Antarra Communications in Garden Grove won out over seven other public relations firms to win work from software maker TMPG Inc.
The shop plans to help Gardena-based TMPG, part of Japan’s Pegasys Inc., rename products and publicize new products and upgrades. TMPG makes software for video editing.
TMPG spent six months talking with Antarra before inking a deal, Antarra cofounder Carol Warren said.
“The company had hired public relations firms in the past and was unhappy with the results,” Warren said. “They were very tentative about hiring another agency.”
Antarra has worked with several companies in video editing and on DVDs through the years, so TMPG “felt we understood their market,” Warren said.
Kimi Matsuki, chief executive of TMPG, said the company chose Antarra because of its past experience in consumer electronics.
Antarra’s other technology clients include Garden Grove’s Proview Technology Inc. and Norcent Technologies Inc. of San Dimas.
Antarra hired one worker to help handle the account.
The account comes on the heels of another win for Antarra.
The shop landed work from the U.S. arm of Russia’s Neurok Optics LLC, which named Antarra agency of record for media relations and corporate branding.
Antarra helped the company roll out a computer monitor at a tradeshow for its first assignment.
The shop has plans to grow its one-person office in Connecticut, which it opened in 2004.
“An office there made it more convenient for our clients,” Warren said.
Antarra plans to hire two employees,one for the East Coast and one for the OC office,by the end of the year, Warren said.
“We are optimistic about the balance of 2006,” he said. “(We) have had a steady influx of new business and inquiries this year from an assortment of technology oriented companies.”
Bubba Gump Expands
San Clemente-based Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. plans to open five restaurants by the end of this year.
The chain, inspired by the “Forrest Gump” movie, said it expects to open a restaurant in Orlando this month, followed by others in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., in the next few months.
Bubba Gump targets tourist destinations, which has helped fuel its sales, according to Chief Executive Scott Barnett.
The company, which turned 10 this year, recently expanded to a bigger headquarters in San Clemente. Bubba Gump has 20 restaurants in the U.S. and abroad.
Print Run
Irvine-based Main Graphics goes after clients big and small.
Owner George Haggarty said the wide net is paying off.
A “hefty” chunk of the printer’s business comes from large format commercial printing, he said. But small-run jobs that must be completed fast are the “driving force,” Haggarty said.
“One of the things we have tried to do is to position ourselves to handle both ends of the printing spectrum,” he said. “The strength of our internal system has provided Main Graphics the opportunity to add sales and service clients well.”
The shop saw a 30% jump in sales last year to $5.8 million. That means Main Graphics’ 31 workers are producing an average of about $185,000 per employee, he said.
The county’s largest printer, Los Alamitos-based Trend Offset Printing Services Inc., does about $245,000 per worker.
Surf Swell
Some 500,000 people are expected to swarm the Huntington Beach pier this year for the Bank of the West Beach Games and Honda U.S. Open of Surfing.
The event is set to cover 12 beach acres north and south of the pier from July 24 to July 30.
It’s one of the largest action sports and music events in North America and draws a slew of Orange County surf and skate brands. They get big exposure: hanging banners along the pier plus lots of TV time. Not to mention throngs of teens and young folks sporting their clothes.
O’Neill Clothing in Irvine sponsors the U.S. Open of Surfing, while its Irvine-based sibling Lost Clothing has the Lost Junior Pro. Other local sponsors include Morgan Hill-based Fox Racing Inc., which has marketing offices in Newport Beach, Irvine-based Boost Mobile LLC, part of Sprint Nextel Corp., and OC Weekly.
Competitions include beach volleyball, skateboarding, BMX bicycles and motorcycles.
There’s also a festival with music, dance contests and exhibits.
“The beach games have become a fixture in the Southern California cultural landscape and a staple in the action sports and surf industries,” said James Leitz of Cleveland-based International Management Group, executive producer of the event.
The games are set to air on three one-hour programs on the Outdoor Life Network in September. They’ll also be shown as part of a one-hour “Best Of…” program on Fox Sports Net in September.
