Scott Flanders, chief executive of Irvine-based Freedom Communications Inc., is getting to know Orange County well. And not from behind a desk in an air-conditioned office.
Scott Flanders, chief executive of Irvine-based Freedom Communications Inc., is getting to know Orange County well. And not from behind a desk in an air-conditioned office.
An Indiana native, Flanders took the reins of the county’s dominant media company in January. He’s spent the past seven months checking out his new surroundings.
And he’s set some ambitious goals for Freedom.
More local magazines, more Web sites,even more newspapers,are part of the plan.
On a recent weekend, Flanders said he hopped on his bicycle and rode some 25 miles along the coast in Newport Beach and Balboa Island. He soaked in the scene and heat,with temperatures in the 90s.
With little humidity, Flanders says he barely sweat, a pleasant OC surprise.
It isn’t the only one.
“The diversity of the industry has surprised me,” Flanders said. “I would confess that I had the OC image that everybody lived on the beach and was tan. I’ve had a lot of perceptions that have proven to be superficial.”
Flanders, who moved to Irvine’s Shady Canyon after relocating from Manhattan, said he used to think real estate was the biggest driver here.
Other industries are equally “vibrant,” including technology and medical devices, he said.
“I didn’t realize how diverse the economy was,” Flanders said. “It’s important for me to understand the business and social fabric of our largest market.”
Studying economics is a natural for Flanders, who earned a degree in the field from the University of Colorado before getting his law degree at the University of Indiana. He’s also a certified professional accountant.
OC is expected to play an even bigger role in Freedom’s future, Flanders said. So it’s critical to get the lay of the land. The company employs about 2,000 workers here at the Orange County Register in Santa Ana and at its headquarters in Irvine. It has 7,000 workers in all.
“We’re going to be more aggressive than we’ve been in the past,” Flanders said.
For more on this story, see the July 31 edition of the Business Journal.
