Los Angeles Business Journal back issues from September 2007:
Suite deal: former Peninsula Hotel chief to manage ritzy rival.
Sep 03, 2007; ... THE competition in Beverly Hills' high-end hotel business is getting a sharper edge. Renowned hotelier Ali Kasikci has taken a position as the managing director of the Montage Beverly Hills, now under construction at 225 N. Canon Drive. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Dinosaurs or digs with new dimensions? Onset of L.A. Live forcing execs to rethink roles of older arenas.(VENUES)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Come next year, the American Music Awards will move from the Shrine Auditorium to the Nokia Theater at L.A. Live--news that bolsters the already successful downtown project, but is symptomatic of trouble ahead for some storied venues. The handwriting has been on the wail for a ...
It's boom time for busy L.A. builders: construction at record level despite real estate woes.(DEVELOPMENT)
Sep 03, 2007; ... High-rise condo construction. New rail lines and infrastructure spending. Huge hospitals that cost hundreds of millions to rebuild. All that and more has given rise to a building boom, the likes of which Los Angeles County has not seen in decades. Throughout the ...
Pesticide suits could take a toll on Dole; L.A. trials among 550 cases that might cost firm over $30 billion.(LAW)(Dole Food Co. Inc)(Jose Adolfo Tellez)(Nicaraguan farm workers )
Sep 03, 2007; ... Before jury selection even got under way, Jose Adolfo Tellez vs. Dole Food Co. Inc. stood out from the typical contract disputes and tort claims that dominate dockets at the Central Civil West Los Angeles Courthouse. On one side of the case there were Nicaraguan farm workers ...
Korean bank exec is ready for retirement.(PAGE 3)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Now that he's done cleating his name, 75-year-old Saehan Bank Chief Executive Benjamin Hong says he's ready to get on with his retirement and consulting practice. Hong was the target of a $50 million lawsuit brought in 2005 by Nara Bank. The bank had recruited him in 1994, and it ...
Coldwell crooner.(PAGE 3)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Coldwell Banker real estate agent Tony Dowdy came to L.A. from Clarksville, Tenn., in 1989 as a member of the original cast of the musical "Tony and Tina's Wedding." A country singer, he made a go of it in the music biz for a few years. He did session work, corporate gigs and jingles, but ...
Never ever.(PAGE 3)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... PR gum Michael Levine is making the rounds to pump his latest book, "Never," a compilation of "Don'ts for Personal Happiness and Success." Levine, who spoke last week at a meeting of the L.A. Press Club, said it only took him a month to write the book, but that was six years ago. He never ...
Jockology 101: TV show explores science of sport in high-tech Hawthorne hangar.(Up Front)(Fox Sports)(Base Productions Inc.)
Sep 03, 2007; ... SPORTS fans with dropped jaws have long watched such superstar athletes as Michael Jordan and Jerry Rice perform seemingly impossible feats and asked, "How did they do that?" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Now, Fox Sports and Base Productions Inc. will attempt to provide the ...
Well-financed Web site targets self-help crowd.(Up Front)(Jam Inc)(Website overview)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Come late September, there'll be new online competition for lifestyle guru Tony Robbins, the motivational video "The Secret," and support groups and self-help seminars everywhere. That's when People, Jam Inc., a Brentwood-based Web site, will start catering to Intemet users ...
No go.(News of the Week)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007 ... Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is withholding support for a state bill that would impose a container fee in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach aimed at easing congestion and air pollution. The mayor feels the bill should be changed to help with the $1.5 billion bridge repairs at the port ....
Studio sale.(News of the Week)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007 ... The Tribune Co. has put up for sale the former home of the Warner Bros. studio on Sunset Boulevard. No price has been set for the block-sized property at the southeast corner of Sunset and Bronson avenues, which is also home to Tribune Entertainment and Tribune ...
Exec exit.(News of the Week)
Sep 03, 2007 ... Alex Lidow, chief executive at International Rectifier Corp., is taking a leave of absence amid a board investigation into accounting irregularities. It's the third departure of a high-ranking executive at the firm in the past two months. The El Segundo semiconductor ...
