All the charts and graphs and other data on the housing market didn’t matter much against the lingering backdrop of recession in 2010, when Tony Moiso decided get his Rancho Mission Viejo LLC back into action with preparations for a new home development that’s now broken ground. His call came down to gut instinct back then. It’s looking good now, with a recovery in the air, but Moiso modestly cited another factor in his decision during a recent chat at his office: “They were out of candles at the Mission” (see related story, this page) …
Speaking of real estate data: the battle over CoreLogic—which pits Santa Ana neighbor First American Financial against Highfields Capital Management in Boston in a standoff of major shareholders—will take a pause. CoreLogic has pushed its annual meeting back to sometime this summer, as it seeks candidates for two new board seats. Highfields wants executive changes at CoreLogic, and calls the new board seats a “cosmetic” job …
Here’s some political math behind the $15.9 million budget passed by the Great Park board: Larry Agran’s stock dropped again. The budget came with well-documented rancor and cuts in fees for long-favored designer Ken Smith and PR firm Forde & Mollrich, among others. Agran came up short on a key vote with the defection of erstwhile allies Walkie Ray and Bill Kogerman. It’s the second recent reversal for Agran, who headed a 3-2 majority on the Irvine City Council before Sukhee Kang went his own way on the Great Park late last year …
Santa Ana-based Abbott Medical Optics has straight As when it comes to its various names over the years. It first grew out of American Hospital Supply, then became part of Allergan, which spun it off as Advanced Medical Optics. Abbott Laboratories bought it three years ago and provided the latest moniker to keep the streak of As going. Meanwhile, Jim Mazzo gives high marks right back to the company’s latest parent (see related story, page 1) …
A proper paint job for an aircraft can reduce its drag by as much as 4%, which means using less jet fuel. No small matter, since each penny increase for a gallon of the stuff adds about $175 million in annual costs for domestic airlines altogether. All the more reason to celebrate Mike Manclark and his Costa Mesa-based Leading Edge Aviation Services Inc., one of the companies honored at the OCBJ’s Excellence in Enterpreneurship Award luncheon last week (see story, page 1) …
Speaking of fuel: Quest Software cofounder and Newport Coast resident Eyal Aronoff touched the Windy City a couple of weeks ago, joining Shady Canyon’s Yossie Hollander in giving $1.5 million to the University of Chicago through their Irvine-based Fuel Freedom Foundation. This week Aronoff will aim to turn heads in Washington, D.C., with a market-driven perspective on the foundation’s mission to promote development of cheaper, cleaner, American-made replacements for gasoline. His talk—titled “Methanol Fuel: The Business Opportunity of the Decade”—is on the docket for the 2012 Methanol Policy Forum …
Angels Chairman Dennis Kuhl switched sports during a recent visit to Tustin Ranch Golf Club, where volunteers drummed up support for a new OC chapter of the First Tee program, which aims to give kids in need a chance to learn the sport. Visit thefirsttee.org for more.
