Los Angeles Business Journal back issues from February 2007:
Staples singers: sports giant AEG ramping up music, event promotion.(AEG President and Chief Executive Tim Leiweke)
Feb 05, 2007; ... EVERY day, AEG President and Chief Executive Tim Leiweke looks out the window of his office near the Staples Center and sees workmen and huge cranes bringing L.A. Live, the massive $2.5 billion sports, entertainment and residential complex, closer to completion, The ...
Chain's pizza dough is rising steadily: California Pizza Kitchen founders reheat struggling firm.(DINING)
Feb 05, 2007; ... IT'S getting to the point where what's going on at California Pizza Kitchen Inc. can't really be called a turnaround. Just 3 1/2 years ago the Los Angeles-based casual dining chain was bleeding red ink and its stock was trading near the all-time low, in the $17 range. ...
Bank owner is manhunt target: Taiwan seeks Omni executive in embezzlement case.(FINANCE)
Feb 05, 2007; ... A San Gabriel Valley bank has found itself the focus of unwanted attention after an international manhunt was launched for one of its Taiwanese owners following the collapse of several of his family's Asian holdings. Protesters picketed outside of Omni Bank in Alhambra demanding ...
Devil's in the details of living wage deal: business sees peril in vague language of compromise.(LABOR)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Local business leaders were reeling last week after they got a closer look at the last-minute deal that was reached to avert a ballot showdown over extending L.A's living wage ordinance to a dozen airport hotels. Under the deal announced Jan. 31 by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, ...
Talk of fee hikes gaining ground at graduate schools.(Up Front)
Feb 05, 2007; ... UCLA's business and law schools have long been considered a relative bargain compared to their Ivy League competitors. That could be about to change. With the costs of professional education constantly rising and state funding failing to keep pace, the schools are ...
Style files: web site enables shoppers to suit themselves.(Up Front)
Feb 05, 2007; ... LOUISE Wannier had founded three technology companies and earned national recognition for her marketing abilities when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. It meant stepping down as chairwoman at Enfish Software Inc. After undergoing chemotherapy, Wannier started thinking ...
Chopper King says state air board is blowing smoke.(Up Front)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Having the name of a notorious Old West outlaw can attract some attention. Being the star of a popular TV series and married to actress Sandra Bullock tends to pique interest, too. But when the California Air Resources Board showed up on the doorstep of Jesse James' Long Beach ...
Investigation announced.(News of the Week)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Investigation Announced: The Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a formal investigation into options backdating at KB Home. The probe comes at a crucial time for the company, which is struggling to rebound from a deep slump in housing construction and ...
Mattel Inc.(Earnings Roundup)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Earnings Roundup: Boosted by Barbie and the T.M.X. Elmo dolls, Mattel Inc. posted better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings. The El Segundo-based toymaker reported net income of $286 million, up 2.5 percent from the same period a year earlier. Sales were up 14 percent to $2.11 billion ....
Ameron International Corp.(Earnings Roundup)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Ameron International Corp., a pipeline and waterline maker in Pasadena, reported fourth quarter operating earnings equal to $1.35 per share, up from $1.27 in the same ...
Overhill Farms Inc.(Earnings Roundup)(Financial report)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Overhill Farms Inc. reported fast quarter net income of $1.5 million, a 156 percent leap ...
Merger mania?(News of the Week)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Merger Mania?: The rumor of Countrywide Financial Corp. merging with Bank of America made the rounds on Wall Street, driving up the stock briefly. However, hopes were dashed and the stock dropped when BofA Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis said the bank was not pursuing a wholesale mortgage ...
New destroyer.(News of the Week)(Northrop Grumman Corp)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007 ... New Destroyer: Northrop Grumman Corp. was awarded a U.S. Navy contract worth $268 million for continuing design work on the Zumwalt-class destroyer. The contract funds further design and procurement of the DDG 1000, high-tech stealth-looking destroyer through 2013, the Los Angeles-based ...
DaVita cleared.(News of the Week)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007 ... DaVita Cleared: A six-year federal investigation of DaVita Inc. has concluded without any charges being filed, the El Segundo-based dialysis center operator said. It was the oldest of three investigations into the company's business practices. DaVita said that government officials told ...