Strategy shift.(News of the Week)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007 ... IndyMac Bancorp hired 600 former employees of shuttered mortgage lender American Home Mortgage and is shifting its lending strategy from riskier to safer loans in an effort to gain traction in the mortgage market. The Pasadena lender said the new hires were mostly loan officers from the ...
Pioneer passes.(News of the Week)(Obituary)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007 ... Paul MacCready, the aeronautics pioneer famous for his groundbreaking work with human-powered aircraft, died August 28. He was 81. MacCready, who in 1971 founded Monrovia-based unmanned aircraft maker Aerovironment Inc., was named one of the greatest minds of the 20th century ...
Poison pill.(News of the Week)(PeopleSupport Inc.)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007 ... Los Angeles-based PeopleSupport Inc. adopted a stockholder rights or "poison pill" plan. The provider of offshore customer management services said that the plan, which is normally used to make it ...
Opening round.(News of the Week)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007 ... A federal judge ruled that a new anemia drug set to hit the market later this year from Roche Pharmaceuticals violated a pending Amgen Inc. patent. The pre-trial ruling is a small victory for the Thousand Oaks biotech giant, ...
Sailing away.(News of the Week)
Sep 03, 2007 ... Three shipping lines are leaving the Port of Los Angeles for the Port of Long Beach. The lines said they grew tired of waiting for a long-planned expansion of L.A.'s TraPac terminal, which is unable to handle larger ...
Vote delayed.(News of the Week)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007 ... New York-based sports card and bubble gum maker Topps Co. postponed a shareholder vote scheduled for Aug. 30 on a proposed $385 million buyout from a group led by former Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Michael Eisner. Topps executives said moving the vote to September 19 is an effort to ...
Corrections.(News of the Week)(Correction notice)
Sep 03, 2007 ... The Page Three column in the Aug. 27 edition headlined "Convention Center Revs Green Machine" should have said that the E4 All Expo was created, developed and managed by IDG World Expo. The headquarters city of OnRequest Images, a custom imagery company, was incorrectly ...
Andean outpost: Lima earthquake fails to rattle office of Hollywood firm.(News & Analysis)(North South Studios)
Sep 03, 2007; ... NORTH South Studios might seem like just another Hollywood-based media company, except that 92 percent of its employees live in Lima, Peru. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The company creates Web sites, distance learning courses, electronic toys and books for customers such ...
Wonder bread gets baked by labor strife, competition.(News & Analysis)(Interstate Bakeries Corp.)
Sep 03, 2007; ... The decision by the maker of Wonder Bread to pule out of the Southern California marketplace was widely seen last week as a reflection of the region's preference for wheat over white. But troubled Interstate Bakeries Corp. contended that other, more hardcore business issues were ...
Ground Zero cooks up contract for Sizzler advertising: chain seeks to increase restaurant count in U.S. and abroad.(EXPANSION)(Sizzler USA)(Ground Zero)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... GROUND Zero has a big new client on its plate: Sizzler USA, the steakhouse chain with more than 300 restaurants nationwide. L.A.-based Ground Zero will handle advertising strategy and creative for the account, which had billings of $10 million last year. Although the agency's ...
Dogs days ahead.(ADVERTISING & PR)(Susan Hartzler)(Alpha Dog Public Relations)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Susan Hartzler has put her agency in the doghouse. She even changed its name from HRPR to Alpha Dog Public Relations to reflect its new emphasis on pet-centric accounts. "I am already well known in the industry for my love of animals," Hartzler said. She explained that Alpha Dog ...
Man plans?(ADVERTISING & PR)(It Girl PR)(The Four Man Plan: A Romantic Science)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... L.A.-based It Girl PR has landed the ultimate assignment: Find the "It" guy for a perfect match! The agency's new client is Cindy Lu, an actress with a long list of guest appearances on TV. She now has a book titled "The Four Man Plan: A Romantic Science," which hits bookstores ...
