Los Angeles Business Journal back issues from April 2009:
Taking a swing: some lawyers see pink slim as tickets to new careers.
Apr 06, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN L.A. law firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP laid off Anthony Arnold, he grabbed a golf club--but not because he wanted to hit the guy who handed him the pink slip. Instead, Arnold started spending hours perfecting his swing in hopes of fulfilling ...
Hoteliers check in to turnarounds: companies ready to buy, manage ailing inns.(HOSPITALITY)(Unique Hotels acquired Hotel Control Management Group)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Fewer people are traveling due to the recession, and that's bad news for hotels. But it's good news for those with the skill to turn around establishments that are teetering on the brink. That's where the folks at Hotel Control Management Group and Unique Hotels come in. HCM ...
Single-sales shift shines up state; 2011 code change to save companies millions.(TAXES)
Apr 06, 2009; ... When the bloody battle over the state budget was over, businesses walked away with wounds of higher fees and tax rates--but also with a valuable prize. That prize is a change to state taxation that will allow some companies to lower their tax bills by as much as several million ...
Audits Home in on real estate: institutions bleed red ink in restatements.(BANKING)
Apr 06, 2009; ... An unusually large number of local banks have been forced to restate their earnings recently, resulting in millions of dollars in losses at a time when many already are grappling with painful write-downs. The restatements reflect the rapid decline in the value of real ...
What's in a name? Money: sign maker's business booms as bank chains change handles.(UP FRONT)(Tako Tyko)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Business may be bad for banks, but it' s booming for companies that make their signs. When banks acquire their ailing competitors, out goes the tarnished name. That means replacing all those signs that adorn everything from the building tops to ...
Fine-tuning background ambiance: former DJ's song lists serenade customers at bowling alleys, hotels.(UP FRONT)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... It used to be called Muzak, but don't call it "modern Muzak." It's "sonic branding," and one Laurel Canyon company is using it to help retailers and restaurants create the desired atmosphere. Michael Smith Event Music creates tailor-made music and song lists for clients, which ...
Room for discount: hotel offers free stays as part of lower-price push to win customers.(UP FRONT)(Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites Inc.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Desperate times at hotels call for desperate measures like offering hundreds of free rooms. That's what downtown L.A.'s Westin Bonaventure is doing. The hotel is giving away 200 free stays, 50 a week, through April 18. Guests can go to a page on the hotel's Web site ...
Kentucky-style meat and greet.(PAGE 3)(CKE Restaurants Inc.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Andy Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc., didn't quite know what to think when the company's research and development team came to him with the idea of a bourbon burger. "I thought, 'What's that going to taste like?'" Puzder said. But he agreed to put the Kentucky ...
Southern exposure.(PAGE 3)(KPMG)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... For some people, business travel is a mundane task. For Brad Sparks, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sparks, a director in accounting firm KPMG's downtown L.A. office and a leader of the firm's global green initiative, just returned from a two-week expedition to ...
Changing gears.(PAGE 3)(impacts of emissions trading)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... James Gardner, 61, remembers growing up in Bell Gardens and South Gate in the 1950s and 1960s when schools were closed routinely for "smog days," when ozone levels became too unhealthy to be outside. "You couldn't even see the hills just a mile away from where you were in the ...
Waterfront.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WATERFRONT: Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. will move its Disney Wonder cruise ship to Los Angeles from Florida in 2011 as part of the company's ...
Internet deal.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Walt Disney Co. signed a deal with YouTube Inc.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009 ... INTERNET DEAL: Walt Disney Co. and Google Inc.'s YouTube have reached a pact to offer sports highlights, show clips and other short-form content from ABC, ESPN ...
Takeover.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
Apr 06, 2009 ... TAKEOVER: RCJP Acquisition Inc. has acquired Johnson Products Co. from Procter & Gamble. The purchase was funded by Rustic Canyon/Fontis Partners LP of Pasadena and St. Cloud Capital LLC of Westwood. Johnson Products, a Woodland Hills company, was founded in 1953 in Chicago and makes the ...
Plea made.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Bruce Karatz was charged for backdating stock option)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009 ... PLEA MADE: Former KB Home Chief Executive Bruce Karatz pleaded not guilty in federal court in Los Angeles to charges that he backdated stock options and concealed it from regulators and investors. When KB Home launched an internal investigation into the options in May 2006, Karatz ...
Labor pact.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Screen Actors Guild signed a deal with advertising agencies)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009 ... LABOR PACT: The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists reached a tentative three-year deal with the ad industry on a commercials contract, just a few hours after the expiration of the old contract last week. SAG and AFTRA said the first ...