Sale suit.(News of the Week)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Sale Suit: Shareholders of 21st Century Insurance Group sued to block a proposed $690 million buyout by insurance giant American International Group Inc. In a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, minority investors said that AIG's proposal was purposefully timed to "squeeze out" ...
Twisting around.(News of the Week)(Wetzel's Pretzels acquired by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners Inc)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Twisting Around: Wetzel's Pretzels was sold to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners Inc., a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. Terms weren't disclosed. The sellers, an investor group that ...
Splashed down.(News of the Week)(Sea Launch Co. )(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Splashed Down: A rocket launched in the mid-Pacific Ocean by Sea Launch Co. of Long Beach exploded, destroying the rocket and its payload. The Boeing Co.-built commercial communications satellite was insured. Damages to the launch pad and the overall cost of the mishap were under ...
Executive sentenced.(News of the Week)(Douglas R. Dowie)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Executive Sentenced: Douglas R. Dowie was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in federal prison for his role in over billing for public relations services while he was top executive of Fleishman-Hillard's L.A. office. A co-defendant, John Stodder Jr. was sentenced ...
Batter up.(News of the Week)(Easton-Bell Sports Inc.)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Batter Up: Easton-Bell Sports Inc. is moving its bat manufacturing business from Van Nuys to China. The company is outsourcing manufacturing in order to stay ahead of the competition, company Vice President Ken ...
Dynamic duo.(News of the Week)(Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007 ... Dynamic Duo: Gail Berman, former president of Paramount Pictures, and Lloyd Braun, former chairman of ABC Entertainment, have formed a company to produce television shows, movies and Internet projects. The venture, ...
Healthy, wealthy? Competing plans show 'collective will' to reform insurance coverage.(News & Analysis)
Feb 05, 2007; ... A year can sure make a difference. This time last February, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl was launching another seemingly quixotic quest to fix the state's ailing health care system by offering a California version of the socialized medicine predominant in Canada and Great Britain. ...
Shell purchase puts Texas Refinery owner on regional map.(News & Analysis)
Feb 05, 2007; ... San Antonio-based Tesoro Corp.'s purchase of a local oil refinery and 390 gas stations last week brings a new player into the market, but it will have a minimal impact on gas prices. Tesoro bought the Wilmington refinery from Shell Oil Co. for $1.6 billion, plus the value of oil ...
Traffic drop at LAX tied to airline efforts to boost profits: fuel costs lead carriers to cut number of flights at regional airports.(TRAVEL)(Los Angeles International Airport)(LA/Ontario International Airports )(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... RISING gas prices and belt-tightening airlines led to a modest decline in traffic at Los Angeles International Airport and LA/Ontario International Airports in 2006. Several airlines decreased flights in an attempt to boost profitability, according to Katherine Alvarado, ...
Part-time lovers.(MARKETPLACE)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Stein Mart Inc. is opening is 22nd California location next week. Twenty of those locations are in Southern California and the new store will open in La Mirada on February 15. A cornerstone of the new store will be its "boutique" sales staffing strategy. As part of ...
Model home.(MARKETPLACE)(Cindy Crawford Home Licensing )(Malibu Designs )(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Former supermodel Cindy Crawford is bringing her sense of style to the world of home furnishings. Santa Monica-based Cindy Crawford Home Licensing struck a deal with Simi Valley-based Malibu Designs last week to develop a home line. It will include tabletop, entertaining, outdoor and ...
Hilton earnings, Sheraton sale point to strength of sector.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Financial report)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Two events last week underscored the sudden strength of the hotel market. One was Wednesday's announcement by Hilton Hotels Corp. that its fourth quarter earnings nearly doubled. The other was the sale of the Universal Sheraton to Lowe Enterprises Inc. for about 70 percent more ...
Amgen's quarterly report gives ammunition to naysayers: challenges may be offset by potential of two experimental drugs.(INVESTING)
Feb 05, 2007; ... AMGEN Inc. naysayers, have been predicting the company s inevitable fall as a fast-growing biotech darling long before its market cap passed $82 billion. The Thousand Oaks company's latest quarterly report with its soft earnings, mixed clinical trial data and a cautious 2007 outlook only ...