Los Angles County Economic Development Corp. has hired Mayo Communications as its agency of record.(Agencies & Accounts)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Los Angles County Economic Development Corp. has hired Mayo Communications as its agency of record. The LAEDC produces a semi-annual Economic Forecast, ranked No. 1 in the country by The Wall Street Journal, and Chief Economist Jack Kyser appears regularly in local and national media. The ...
Amy Levy.(Agencies & Accounts)(Amy Levy Public Relations)(Alice Charlier Event Planning & Design Studio)(Elephant Gifts)(LongevityHerbs.com)(Rankin)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... L.A.-based Amy Levy Public Relations has added four new clients to its roster: Alice Charlier Event Planning & Design Studio specializes in upscale weddings and fundraisers; Elephant Gifts handles celebrity and studio gift collections; ...
Magazine publisher specializes in the worlds of paws and jaws: getting patient lists from vets and dentists is starting point.(DISTRIBUTION)(Douglas Drew)(HealthyPet, a magazine)
Sep 03, 2007; ... The privacy and sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship is time-honored and bound by law--unless the patient is a poodle. Taking advantage of that distinction is Harvard-educated M.B.A. Douglas Drew, who runs HealthyPet, a magazine based in Santa Monica with an audited ...
Bin 8945 beefs up Sunday nights thanks to guest chefs: David Haskell brings outsiders into his West Hollywood kitchen.(RESTAURANTS)
Sep 03, 2007; ... SOME restaurateurs around Los Angeles consider Sunday a slow night for eating out. Some even take the night off. But for David Haskell, managing director of Bin 8945 in West Hollywood, Sundays have become among his busiest nights thanks to a guest chef program he puts on. Since ...
Monarchy acquired.(MARKETPLACE)(Hartmarx Corp. mergers with Monarchy LLC)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Chicago-based Hartmarx Corp., best known since its inception 120 years ago for making luxury tailored Hart Schaffner Marx suits for men, recently laid down $12 million to purchase Monarchy LLC, a dual-gender sportswear company in Los Angeles. Located near downtown, Monarchy ...
Into the Woods.(MARKETPLACE)(Craig Trager)(Michelle Marini)(Well and the Woods)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Impresario Craig Trager, the man behind watering holes NoBar, the Well and the Woods, agreed to a settlement with the city last week over the demolition of another of his bars, Daddy's on Vine Street. A Hollywood favorite, the lounge was torn down in May to make room for the ...
Conventions increase.(MARKETPLACE)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Los Angeles seems to becoming a more popular location for conventions. LA Inc., the Los Angeles Convention and Visitor Bureau reported booking 41 citywide conventions in the fiscal year ending in June, up from 21 booked in the previous year and from 12 booked in 2004/05. ...
Swede deal.(MARKETPLACE)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... After opening its office in Santa Monica at the end of last year, retail real estate firm Robert K. Futterman & Associates is continuing its rapid growth in the area with the lease of two H&M stores. One is a 16,500 square-foot store on ...
Apartments, condos hits of season at L.A. malls: shopping centers will have captive audiences as trend begins to take hold.(RETAIL)(Caruso Affiliated Holdings)(Westfield Group Ltd.)(Shopping malls)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Traffic, traffic, traffic. No three words better encompass the reasons for an emerging trend in local mall development. Several Los Angeles mall projects--from brand new projects such as Caruso Affiliated Holdings LLC's Americana at Brand to the repositioning of ...
OSI wins contract for high-tech passenger screeners: TSA will install Secure 1000 devices at several airports.(AVIATION)
Sep 03, 2007; ... OSI Systems Inc., which recently won a contract to install more of its X-ray machines at airports nationwide, is now drawing the government's interest in a higher-tech screening device. The Hawthorne-based airport security systems maker inked a contract with the Transportation ...
Slowing trade.(TRADE & TRANSPORT)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Though ports nationwide are in the midst of their busy pre-holiday rush, congestion at all ten of the nation's largest ports were recently rated "low" by Waltham, Mass.-based Global Insight Inc., which tracks international trade. Global Insight economist Paul Bingham said a ...