Court loss.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Bank of America Corp. v. Countrywide Financial Corp.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009 ... COURT LOSS: Countrywide Financial Corp. lost a bid to settle a shareholder lawsuit over its $2.5 billion takeover by Bank of America Corp. A judge ruled the agreement, which gave shareholders more information about Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America's July purchase of Countrywide, also ...
Film data.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Motion Picture Association of America)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009 ... FILM DATA: Reversing a long-standing practice, the Hollywood studios' trade and lobbying arm no longer will disclose the average costs of making and marketing movies. Dan Glickman, chief executive of the Motion Picture Association of America, announced at a trade show that the increasingly ...
Winding down.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(North American Scientific Inc. has sold ClearPath to Portola Medical Inc.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009 ... WINDING DOWN: North American Scientific Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 protection last month, has agreed to sell its last remaining product line, a breast cancer treatment called ClearPath. Portola Medical Inc., an affiliate of majority shareholder Three Arch Partners, will take over ...
Shareholder suit.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
Apr 06, 2009 ... SHAREHOLDER SUIT: A retired California judge, John Bible, is seeking to recover millions of dollars in executive bonuses on behalf of himself and other shareholders of beleaguered insurer American International Group Inc. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court claims that the ...
Downgrade.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Employers Direct Insurance Co.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009 ... DOWNGRADE: A.M. Best Co. downgraded its outlook for Employers Direct Insurance CO. to "negative" from "stable," reflecting rising medical claims costs that have forced the Thousand Oaks workers' comp insurer to raise its reserves. In altering the outlook, the insurance industry ...
Earnings.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(KB Home Corp.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009 ... EARNINGS: KB Home reported a first quarter net loss of $58.1 million, down 78 percent from a year ago. Revenue dropped 61 percent to $307 million .... Physicians Formula Holdings Inc ....
Correction.
Apr 06, 2009 ... An article in the March 30 edition headlined "2008 Brought Brutal Cuts to Ad Firms, PR ...
Rounding bend: Santa Anita owners on track for summer auction.(DEVELOPMENT)
Apr 06, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE bankrupt owners of Santa Anita Park want to put the iconic Arcadia race track on the auction block as early as this summer, and they have hired a New York investment firm to oversee the sale. Though the details and timing are still being ...
Terminal operators harboring hopes for Long Beach expansion: supporters tout project as job creator, environmentally friendly.(SHIPPING)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Marine terminal operators at the Port of Long Beach are pushing local officials to approve a $750 million redevelopment project next week that will create thousands of jobs and sharply increase the port's cargo capacity. Known as the Middle Harbor Development Project, it ...
Latino Business Chamber joins crowded L.A. field; organization promises different focus than other two groups.(NON-PROFIT)
Apr 06, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There were already two Latino business groups in Los Angeles. Last week, the sector got a little more crowded when a third was added. The Latino Business Chamber of Greater Los Angeles burst on the scene April 2 with an opening ceremony ...
Cost of ports' clean air plan spurs carrier union: Dependable's acquisition of J&M seen as part of emerging trend.(TRUCKING)(J&M Express Inc. acquired Dependable Highway Express Inc.)
Apr 06, 2009; ... IT'S been predicted that the billion-dollar plan by the region's twin ports to clean up their act could lead to consolidation among freight carriers. Already, at least one merger has taken place. J&M Express Inc., a small trucking firm in Gardena, has been acquired by ...
Off track?(TRADE & TRANSPORT)(New York. Metropolitan Transportation Authority bought rail cars from Ansaldo Breda)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... After three years of delays, the Metropolitan Transit Authority might backtrack on a deal with AnsaldoBreda Inc., an Italian firm contracted to provide up to 150 Metro rail cars at a potential cost of $300 million. But if transit officials don't pull the plug, one big reason ...
Bus-tling business.(TRADE & TRANSPORT)(Foothill Transit)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... In other transit news, municipal bus operators in Los Angeles County are slated to get more than $81 million, from the stimulus package recently passed by Congress--and it should be a boon to local companies. Foothill Transit, which services communities in the San Gabriel and ...
Companies blow their caps over pollution rule; moratorium on permits blocks upgrade, expansion plans.(EMISSION)
Apr 06, 2009; ... HUNDREDS of local businesses are steaming mad over a court-imposed freeze on permits issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District for new or expanded facilities that add emissions into the atmosphere. The freeze, which could last through the end of this year, ...
Companies fined.(REGULATION WATCH)(United States. Environmental Protection Agency v. Angelus Sanitary Can Machine Co. and Alloy Processing)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... The US. Environmental Protection Agency last week announced six-figure fines against two L.A.-area companies on charges of violating hazardous waste and toxic chemical notification laws. A fine of $241,290 was levied against Angelus Sanitary Can Machinery Corp. of Los Angeles ...
