Irvine-based Toyota Material Handling U.S.A. Inc., a unit of Toyota Motor Corp. that sells forklifts, was ranked No.1 in quality and value by readers of Modern Materials Handling magazine. Reed Research Group polled more than 600 readers and buyers of material handling equipment in its survey.
The Who’s Who Legal Awards named Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP the 2005 Global Product Liability Law Firm of the Year. Frank C. Rothrock, partner at the Irvine office, was included in the product liability chapter of the directory: Who’s Who of Business Lawyers 2005. The publication represents 25 legal practice areas, with one lawyer and one firm selected in each area.
Wayne Pinnell, managing partner at Haskell & White LLP in Irvine, was initiated as an honorary member of Calif-ornia State University, Fullerton’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a fraternal group of finance and accounting students and professionals. The group honored Pinnell for his teaching at the university.
Eddie Starobrat, regional director of engineering, was among 13 Marriott International Inc. worldwide workers who were honored with the J. Willard Marriott Award of Excellence, the company’s highest accolade.
Professional Builder magazine ranked John Laing Homes, part of Newport Beach’s WL Homes LLC, ninth in its survey of the 50 Best Companies to Work For in the U.S. for 2004.
RBF Consulting ranked 69th among the Top 500 Engineering Firms and 36th in the Pure Design Category by Engineering News-Record magazine. It also was named the Best Civil Engineering Firm to Work For by CE News magazine, a business publication for the civil engineering and land surveying markets.
Red Herring magazine named Foothill Ranch-based Aristos Logic Corp. as one of the Top 100 Private Companies of North America. The company makes controllers for data storage systems.
A poll by Travel and Leisure magazine named three resorts designed by Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo Inc. as Best Family Resorts: Atlantis in Paradise Islands, Bahamas; Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii; and Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Lois Wilkerson, director of Orange County’s One-Stop Centers, was named Manager of the Year by Coastline Community College. The centers are run by Coastline Community College with funding from the Department of Labor and the Orange County Workforce Investment Board. The centers provide employment and training services.
Tustin-based Triad Group Inc. received eight Healthcare Advertising Awards from the Healthcare Marketing Report. Six of them, including three Gold Awards, were for the company’s “Exceptional Care” advertising campaign created for St. Joseph Healthcare in Orange. The other two awards recognized the creative work done for their clients Health Net Inc. and Monarch HealthCare.
The Center for Customer-Driven Quality at Purdue University recognized the Customer Service Call Center for the toll roads as a Certified Center of Excellence, placing the operation among the top 10% of call centers evaluated nationwide. Irvine-based Vesystems LLC is the electronic toll and data collection company that provides customer and toll violations services under contract with the Transportation Corridor Agencies. The two plan, finance, construct and operate OC’s 67-mile toll road system.
Silas Abrego, associate vice president for student affairs at Cal State Fullerton, and a 1968 alumnus, was inducted into the Santa Ana College Alumni Hall of Fame. Abrego joined Cal State Fullerton in 1985. He’s been in his current position since 1998.
The Orange County Medical Association named Diane Nugent 2005 Physician of the Year. She is medical director of hematology and blood and donor services at Children’s Hospital of Orange County and has been a pediatric hematologist oncologist at CHOC for 12 years.
Fountain Valley-based Pacific Advanced Civil Engineering Inc. was named the Best Civil Engineering Firm to Work For in the small firm category by CE News.
The California Association of Community Managers gave 14 community association management professionals a Vision Award for their management practices, leadership and service. The recipients were: Pamela Bashline of Professional Community Management Inc., Lake Forest, for physical management; Trudy Bigelow of Professional Community Management, Laguna Woods, for communications; Cindy Cattern of Merit Cos., Aliso Viejo, for creative solutions; Rashid Kassir of Professional Community Management, Lake Forest, for physical management; Maureen Radon of Merit, for creative solutions; Brian Taylor of Merit, for environmental management; and Phil Young of Villageway Management Inc., Irvine, for communications.
William “Russ” Colvin of Newport Beach-based Core Realty Holdings was honored by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for his service and support of the 2004 International Association of Chiefs of Police Convention. He served as co-chair of the event.
Neighborhood Car Care in Mission Viejo earned certification as an Automobile Club of Southern California Approved Auto Repair facility. The repair facility met the Automobile Club of Southern California’s strict Approved Auto Repair program criteria for technician certification and customer satisfaction.
One hundred and twenty leasing consultants in the Sares-Regis Group’s multifamily property management division were named the best in the apartment industry, ranking first above 34 competitors by a Cirrus Marketing Multifamily Industry Benchmark survey. Cirrus Marketing mystery shops leasing agents at apartment communities nationwide.
Several local groups were honored at the 2005 Ethics in America Awards by Vanguard University and Passkeys Foundation with Ethical Edge Awards. The companies are: Newport Beach’s CWS Capital Partners LLC; Option One Mortgage Corp. in Irvine; St. Joseph Health System in Orange; Costa Mesa’s Mission Controls Automation Inc.; and Cypress-based PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.
Samsung Electronics Co.’s America’s Information technology division in Irvine received VARBusiness Annual Report Card Company of the Year award.
Roger Franks, Alene Taber and Paul Van Hoomissen of the law firm Jackson DeMarco Tidus Peckenpaugh in Irvine were named Rising Stars of the Southern California legal profession on a list compiled and published by Law & Politics magazine.
Coldwell Banker Orange County, Newport Beach, said its lead management system, the LeadRouter, used by sales associates in July received the 2005 CIO 100 award from CIO magazine. The award recognizes companies that display excellence in information technology. LeadRouter makes it possible for sales associates to respond to online customers’ requests faster.
Ware Malcomb, an architecture, planning and interior design firm based in Irvine, recently received two Marketing Communications Awards at the Society for Marketing Professional Services National Conference.
The National Restaurant Association named Bruno Serato of Anaheim White House in Anaheim the Cornerstone Humanitarian of the Year as part of the association’s seventh annual Restaurant Neighbor Award. Serato’s dedication to helping underprivileged children earned him the award.
Juan Cerna of Foothill Ranch was named the Orange County Water District employee of the Month for September. Cerna is a computer program-mer/analyst in the district’s information services department.
The Orange County Burn Association re-ceived an $11,240 grant from the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. for fire prevention educational materials and tools.
Ron Saienni, James Futrell, Mike Hixson, Rita Lamkin, Bob Martin, Alice Sorenson, Dennis Sundstrom, Terryn O’Brien, Bob Odle and Glen Worthington of the light construction and development management, and marketing for residential builder programs at the University of California, Irvine Extension received the Dean’s Outstanding Service award.
Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. recognized Lisa Murphy and Tustin-based Wood Gutmann & Bogart Insurance Brokers with the Cornerstone Agency designation. Cornerstone is a national program within Chubb that is awarded to a select group of agents who have continuously achieved superior results in the personal insurance sector for wealthy clients.
Carol Jue, coach of Chapman University’s women’s basketball team, was named the 2004-05 Coach of the Year by the Association of Division III Independents.
First American Corp. in Santa Ana was recognized by the Business Committee for the Arts as one of the nation’s top supporters of the arts. Each year the committee determines the top 10 companies from nearly 100 that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to fostering art in local communities.
Orange County author and poet Terri Marie was honored with an Irwin Award in the humanitarian category by the Book Publicists of Southern California. Marie received the award for her positive influence in the lives around her. She also writes a monthly column for the Sun Post News in San Clemente, part of the Orange County Register. The column recognizes individual heroes.