L.A. arrival.(TRADE & TRANSPORT)(Maxjet Airways Inc.)(Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.)( British Airways PLC)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... In the small but growing field of all-business-class international air travel, one small airline is quickly carving out its niche. Maxjet Airways Inc., a Washington Dulles Airport-based all-business airline which started service in November of 2005, began flights last week ...
Midwest Diva.(TRADE & TRANSPORT)(Diva Limousine Ltd.)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... From movie premieres to awards shows, L.A. is no stranger to chauffeured limousine service. And one local company is trying to transplant its brand of glamorous transport to the Midwest. Los Angeles-based Diva Limousine Ltd. recently announced it will open a corporate office in ...
FilmL.A. seeking renewal of contract for production permits: city calls for candidates to compete with non-profit organization.(GOVERNMENT)
Sep 03, 2007; ... FOR the first time, FilmL.A. Inc.--the private non-profit organization that handles film permitting in the city and county of Los Angeles--will be facing some competition. The city of Los Angeles issued a Request for Information in early August, a preliminary step to see if ...
Out on a high note.(MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT)(KCET-TV (Los Angeles, California))(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... The good news is, KCET's weekly news magazine, "California Connected," won five awards at the at the 59th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards held Saturday night. In all, L.A.'s PBS affiliate won six awards, the most in its 43-year history, tying it with KNBC for most honors. ...
Bender, overture link.(MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT)(Overture Films partnered with Lawrence Bender Productions)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Overture Films has partnered with Lawrence Bender Productions, the producers of "An Inconvenient Truth," to begin development on two thrillers, "Skypath" and "Outside." The films are the first projects under Bender's two-year, first-look production deal with Overture. ...
Hopeless helps.(MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Hopeless/Sub City Records, a small San Fernando Valley-based label, recently reached a major milestone--but not in record sales. The label's philanthropic contributions passed the $1 million mark last month, having benefited more than 50 health and youth-related non-profit ...
Mediawatch.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Statistical table)
Sep 03, 2007 ... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] <Pre> MOVIE BOX OFFICE Weekend Total GrossGross Rank Title(mils)(mils) Distributor 1 Superbad $18.0$68.6 Sony 2 Bourne Ultimatum 12.4 ...
Easy pieces: Marmol Radziner Prefab Inc. makes high-end custom homes, but in prefabricated modular mode.(Innovation)(prefabricated housing units)
Sep 03, 2007; ... SOME startups can trace their origins to a thrilling moment of inspiration or victory, but Marmol Radziner Prefab Inc. isn't one of them. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The genesis of the nearly 2-year-old company, which designs and builds custom prefabricated homes, can ...
Zag site sells cars without putting a gorilla on the roof: dealers can find buyers through contacts with AAA, Capital One.(MARKETING)(Zag Inc.)
Sep 03, 2007; ... IF CarsDirect changed the way consumers shop for cars, Zag may transform the way dealers do business. You probably haven't seen Zag's Web site and Chief Executive Scott Painter means to keep it that way. "We don't have a consumer facing brand. Zag is not a place you go to buy a ...
High-tech medical offices.(TECHNOLOGY)(medical offices design and construction)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Fourteen years ago, Thomas McGonigle designed a computer system to digitize the workflow of his father's orthopedic practice near Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica. Other doctors took notice of the system and asked McGonigle to design more. The business ...
Raising the BridgeCo.(TECHNOLOGY)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... L.A.-based BridgeCo Inc. develops silicon to integrate digital media players, audio electronics and computers into home networks. The company received an additional $17 million in venture funding last week. ETV Capital provided $9 million in ...
Earthlink retrenches.(TECHNOLOGY)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Pasadena will soon experience the repercussions of Atlanta-based Earthlink's recent announcement of massive layoffs. The broadband company said it would substantially reduce its presence in Pasadena and close its offices in Orlando, Fla., Knoxville, Tenn., Harrisburg, Pa. and ...