Acquisition assignment.(HEALTH CARE & BIOTECH)(On Assignment Inc. acquires Oxford Global Resources Inc.)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... On Assignment Inc. has closed its acquisition of Oxford Global Resources Inc., a provider of information technology and engineering staffing services. The acquisition gives the Calabasas health care industry staffing firm entry into the growing market for information technology ...
Cedars gift.(Broad Foundation donates to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Los Angeles billionaire Eli Broad's Broad Foundation is providing Cedars-Sinai Medical Center a $1 million endowment to fund a women's heart research fellowship within its Women's Heart Center. The Edythe L. Broad Cardiology Research Fellowship will be directed by Dr. C. Noel ...
American Golf Corp. offering online tee-time reservations: web site will also offer products and related services.(TECHNOLOGY)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Los Angeles golfers will no longer have to rise at the crack of dawn to jockey for prime tee tunes. Santa Monica-based American Golf Corp., which manages courses owned by Los Angeles County, the City of Long Beach and Pasadena's Brookside Golf Club among others, has revamped its ...
Seal treat.(SPORTS BUSINESS)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... The Los Angeles Dodgers chose a more low-tech means of helping their season ticket holders upgrade seats this off-season: paper and tape. The Dodgers instituted a "Select-a-Seat" program during this off-season. Ticket holders were invited to Dodger Stadium where every available ...
Hoops honcho.(Los Angeles Sparks appoints Nancy Spears)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... The Los Angeles Sparks have gone Hollywood with their choice for a top executive. Nancy Spears, the former director of worldwide acquisitions for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, will be the team's president. She was the choice of owners Katherine Goodman and Carla ...
Northrop stays in running for refueling planes--but barely.(Northrop Grumman Corp.)
Feb 05, 2007; ... The Air Force unveiled the final terms in its $40 billion competition to find a new fleet of aerial refueling tankers last week, and though concessions were made to keep Northrop Grumman Corp. in the running, it remains unclear if the Los Angeles contractor has a much better chance of ...
Pacific Alliance opens in Rosemead as latest in a wave of ethnic banks.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)
Feb 05, 2007; ... A new Chinese business bank has just opened its doors in Rosemead, becoming the latest in a wave of business and ethnic bank startups in L.A. County. Pacific Alliance Bank, founded by the family of Andrew Su, a Garden Grove-based textile magnate, officially launches this week ...
Fine dining.(Malibu Planning Commission approves knock down of Windsail restaurant and PierView Cafe)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Fine Dining: The Malibu Planning Commission approved plans to knock down the old Windsail restaurant and PierView Cafe near the Malibu Pier. New eateries are to be built in their place. The buildings, which have been vacant for several years, are owned by grade Corp.'s chief executive, ...
Sexy time.(Girls Gone Wild to launch apparel line)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Sexy Time: Girls Gone Wild, the risque entertainment empire owned by Mantra Entertainment in Santa Monica, in mid February will debut a line of apparel for women and men. The Girls Gone Wild Collection will include sportswear, loungewear, intimate apparel and swimwear. Joe Francis, the ...
High-end high-rise.(construction plan for the Carlyle by Wilshire Carlyle Partners LLC)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... High-End High-Rise: Construction will begin in mid-February for the Carlyle, a 24-story residential high rise with 78 condominiums, along the "Golden Mile" of the Wilshire Corridor. The developers--Michael Rosenfeld, chief executive of Woodridge Capital, and Michael Talla, chairman of ...
Office expansion.(Century City)(Epstein Becker and Green P.C.)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Office Expansion: Epstein Becker & Green PC, a general practice law firm, renewed and expanded its lease contract at the Watt Plaza office complex. In May, the company will move from its space in the North Tower, which it has ...
Hospital openings.(Hythiam Inc.)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Hospital Openings: L.A.-based Hythiam Inc. opened a Prometa Center in San Francisco and another in New Jersey that will offer Hythiam's Prometa treatment for substance dependence. The total number of ...
