TOP STORY
Santa Ana’s Ingram Micro Inc. said it plans to cut 550 jobs in North America, half in Orange County. The move is expected to save the technology products distributor about $25 million a year by 2006. Ingram plans to outsource the work. The company didn’t offer specifics but said it plans to shift transaction and support jobs “to a leading global business process outsource provider” by the end of the year. Ingram also plans to cut jobs from its Canada and Buffalo, N.Y., operations. It also said it expects to restructure and consolidate other jobs in North America … Irvine-based California Coastal Communities Inc. said the California Coastal Commission approved the company’s 30-year bid to build 349 homes on 68 acres of the upper section of the Bolsa Chica mesa near Huntington Beach. The developer said it hopes to start grading land in the first half of 2006. It still must comply with some 27 conditions before receiving the final permit.
TECHNOLOGY
San Francisco-based private equity firm Golden Gate Capital LP said it plans to buy Irvine-based TDK Semiconductor Corp. for undisclosed terms. The fabless semiconductor operation is part of Japan’s TDK Corp. Golden Gate is expected to change the name of the chip unit but keep operations in Irvine … Irvine-based PC maker Gateway Inc. said it will receive $150 million over four years as part of a proposed settlement with Microsoft Corp. Gateway was cited in the case as a computer maker impacted by Microsoft’s business practices. As part of the settlement, Gateway plans to drop all antitrust claims against Microsoft … Huntington Beach-based Home Run Software Services Inc. said it plans to close its buy of Santa Ana-based Duplication Masters by the end of the month. Terms weren’t disclosed.
HEALTHCARE
Saddleback Memorial Medical Center said William and Louise Meiklejohn, who live in Laguna Woods’ Leisure World, have donated nearly $50 million to the hospital’s foundation. The Laguna Hills hospital plans to spend some $190 million in the next 10 years to upgrade its facilities.
REAL ESTATE
The California Coastal Commission said it wouldn’t challenge Dana Point’s approval of developer Sanford Edwards’ Headlands project. The development is set to include 118 homes, shops and an inn on 121 acres. The Surfrider Foundation and Sierra Club still plan to pursue a last-ditch lawsuit against the project, which they say violates the Coastal Act … A judge ruled that condo owners at Niguel Beach Terrace in Dana Point didn’t break the law by renting or selling their units, which were sold decades ago as low-income housing. The California Coastal Commission alleged that some of the owners broke their sales agreements that required them to live in the homes for at least 20 years or sell them back to the state for a slight profit. The judge ruled that the sales agreements were unenforceable. The Coastal Commission is considering an appeal.
FINANCE
Santa Ana-based First American Corp. bought Experian Real Estate Services from Experian Information Solutions Inc., a Costa Mesa-based unit of Britain’s GUS PLC. Terms of the deal, which closed March 30, weren’t disclosed.
GOVERNMENT
The state Judicial Council was expected to pick Santa Ana for a new 4th District Court of Appeal courthouse late last week. A state court staffs report recommended Santa Ana over a site at the University of California, Irvine for the $17 million courthouse for several reasons, including cost savings, construction timing and parking … The Transportation Corridor Agencies sent fraud notices to 4,500 people who use the FasTrak pay system on the 73, 133, 241 and 261 toll roads. Last week a former agency worker was accused of stealing credit card information … Midwest Airlines said it plans to stop flying between John Wayne Airport and Kansas City by May 1. The airline said its daily flight didn’t have enough passengers.
WHAT ELSE IS NEWS
Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc. said it bought nearly half the shares of France’s Skis Rossignol SA from the company’s controlling family. The move is the first step in the buyout of the ski maker. Quiksilver bought the 49.5% stake from the Boix-Vives family. Quiksilver plans to make an offer for the remaining shares and expects the deal to close by July 31. Quiksilver detailed plans to buy Skis Rossignol for $312 million in March after first expressing interest in the company late last year … Costa Mesa-based Tickets.com Inc. lost its bid to resurrect an antitrust suit against IAC/InterActiveCorp.’s Ticket-master unit. An appeals court said Tickets.com hadn’t proved Ticketmaster’s contracts with partners were unreasonable. Earlier this year, Major League Baseball’s Internet unit bought Tickets.com for about $66 million … Wet Seal Inc. again delayed the release of its fourth quarter and 2004 results. The Foothill Ranch-based teen retailer didn’t give a reason for the latest delay. The company’s results initially were expected March 24, then delayed until last week … LaCount Law opened at Irvine’s Jamboree Center. The technology and regulatory law firm is headed by Stephen LaCount.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Up: Orange County’s housing picture in March, with the median price of homes sold up 16.5% to $565,000, versus a year earlier, and the number of homes sold rising 2.7% to 5,033, according to DataQuick Information Systems.
