AUTOMOTIVE
Irvine-based Mazda Motor of America Inc. said it plans to open a $1.6 billion manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Ala., in a joint-venture with Toyota Motor Corp. It said the plant is scheduled to open in 2021, employ 4,000 workers, build 300,000 vehicles a year, and boost Mazda’s U.S. sales.
— Subrina Hudson
HEALTHCARE
Providence St. Joseph Health Southern California Chief Executive Erik Wexler named most of an executive team to oversee 14 hospitals in Orange County and Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The team includes Hoag Hospital’s Andre Vovan AS chief clinical effectiveness officer, and former St. Joseph Hoag Chief Operating Officer Lee Penrose AS interim chief financial officer and chief operating officer for parts of the network. Wexler is still recruiting for some roles in operations and finance.
— Sherry Hsieh
RESTAURANTS
Chronic Tacos’ first location in Japan opens in March under a deal it signed with a franchisee last fall. The Mexi-Cal fusion taco chain with the Day of the Dead vibe signed a 10-year master franchise agreement with an affiliate of restaurant runner Kadoya Group in Tokyo. It’s Chronic’s first international restaurant.
— Paul Hughes
Habit Restaurants Inc. in Irvine said half of its openings this year and most next year will include drive-thrus. In 2010 the fast-casual chain had two drive-thru locations out of 46 total; at the close of last year it had 22 of 209; by the end of this year it plans 35 to 38 of about 240.
— Paul Hughes
RETAIL
A two-story, flagship H&M clothing store is the largest of the new slate of tenants coming this summer to a new phase of the Irvine Spectrum Center. Newport Beach’s Irvine Co. announced more than 12 shops and eateries that will take space at the 137,000-square-foot addition to the center that’s scheduled to open in mid-August. It’s a nearly $200 million redevelopment.
— Mark Mueller
SERVICES
Sixteen months after its first fare, the See Jane Go ride-sharing service that used only female drivers stopped operations the night of Jan. 9. In a letter to customers, Chief Executive Cassandra Miller said the venture ran out of funding. It was founded by Laguna Hills investment adviser William Jordan and his teenage daughter, and initially funded with a “family-and-friends” raise.
— Pete Weitzner
TECHNOLOGY
Overwatch League matches will be broadcast on Twitch. The esports gaming venture was created by Blizzard Entertainment in Irvine around an online multiplayer game. Twitch is a web-based video broadcast site with social media, and is owned by Amazon.com Inc. in Seattle.
— Paul Hughes
Irvine-based Insteon said before the official launch of the CES consumer electronics trade show that its line of connected home devices is compatible with Google Assistant-enabled products, such as Google Home speakers and select Android and Apple smartphones. Customers with an Insteon hub can link their Google Home App or Google Assistant accounts from their smartphones. It allows operation of Insteon’s line of connected products through an app or web browser.
— Chris Casacchia
D-Link Systems Inc. in Fountain Valley introduced several connected-home devices at CES, exhibiting a line of Wi-Fi cameras that includes cloud recording options and third-party integration capabilities with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT. It also showcased its three-pack Dual-Band Whole Home Wi-Fi System and two-pack Tri-Band Whole Home Wi-Fi System, billed as being scalable mesh wireless networks for ultra-fast speeds and whole-home coverage.
— Chris Casacchia
Universal Electronics Inc. helped develop a new voice remote control for DISH Network Corp., the Santa Ana-based company said at CES. The world’s largest remote control maker provided voice capture and microphone clarity technology for the remote to the DISH Hopper set-top box.
— Chris Casacchia
TRANSPORTATION
Hawaiian Airlines plans to fly daily from Long Beach Airport to Honolulu starting on June 1. It will be a new airline at the airport and Honolulu a new route. The notice came on OAG, a UK-based website that tracks planned routes by carriers.
— Paul Hughes