Name change.(Hunt Ortmann Blasco Palffy & Rossell Inc. changes name to Hunt Ortmann Palffy Nieves Lubka Darling & Mah Inc.)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Name Change: Hunt Ortmann Blasco Palffy & Rossell Inc., a law firm specializing in construction law and litigation, has changed its ...
Military work.(Tetra Tech Inc. awarded contract by Naval Facilities Engineering Command)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Military Work: Tetra Tech Inc., a consulting, engineering, and technical services company was awarded a $15 million contract by Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest of San Diego. Tetra Tech will ...
Hotel sold.(by Pass Avenue Associates LLC to LaSalle Hotel Properties)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Hotel Sold: Maryland-based LaSalle Hotel Properties bought a 99-room boutique hotel all 316-322 N. Pass Ave. in downtown Burbank for $36.5 million, or about $368,700 ...
Office lease.(Arete Associates)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Office Lease: Arete Associates, a Sherman Oaks-based advanced science and technology company signed a 15-year lease for 84,220 square feet of Class A office space at 9301 Corbin Ave. in Northridge ....
Media acquisition.(Twistbox Entertainment Inc. acquires studio of Infospace Inc.)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Media Acquisition: Sherman Oaks-based Twistbox Entertainment Inc. acquired all of the assets of the San Mateo studio of Infospace Inc., a Washington-based company specializing in mobile entertainment and online directory. The studio will be fully integrated into ...
Sign crackdown.(City of Redondo Beach orders removal of illegal A-frame signs)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Sign Crackdown: The City of Redondo Beach has sent out a formal request to local businesses to remove illegal A-frame signs and prohibited banners from ...
Online takeover.(Internet Brands Inc. to acquire DoItYourself.com)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Online Takeover: El Segundo's Internet Brands Inc. has agreed to acquire DoItYourself.com, a leading independent home ...
Hearing health.(AcuNetx Inc. signs deal with Epic Hearing Healthcare)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Hearing Health: Torrance-based AcuNetx Inc. announced that its medical products division, IntelliNetx, signed a marketing agreement with Epic Hearing Healthcare. Epic, which stands for Ear Professionals ...
Debt financing.(Downtown)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Debt Financing: American Apparel Inc., a manufacturer and retailer of tight T-shirts and other casual apparel, completed a $41 million secured debt financing with a private investment firm. Most ...
Office lease.(John A. Martin and Associates)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Office Lease: John A. Martin & Associates signed a lease for 36,000 square feet of Class A office space at 950 S. Grand Ave. The structural engineering and design firm, which was involved in the construction of the Walt Disney ...
Far East expansion.(Apec to open facility in China)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Far East Expansion: Apec, a Baldwin Park-based contract manufacturer for the medical device industry, is opening a 35,000-square foot manufacturing facility for mid- to high-volume medical molding in Asia. Apec Asia will be fully operational by the end of February. The facility is located ...
Making the cut: DR Group started offering digital editing services once demand for its film stock dwindled.(Media & Entertainment)
Feb 05, 2007; ... WITHOUT a doubt, a solid business plan is a key to success. A little luck doesn't hurt, either. Just ask Lowell Kay, the founder of the DR Group. When advancements in digital cinematography dropped the bottom out of his company's film stock sales business, Kay took an educated ...
Mediawatch.(MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT)(Statistical table)
Feb 05, 2007 ... <Pre> MEDIAWATCH MOVIE BOX OFFICE Weekend GrossTotal Gross RankTitle (mils) (mils)1 Epic Movie $19.2 $19.2 2 Smokin' Aces 14.3 ...
Printed products will generate profits--until they disappear: consulting firm finds competition lacking, ad model problematic.(REPORT)
Feb 05, 2007; ... CONTRARY to popular hype, user-generated content does not pose a threat to traditional media. The TV industry needs to move away from advertising dependency to an audience-participation business model. By 2043. the U.S. may not produce any more printed newspapers--but until then the ...
