The 40 largest women-owned businesses in Orange County saw sales drop 3% in 2008 to $2.4 billion, marking the first down year since 2001.
Current local employment at the businesses dropped by 6% from a year earlier, according to the Business Journal’s list of top women-owned businesses.
Total employment increased 1% as companies,primarily No. 1 In-N-Out Burgers Inc.,expanded outside the county.
The list is ranked by 2008 revenue and includes companies that are majority owned by women or at least 51% owned by the woman in a husband-wife team.
Thirteen companies saw revenue grow in 2008. Eleven saw a decline. One was flat. Figures for 15 companies are Business Journal estimates.
An estimated revenue gain at Irvine-based In-N-Out Burgers couldn’t offset declines seen at other women-owned companies.
The county’s local women-owned auto dealers and construction companies were especially hard hit by the recession.
Burger chain In-N-Out saw an estimated 5% boost in revenue to $450 million with new restaurant openings. We count In-N-Out as woman-owned based on Lynsi Martinez’s staggered inheritance of trusts that own the company.
Martinez, who is in her late 20s and the granddaughter of late company co-founder Esther Snyder, now owns a third of the trusts and is set to see full ownership when she is 35.
The company, which has held the No. 1 spot since 2002, expanded into Utah last year when it opened a restaurant in Washington City. It previously had only operated restaurants in California, Nevada and Arizona.
The company has a policy of only running restaurants within 500 miles of its distribution center in Baldwin Park so it doesn’t have to freeze burger patties.
In-N-Out plans to open more restaurants in Utah this year, according to reports in the Salt Lake Tribune.
No. 6 Elmore Toyota in Westminster was the biggest decliner on the list, both by percentage and actual decline in revenue, falling 39% to $86 million in 2008 sales.
The auto dealer previously had been No. 3 on the list.
Elmore Toyota cut its local workers by 38% to 75 people.
In 2007, Elmore Toyota performed better than most auto dealers as it grew sales by 4% to $138.6 million but later joined the overall auto sales downturn.
No. 2 Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel was the second biggest decliner on the list, dropping 18% to $224.6 million in revenue.
No. 10 Villa Ford also saw a steep fall in revenue, dropping 20% to $72.7 million. The Orange-based auto dealer was at one time the county’s largest women-owned business. It topped the list in 2001 when its 2000 revenue was $143.2 million.
Revenue drops seen at the county’s three largest women-owned auto dealers were in line with the auto industry’s dismal 2008. The 25 largest auto dealers here saw revenue drop 15% to $3.8 billion in 2008, according to the Business Journal’s March list.
Nationally, sales of new autos fell 18%, the biggest dip since 1992.
No. 3 Moorefield Construction Inc. of Santa Ana was the third biggest decliner on the list. Its revenue fell 17% in 2008 to $164 million amid the souring commercial construction market.
It lost two local workers and four overall.
The construction company is the biggest newcomer to the list, which always is a work in progress because of the nature of women-owned businesses, most of them privately held.
Moorefield moved to OC from Los Angeles about a year ago.
Bright Spots
It wasn’t all doom and gloom on the list.
No. 7 Westminster-based Carrillo Business Technologies Inc. was the list’s best performer.
The technology consultant jumped nine spots and saw revenue rise 83% to $84 million. It added one employee.
The company, which caters to engineering and aerospace companies, grew with one of its biggest clients, which it declined to name.
It was able to offer the client more and new products, according to principal Kelly Ireland. It also added customers and products, Ireland said.
Although Carrillo was able to grow last year despite the recession, it recently has seen pullbacks in customer budgets and a lack of available capital.
Carrillo has cranked up its marketing,which includes education seminars,to combat the slowdown, Ireland said.
No. 9 Rauxa Direct of Costa Mesa also saw a big revenue boost in 2008. Its revenue spiked 40% to $74.6 million.
The direct marketing agency’s local employment jumped 7% to 106 people and its overall employment jumped 24% to 144.
Expanded accounts and new clients created the growth, said Rauxa Chief Executive Jill Gwaltney.
That clients can easily track how their dollars are working for them has helped Rauxa grow, Gwaltney said.
The company began expanding on the East Coast in 2007, when it opened an office in New Jersey. It also opened an office in Manhattan around Thanksgiving.
In addition to Moorefield Construction, No. 19 Pacific Pioneer Insurance Group of Cypress and No. 22 Santa Ana-based Alar Staffing Corp. were the list’s newcomers.
Former No. 9 Lamborghini Orange County fell off the list this year after it suddenly closed operations in November. It was owned by siblings Vik, Astrid, Nora and Sossi Keuylian and was the largest Lamborghini dealership in the U.S.
Last week Viken Keuylian pleaded guilty to charges he defrauded the finance arm of Volkswagen AG, parent of Automobili Lam-borghini Holding SPA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Santa Ana said.
Former No. 30 CocaLo Inc. of Costa Mesa was bought by New Jersey-based Russ Berrie and Co. last year for $16 million, making it ineligible for the list.
Carlson Wagonlit Travel ITS of Irvine, last year’s No. 26 company, now is part of American Express Travel.