Rack 'em up.(REGULATION WATCH)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... In what is being called a cost-driven move, the city of L.A. Bureau of Street Services has proposed nearly doubling the newsrack permit fee from a current $21.69 per rack per year to $39.49 over the next three years. In making its argument to raise the fee, the bureau said the ...
Hospital sees promising signs with name change: new owner distances City of Angels from fraud scandal.(ACQUISITION)(Success Healthcare LLC)
Apr 06, 2009; ... ITS image tarnished by a Medi-Cal scandal that could send some former executives to prison, the former City of Angels Medical Center was officially rededicated under a new name last week. The downtown L.A. hospital opened up as Silver Lake Medical Center, even though it is ...
USC obtains hospitals.(HEALTH CARE & BIOTECH)(University of Southern California)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Over at USC's Health Sciences Campus, Mitchell R. Creem also faces the task of remaking two hospitals in their new owner's image. Creem took over last week as chief executive of USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital after Tenet Healthcare Corp. completed their ...
Social networking may pay off for business guide: CitySearch hopes partnership with MySpace will boost revenue.(ONLINE)
Apr 06, 2009; ... WHEN MySpace announced a new rating service for small businesses, it was good news for CitySearch. The service is a partnership between MySpace and West Hollywood-based CitySearch, an online guide that offers information on local businesses. It's called MySpace Local and it was unveiled ...
Explosive collaboration.(TECHNOLOGY)(Nitro Ventures)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Mix 10 venture capitalists, 10 experienced entrepreneurs and 10 startup chief executives, and what do you get? Nitro. That's the name of a new mentoring group aimed at the L.A.-area tech community. Its goal: help guide a select group of chief executives at promising startups, ...
Zag bags AAA.(TECHNOLOGY)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Zag.com, a Santa Monica-based startup that helps customers research and purchase automobiles, signed a deal with AAA last week that will put Zag's technology into a new AAA service. The service, called AAA Automaker, helps people find and purchase vehicles. Financial terms of ...
Local agency to accent Latin music label's acts: Axis to connect Universal talent with product endorsements.(ENTERTAINMENT)(Universal Music Latin America)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... UNIVERSAL Music Latin Entertainment has signed an agreement with the Axis Agency in West Hollywood to match Latino music celebrities with brand-name products. The partnerships envisioned in the agreement go far beyond the usual beer sponsorship of a mariachi concert tour. An ...
BizBash relocates.(ADVERTISING & PR)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... BizBash, a trade show for corporate meeting organizers, will move the 2009 version of the event to the Los Angeles Merchandise Mart. Previously, the event was at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The reason for the move was financial. BizBash estimates that each exhibitor at ...
PR as art.(ADVERTISING & PR)(For Your Art )(public relations )(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... For Your Art is a Los Angeles PR firm that specializes in helping galleries, museums and individual artists promote their art. The company acts as curator, publisher, event producer and/or marketing firm. FYA co-produced last week's Los Angeles Art Weekend 2009. The ...
Effie Awards.(ADVERTISING & PR)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... The 2009 winners of the Effie Awards, which recognize marketing ideas, include several local ad shops. TBWA\Chiat\Day of Playa del Rey won a total of four Effies for work with clients Visa, Nissan, Apple and Pedigree dog food. DDB West in Venice received three Effies ...
Wongdoody, a Culver City ad agency, has shot a TV commercial for GameFly, an online video-game rental service.(Agencies & Accounts)(television)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Wongdoody, a Culver City ad agency, has shot a TV commercial for GameFly, an online video-game rental service. The spot shows garners disappointed after buying a ...
Soul de Cuba Specialty Foods has selected Blaine Group in Beverly Hills to promote the national rollout of its Cuban food line.(Agencies & Accounts)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Soul de Cuba Specialty Foods has selected Blaine Group in Beverly Hills to promote the national rollout of its Cuban food line. The PR shop's assignment is to get Soul ...
Bayard Advertising Agency.(Agencies & Accounts)(appointment of Don Sabatino)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Bayard Advertising Agency in Los Angeles has hired Don Sabatino as senior vice president of new ...
JMPR Public Relations in Woodland Hills has signed up for a three-month project with Kampgrounds of America Inc.(Agencies & Accounts)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... JMPR Public Relations in Woodland Hills has signed up for a three-month project with Kampgrounds of America ...
Comerica Bank.(Agencies & Accounts)(appointment of Alfredo Padilla)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Public Relations Society of America Foundation in New York has appointed Alfredo Padilla, ...
DDA Public Relations.(Agencies & Accounts)(appointment of Dana Archer)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... DDA Public Relations has expanded its Los Angeles office with the addition of Dana Archer. She will focus on TV, home entertainment and corporate entertainment clients. Archer joins DDA from Weber ...