Putting on the miles: John Maddux drives from Camarillo every day to his job as president and chief executive of Meruelo Maddux Properties. He gets a lot of work done during the drive.(People)(Meruelo Maddux Properties Inc.)(Interview)
Sep 03, 2007; ... JOHN Maddux was a longtime real estate attorney, when he met the Meruelo family. That was the start of a two-decade long relationship with the family and later with real estate tycoon Richard Meruelo. The result of that relationship is Meruelo Maddux Properties Inc., which went public this ...
Community Bank.(Banking & Finance)(promotions)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Community Bank, a regional business bank headquartered in Pasadena, has promoted Wanda Jones to senior vice president and regional manager, Alex Arjonilla to first vice president and business center manager of the bank's Anaheim office, and Charles Rosen to first vice president and ...
Broadway Financial Corp.(Banking & Finance)(appointment of Paul C. Hudson)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Broadway Financial Corp., a savings bank headquartered in Los Angeles, has named Paul C. Hudson as ...
Houlihan Lokey.(Banking & Finance)(appointment of George Odden )(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... George Odden has joined the Los Angeles office of Houlihan Lokey, an international investment bank, as director of the ...
UCLA Extention.(Education)(appointment of Karim Cherif )(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Karim Cherif has been named associate dean for academic affairs of UCLA Extension. Cherif will also retain his ...
Pouring a fresh cup as Coffee Bean's real estate expert.(Featured Newsmaker)(Micheal Beck)(Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Co.)(Occupation overview)
Sep 03, 2007; ... MICHAEL Beck brings 18 years experience to his new job as vice president of real estate for Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Beck is now responsible for retail site selection, store design and management services for the Los Angeles-based coffee chain. His career started brewing right ...
PSI.(Engineering)(promotions of Robert Slane)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... PSI, an engineering firm based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., has promoted Robert Slane to construction services ...
TalentWorks.(Entertainment)(promotions of Joel Dean and Hank Hedland)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... TalentWorks, a talent agency, has promoted Joel Dean to vice president of talent and Hank Hedland to vice president of operations. ...
MGM.(Entertainment)(promotion of Edie Lauw at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... MGM has promoted Edie Lauw to vice president of Worldwide Television Finance for the company's ...
Comcast Entertainment Group.(Entertainment)(Kim Vignola has been promoted )(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Kim Vignola has been promoted to vice president of research for Comcast Entertainment Group, with responsibility for research for E ...
Juanita's Foods.(Food)(promotions of John Thompson)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Juanita's Foods, a Mexican food manufacturer and distributor based in Wilmington, has promoted John Thompson to vice ...
City of Hope.(Health Care)(appointment of Elizabeth Donne at City of Hope National Medical Center (Duarte, California))(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Elizabeth Donne has been named executive officer of the medical center at City of Hope in Duarte ....
Mitchell Silberberg & Knuff LLP.(Law)(appointment of Thomas Brennan )(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, a business law firm, has named Thomas Brennan as counsel in bankruptcy practice for the firm's Los Angeles ...
Los Angeles Times.(Media)(appointments)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... The Los Angeles Times has named Lynne Segall as vice president of entertainment and fashion, Valarie Anderson as director of fashion advertising and associate publisher of West magazine, Douglas Trueblood as vice president of integrated marketing, and Tim Young as vice president of sales ...
Los Angeles Police Foundation.(Non-Profit)(appointment of Jim Wiatt)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Jim Wiatt has been named chairman of the Los Angeles Police Foundation, a non-profit organization assisting the Los Angeles Police Department. Wiatt is ...
Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services.(Non-Profit)(appointments of Gerrie O'Meara)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services, a Southern California-based education and treatment center for at-risk children and adolescents in ...
Western Psychological Services.(Publishing)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Jeffrey Manson was named president of Western Psychological Services, a publisher of ...
NewMark Merrill Companies.(Real Estate)(appointment of Kevin P. Cavanaugh)(Brief article)
Sep 03, 2007; ... Kevin P. Cavanaugh has joined NewMark Merrill Companies, a shopping center management, development and acquisitions company, as chief operating officer in the company's ...