TV's union mess.(studio janitors join Service Employees International Union Local 1877)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Janitors who clean up after the stars at KNBC (Channel 4), KCBS (Channel 2) and KTLA-TV (Channel 5) have won an agreement allowing them to join a union. Facilities Support Services Inc., the janitorial contractor that handles all three L.A.-based studios, signed an agreement so ...
Times a-changing.(Los Angeles Times reorganizes its newsroom)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Tribune Co.'s Los Angeles Times has reorganized its newsroom to integrate content between its Web site and newspaper. Current Business Editor Russ Stanton will fill the newly created position of Innovation Editor. The newsroom will become a 24-7 operation that will continuously ...
Not a billboard.(Los Angeles County Museum of Art advertises its Magritte exhibit)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... To promote its Magritte exhibit, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art bannered the streets with the artist's self-conscious work "The Treachery of Images," commonly known as "This Is Not a Pipe." For the show's closing weeks, the museum will put up a billboard that takes self-consciousness ...
'Fresh Brewed Music' comes to coffee bean and tea leaf: sales of CDs at stores follow in the footsteps of Starbucks.(MERCHANDISING)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... THE java and jive wave is spreading. International Coffee & Tea LLC's Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf coffee houses have kicked off in-store CD sales. Two years ago, behemoth competitor Starbucks started doing the same and saw wildly successful results. To differentiate ...
Nine lives? Try nine careers.(Sanrio Inc. to produce original music for "Hello Kitty")(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... She's got several theme parks named after her, a slew of movies, books and magazines as well as boatloads of merchandise bearing her name and image. Now Hello Kitty will have a musical career, too. Torrance-based Sanrio Inc., the American arm of Japan's Sanrio Co ....
Theory of relativity.(Relativity Media LLC forms Relativity Media Holdings I LLC)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Beverly Hills' Relativity Media LLC has created a wholly owned subsidiary, Relativity Media Holdings I LLC, concluding an agreement with Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking on a co-financing package for approximately 45 studio films over the next five years. Terms of the ...
Hilton harmony.(Hilton hotels donates to Grammy Foundation)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Most Grammy stars will fly to the awards show next week, but one--the Hilton Harmony Piano--will be shipped by truck. The instrument, adorned with thousands of recording artists' autographs, is part of the Hilton Harmony Tour, a program designed to advocate music education. For ...
Our hammers, our selves: founders of Be Jane Inc. are building a brand for women who tackle home improvement projects.(Heidi Baker)(Company overview)
Feb 05, 2007; ... HEIDI Baker bought a home in San Diego six years ago and set out to fix up her new place. Baker said she was "house rich and cash poor" so she couldn't afford to hire a company to renovate her condo. And she found that when she ventured into the home improvement community as a ...
First view of Vista comes with $500 million marketing blitz: new operating system designed to better manage media.(SOFTWARE)
Feb 05, 2007; ... THE Vista circus came to town last week. Local business reps flocked to the Los Angeles Convention Center to get a look as Microsoft Corp. rolled out its Windows Vista software. The new computer operating system aims to better manage the explosion of digital media and protect users from ...
New Twistbox.(Twistbox Entertainment Inc. acquires InfoSpace Inc.'s mobile games studio)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Twistbox Entertainment Inc., a Los Angeles-based publisher of mobile games, is beefing up with the acquisition of San Mateo's InfoSpace Inc.'s mobile games studio. The purchase is intended to get Twistbox Games, which is headquartered in Dortmund, Germany, further into online ...
High-def trojans.(MRV Communications signs reasearch agreement with University of Southern California's Division of Cinema and Television)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Chatsworth-based MRV Communications--a provider of out-of-band networking, optical transport and fiber optic components--has cut a deal with USC's Film School to research high definition TV networking. MRV has used its technology to transport up to ...
Good sports.(Brillian Syntax Inc. partners with Anschutz Entertainment Group to promote 'Olevia' high definition screens)(Brief article)
Feb 05, 2007; ... Brillian Syntax Inc., the City of Industry manufacturer of Hi-Def televisions and LCD screens, has partnered with AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group), which owns the Staples Center and the highly anticipated $2.5 billion L.A. Live entertainment complex, to highlight the Olevia ...