Mediawatch.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Statistical table)
Apr 06, 2009 ... <Pre> MOVIE BOX OFFICEWeekend TotalGrossGross Rank Title (millions) (millions) Distributor 1 Monsters vs.$59.3$59.3 DreamWorks Aliens 2 Haunting in ...
Another bite.(OUTTAKE OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After a series of best-selling books and a blockbuster performance at the box office, teen vampire saga "Twilight" is primed to suck more ...
Supportive housing.(WESTSIDE: SANTA MONICA)(Step Up on Second Inc.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Supportive Housing: Step Up on Second Inc., a Santa Monica non-profit organization that provides services to people with chronic mental illness, has opened a residential ...
Added dimension.(WESTSIDE: BEVERLY HILLS)(RealD partnerd with AMC Entertainment Inc.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Added Dimension: RealD, a Beverly Hills provider of digital 3-D technology, has partnered with AMC Entertainment Inc., a theatrical exhibition and entertainment ...
Gain for cartoon.(WESTSIDE: WEST L.A.)(D3Publisher signed a deal with Cartoon Network Enterprises )(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Gain for Cartoon: D3Publisher, a West L.A. developer of interactive entertainment software, has announced an agreement with Cartoon Network ...
Lights, camera, open.(WESTSIDE: WEST L.A.)(Camelot Films opened an office in Olympic Boulevard)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Lights, Camera, Open: Camelot Films, a division of Aliso Viejo-based Camelot Entertainment Group Inc., has opened an office at 11400 Olympic Blvd., which will be ...
Industrial pickup.(CENTRAL AREA: VERNON)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Industrial Pickup: An industrial building in Vernon was sold for $4.2 million. The ...
Retail property.(SAN GABRIEL VALLEY: ARCADIA)(FCI Lender Services Inc.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Retail Property: FCI Lender Services has sold a retail building in Arcadia to a private ...
Bank site.(SAN GABRIEL VALLEY: CITY OF INDUSTRY)(Industry Urban-Development Agency acquired Bank of America Corp.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Bank Site: The Industry Urban-Development Agency has bought a Bank of America building in the City of Industry for $6.2 million from a ...
Park place.(SOUTH BAY: LONG BEACH)(Long Beach Redevelopment Agency)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Park Place: The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency has bought four acres for $5.1 million from a private ...
Manufacturing building.(SOUTH BAY: GARDENA)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Manufacturing Building: A Gardena industrial building has sold for $3 million. The manufacturing facility, at 355 W ....
Expanding services.(SAN FERNANDO VALLEY: WOODLAND HILLS)(Venbrook Insurance Services)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Expanding Services: Woodland Hills-based Venbrook Insurance Services has expanded its construction group to include safety and loss control ...
Double play.(SAN FERNANDO VALLEY: VALLEY VILLAGE)(Schaffel Development Co. sold multifamily properties to private investor)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Double Play: Schaffel Development Co. has sold two Valley Village multifamily properties for a total of $15.2 million to the same private investor ....
Office sold.(SAN FERNANDO VALLEY: AGOURA HILLS)(Cipolla & Calaba bought office building from Alesco Development Co.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Office Sold: Cipolla & Calaba Law has bought an Agoura Hills office building for $2.76 million from Alesco Development Co ....
Lease signed.(MID-CITIES: CERRITOS)(ATV Inc.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Lease Signed: ATV Inc., an automobile fire distribution company, has leased an industrial building in Cerritos for ...
Fine tuned: antenna maker Sensor Systems survived a slowdown in the aerospace industry in the '90s to see its military business pick up after the Sept. 11 attacks.(This Week: ADAPTATION)(Company overview)
Apr 06, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SENSOR Systems Inc. has been able to weather almost 50 years of economic boom and bust in Southern California. That's a pretty good record for any company, but it particularly stands out for a local manufacturer in the aerospace industry, which ...
Out of the box: Creative Director Dick Sittig keeps ad agency Secret Weapon focused on three clients, including a fast-food chain with a clown CEO.(PEOPLE)(Interview)
Apr 06, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DICK Sittig has an alter ego named Jack. The creative director at advertising agency Secret Weapon Marketing in Santa Monica, Sittig has directed 400 television commercials starring the ball-headed chief executive for Jack-in-the-Box Inc. Since Secret ...
Andrew Beilfuss.(ARCHITECTURE)(appointment by HDR Architecture Inc.)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Andrew Beilfuss has joined the Pasadena office of HDR Architecture, a firm based in Omaha, Neb., as health care principal. Beilfuss was ...
Wet Design.(NEWSMAKERS)(appointment of Tall Krakowsky)(Brief article)
Apr 06, 2009; ... Wet Design, a Sun Valley-based water attraction company, has named Tall Krakowsky director of experience ...