive of Sizzler USA. Cole grew up in Grafton, W. Va., a town of less than 8,000 people. It's the kind of place where everyone knows each other, and Cole got the ...
Rothstein Kass CPA.(Accounting)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Rothstein Kass CPA has hired Mark C. Hutchison as tax principal. ...
Outsource Partners International Inc.(appointed Rockwell A. Sehnabel )(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Rockwell A. Sehnabel has been appointed to the board of Outsource Partners International Inc ....
RTKL Associates.(appointed Steve Chung, Ellen Riingen and Mark Barajas )(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... RTKL Associates in Los Angeles has hired Steve Chung as principal for the retail/entertainment sector, Ellen Riingen as a designer for the health care sector and Mark Barajas for the residential sector. Chung was previously ...
Austin Veum Robbins Partners.(Architecture)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Austin Veum Robbins Partners has hired Darryl Yamamoto as director of its Los ...
Financial Partners Credit Union.(appointed Lance Hauptmeier and Kit Ho )(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Financial Partners Credit Union has hired Lance Hauptmeier as director of programming and Kit Ho as director of accounting ....
Broadway Financial Co.(appointed F. Glen Harvey )(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Broadway Financial Co. in Los Angeles has hired F. Glen Harvey as president and chief operating ...
Citizens Business Bank.(appointed Edward J. Mylett Jr.)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Citizens Business Bank has appointed Edward J. Mylett Jr. as executive vice president-chief credit officer. Mylett ...
PinnacleOne.(appointed Patrick Dougherty and Lawrence D. Hazzard)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Patrick Dougherty has joined PinnacleOne, a construction consulting firm, as West Coast regional business development director for the Los Angeles office. Dougherty was most recently executive director of business ...
Disney's Buena Vita Home Entertainment.(Entertainment)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment has promoted Jeanne Hobson to senior vice ...
Gemstar TV Guide International Inc.(promoted Tonia O'Connor )(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Gemstar TV Guide International Inc. has promoted Tonia O'Connor to executive vice president of ...
Neilsen Entertainment's Home Entertainment and Interactive.(promoted Kathy Benjamin and David Gilison)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Kathy Benjamin and David Gilison were promoted to senior vice president of Nielsen Entertainment's Home Entertainment and ...
Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa.(appointed Hans Schaepman and Samantha Telesford )(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... The Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena has appointed Hans Schaepman to executive assistant manager of rooms division, and Samantha Telesford to spa director. Schaepman ...
Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.(appointed David Horowitz and Robert L. Wentworth )(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City has appointed David Horowitz as general manager and Robert L. Wentworth as director of sales and marketing. Horowitz was ...
BentleyForbes Hospitality Group LLC.(appointed Chris Pfohl, Sarah Maxwell and Nina Puente)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... BentleyForbes Hospitality Group LLC, a Century City-based hotel and resort property acquisitions and ownership company, has appointed Chris Pfohl as executive vice president, and Sarah Maxwell and Nina Puente as assistant vice ...
Yellowstone Club World LLC.(appointed Dieter Huckestein)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Yellowstone Club World LLC, a resort group, has appointed Dieter Huckestein as president ...
Armbruster & Goldsmith LLP.(appointed R.J. Comer)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Armbruster & Goldsmith LLP, a land use law firm, has hired R.J. Comer as a ...
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.(appointed Claudio R. Chavez )(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... Claudio R. Chavez was named partner of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP's Los Angeles office in real ...
David Wright Tremaine.(appointed Mary Haas )(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... David Wright Tremaine, a national business law firm, has appointed Mary Haas ...
DirecTV Inc.(appointed Derek Chang)(Brief article)
Apr 03, 2006 ... DirecTV Inc. has hired Derek Chang as senior vice president of strategy and development in DirecTV's ...