TOP STORIES
Year-end bulls pushed up the stocks of OC’s biggest public companies (see page 11) Pacific Life Insurance Co., Newport Beach, is in talks to be acquired by Munich-based Allianz AG, SEC filings showed; analysts said the price could be $3 billion-plus … Conexant Systems Inc., Newport Beach, acquired Massachusetts-based Maker Communications Inc., for $1 billion; Conexant said it plans no changes in the operations or personnel of Maker, which develops and markets networking technology (related item, page 1) … Voit Development Co., Woodland Hills, acquired a portfolio of industrial properties including 23 free-standing buildings in OC and eight business parks in OC and LA County for $125 million from Fujita Corp. USA … Ford Motor Co. is considering moving the North American operations of its Jaguar, Aston Martin and Volvo brands to Irvine, it was reported … Odetics Inc., Anaheim said it will spin off its Odetics ITS Inc. unit as Iteris Inc. with an IPO expected to raise about $50 million … Broadcom Corp.’s Henry Samueli and his wife donated $30 million to the UCLA engineering school and $20 million to the UCI engineering school; both schools will be named for the Samuelis; Samueli, Broadcom CEO Henry Nicholas and eight other execs recently sold shares totaling at least $252 million, according to SEC filings (related item, page 15) Brent R. Martini, son of chairman Robert Martini and president of the company’s largest unit, was named to the board of Orange-based Bergen Brunswig Corp. … Allianz AG will pay $640 million in bonuses to retain key employees of Newport Beach-based Pimco Advisors LP, including $200 million over five years to bond trader Bill Gross, according to SEC filings.
GOVERNMENT
The county released its long-awaited draft EIR and master plan for El Toro and John Wayne airports. Estimates: It will take $1 billion (funded by airport bonds and fees and the FAA) to get an airport up and running at El Toro by the year 2005. 20-year capital costs, including private investment for facilities and hotels will be $2.9 billion. The airport will handle 8.8 million passengers in its first year of operation. The airport will create 32,000 direct jobs and add $2.9 billion annually to the economy by the year 2020. The airport will cause half the traffic of the rival, no-airport Millennium Plan. The region’s air pollution will be lower by cutting vehicle trips to outlying airports. No homes will require insulation, but the noise will disturb a small percentage of residents. Airport opponents are studying the document in preparation for expected lawsuits Assemblyman Rod Pacheco, R-Riverside, said he will introduce a bill to allow the state to buy the 91 Express Lanes … The Coastal Commission staff recommended denial of a permit for 635 homes in the Irvine Co.’s Crystal Cove project; company officials called the staff’s objections minor … About 100 staffers in Caltrans’ Santa Ana office petitioned Gov. Gray Davis for the reinstatement of former district director Mike McManus.
DEALS
HCC Insurance Inc., Houston, completed its acquisition of Costa Mesa-based Centris Group Inc. for $171 million … Wynn’s International Inc., Orange, completed its acquisition of Indiana-based Goshen Rubber Cos. for $88 million … Tickets.com, Newport Beach, completed its acquisition of Lasergate Systems Inc., Clearwater, Fla., for $1.5 million … TriZetto Group Inc., Newport Beach, acquired Finserv Health Care Systems Inc., Albany, N.Y. … FutureLink Corp., Irvine, said it will acquire U.K.-based KNS Holding Ltd. … American Securities Capital Partners, New York, completed its acquisition of the Irvine-based El Pollo Loco restaurant chain from South Carolina-based Advantica Restaurant Group Inc. for $114 million … Magic Software Enterprises Ltd., Irvine, said it will buy 51% of Amsterdam-based CasWell Logistics BV; Magic also completed its acquisition of 51% of Hungary-based Onyx Software Enterprises Ltd. and renamed it Magic Onyx Software Enterprises Hungary KFT … ECOM/EDI, Irvine, was acquired by Long Beach-based ACOM Newport Beach investor Richard Battaglia acquired the Village Apartments at Heritage Place, Anaheim, from Legacy Partners and Shinwa Development for $25.5 million.
PERSONNEL
Executive VP Timothy E. Kelly was promoted to president of Costa Mesa-based Tickets.com; CEO Thomas Gimple ceded that title, but added co-chairman … ARV Assisted Living Inc., Costa Mesa, named president and CEO Douglas Pasquale to the vacant post of chairman … Litronic Inc., Irvine, named Roy E. Luna CFO, replacing Thomas W. Seykora, who resigned in November … CFO John Hindman was promoted to CEO of Cypress Financial Services Inc., Cypress,replacing Manuel Occiano, who left, and was added to the board; execs Farrest Hayden and Otto Lacayo resigned, but will remain on the board … e-Built Inc., Irvine, named state Chamber of Commerce vice chairman Tom Stickel chairman of its board … J.R. Wetzel, executive VP of Pacific Gulf Properties Inc., Newport Beach, added the COO title.
WHAT’S NEW
ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc., Costa Mesa, will invest $200 million in about 500 Russian research projects over five years, it was reported … Presley Cos., Newport Beach, said it will change its name to William Lyon Homes and trade on the NYSE under the symbol WLS beginning this week … Fidelity National Financial Inc., Irvine, set a Feb. 9 shareholder vote on its planned acquisition of Chicago Title Corp. … Go2 Systems Inc., Irvine, launched a series of web sites to provide cell phone users with directions to destinations nationwide … A coveted half-acre oceanside lot in Smithcliffs was acquired by resident Philip Carroll Jr., Fluor Corp. CEO, for $5 million … Biomerica Inc., Newport Beach, launched an online drugstore, TheBigRx.com … Ocean Pacific Apparel Corp., Irvine, said it will debut a new surf clothing line, Op Pro … First Alliance Corp., Irvine, said it will close five of its 29 retail branches nationwide … Amusement Business magazine estimated that attendance at Disneyland fell 5% this year to 13.4 million, while attendance at Knott’s Berry Farm rose 6% to 3.6 million eSat Inc., Fountain Valley, formed a content subsidiary, Global Media Technology Inc. Ambassadors International Inc., Spokane, said it will close three offices and move its accounting functions to Newport Beach, where chairman Peter Ueberroth and CEO John Ueberroth are based.
CONTRACTS, FINANCIAL
Techniclone Corp., Tustin, received $300,000 in interim financing from Swartz Institutional Finance, whose Edward J. Legere was added to the board CAM Data Systems Inc., Fountain Valley, signed a deal to distribute NCR cash registers with CAM software to small retailers … STM Wireless Inc., Irvine, received a $1 million equipment order from OnSat Network Communication Inc., Utah … Interplay Entertainment Corp., Irvine, signed a two-year deal to distribute Monte Cristo Multimedia’s business-simulation games in North America Altitun, Irvine, received $10 million in venture funding … Berjaya Group Berhad, Malaysia, cut its stake in Irvine-based STM Wireless Inc. from 16.7% to 11.5% … MedCom USA Inc., Irvine, retired 1,745 preferred shares … eSat Inc., Fountain Valley, said it sold $5 million in preferred stock to an unnamed investor and secured a $20 million equity credit line … Day Runner Inc., Irvine, warned it expects to fall short of earnings predictions and post a fiscal second-quarter loss.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Up: Trade through the port of Long Beach in November, with imports up 8.7% and exports up 8.2% year-to-year.
