OCBJ WEEKLY EDITION
Life Support
Ventilator Co. Looks to Ramp Up Supply for ICUs Amid COVID-19 CrisisA 40-person company in the foothills of Lake Forest is making one of the world’s most sought-after products—ventilators for intensive care units, to help those hospitalized from severe effects of the coronavirus.
Hospitals Execs Prep For Coronavirus Surge
HEALTHCARE: ‘We will be prepared,’ Wexler says
Ready, willing, able
What’s On Tap, When Taps Reopens
RESTAURANTS: New funding, concepts planned for OC chain
Last February, Taps owner Joe Manzella took a meeting with Randy Teffeteller, a local management consultant with expertise in the restaurant and hospitality business.
Billions in Losses For Tourism Sector
HOSPITALITY: JW Marriott delayed; some 50 hotels closed
Occupancy levels across numerous Orange County hotels have sunk to single-digits as a result of travel restrictions, causing many to temporarily shutter their doors to save on operating costs.
Blinking Owl Distillery Adds Drugmaker Status to Biz
BEVERAGES: Makes hand sanitizer to address COVID-19
That which does not kill us ...
OC Hotel Investments Expected to Take Hit
REAL ESTATE: Sale of Montage, Ritz-Carlton in flux
As Orange County loses its visitor pool, a base that averages north of 4 million tourists per month, it’s also losing a pool of investors as dealmaking comes to a halt.
Make the Most of Home Tech Time, IT CEO Says
TechMD CEO Igreti Offers Comprehensive List
You and your home computer are going to be spending plenty of time together these next few weeks or months.
ShiftPixy Sees Increased Restaurant Interest During Crisis
Irvine-Based Staffing Co. Helps Operators Deliver, Stay Open
ShiftPixy Inc., a tech-based restaurant staffing company in Irvine, said it’s been getting queries from companies desperate to make deliveries and stay at least partially open during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gross Calls on Wealthy To Lead Coronavirus Relief
PHILANTHROPY: $1.5M donated by foundation
The William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation, the charity founded by retired financial asset manager Bill Gross and his son and daughter, have given $1.5 million to charities and organizations providing relief from the effects of coronavirus on Southern California communities.
Masimo Monitors COVID-19 Patients
DEVICES: Irvine firm takes load off hospitals
Cleveland’s University Hospitals is said to be the first in the country to remotely monitor patients who test positive for the coronavirus.
Irvine Co. Provides Rent Flexibility
Programs for Residential, Commercial Tenants
Orange County’s largest real estate owner adjusted its business model for residential and commercial properties in response to coronavirus concerns.
UCI Housing Operator Axes Fees for Students
School Will Cover Lease Termination Costs
The largest operator of student housing at University of California-Irvine is letting tenants there get out of their lease without penalty, according to news reports.
Neurolens Raises $23.8M, SEC Filings Show
Touts Product To Reduce Eyestrain
Costa Mesa-based Neurolens Inc., which is trying to reduce the problem of eyestrain from viewing digital devices, disclosed it has raised $23.8 million, according to a March 12 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Irvine Scientific Parent’s Drug Praised
Fujifilm’s Drug Tests Well on Coronavirus
The parent company of Santa Ana-based Fujifilm Irvine Scientific may have a treatment for the coronavirus.
Coronavirus Prompts Pivot to Online Tactics
Digital Adeptness Never Been More Important
Marketers have ramped efforts to generate sales online, leaning on social media, mobile ordering apps and web stores in a bid to avoid a complete loss of revenue from the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 Products, Services, Testing, Trials in OC
HEALTHCARE: Firms aim for speed, accuracy of diagnosis
Orange County’s healthcare sector and the area’s vast medical-focused technology community are racing the clock to develop COVID-19 tests and other products to detect, monitor, and perhaps create a vaccine to fight off the coronavirus.
STARTUPS & INNOVATIONS
Shipping and logistics platform and tech firm FreightPop in Lake Forest said it’s seeing increased interest for its cloud-based software amid supply chain uncertainty due to the pandemic.
Ad Agencies Mobilize Amid Pandemic, Hope to Maintain Growth
16% Gain for 23 Firms on List
Orange County’s largest advertising agencies were on the up last year, but the disruption to business across industries from the coronavirus pandemic has firms in wait-and-see mode.
Sales Tactics Shift Amid Social Distancing
Brokers Responding To COVID-19 Restrictions
The recent push to social distance Americans from each other has had a unique effect on all types of businesses, including the residential brokerage market, which relies on face-to-face interaction to showcase homes and close sales.
OC LEADER BOARD
In These Turbulent Times, Analytics Can Provide Critical Answers
We have all experienced significant challenges affecting our personal lives, our businesses and even our planet.
Haddad’s Pivot: From Land Sales to Face Mask Donations
REAL ESTATE: CEO finds calling in chaos; 100K face masks
Emile Haddad runs California’s largest land development company.
Hypergrowth
Sports recovery products firm Hyperice was already one of OC’s fastest growers. Then it made its largest acquisition.
At-home workout? Here's your recovery
OC’s Retail Scene Enters ‘Survival Mode’
MARKETING: Stores, automakers, restaurants up digital presence
Social media, streaming, restaurants go ‘to-go’
Glenn Stearns Returns to Mortgages
FINANCE: Says new company aims for 500 employees
Back to business, kindly
Working from Home Poses Tech Challenges
CYBERSECURITY: Bandwidth overload worries; scams abound
Coronavirus shift to home-work brings tests
OC LEADER BOARD
Heeding Advice from the Experts for the Good of Us All
These are unprecedented times for America and the world. As we confront the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critically important that we remain diligent and choose our daily activities wisely and prudently.
WeWork Continues OC Openings
Lakeshore Location In Irvine Tops for SoCal
WeWork has opened a new Irvine location near John Wayne Airport that it says is its largest coworking spot in Southern California.
Trinity Broadcasting Site Sells for $25.5M
EF Education First Plans New Campus
EF Education First has closed on the former Trinity Broadcasting site in Costa Mesa that will ultimately hold a new international education campus.
Healthcare Workers Seek ‘Mercedes of Masks’
Irvine Maker’s MaxAir System in High Demand
Irvine-based Bio-Medical Devices International Inc. is seeing increasing demand for its purifying respirator MaxAir Systems to fight the coronavirus.
Billabong x Sincerely Jules Highlights Influencer Power
1st Collection Saw 50% Sell-Through in Week 1
For anyone questioning the power of influencer marketing, Billabong’s collaboration with Sincerely Jules blogger Julie Sariñana serves as a good case study.
Casanova McCann Nabs Vallarta Supermarkets Biz
Grocer Counts 50 Locations in Cali
Efforts to ramp services to clients on the digital and social media front are paying off for Casanova McCann with the Costa Mesa advertising agency’s most recent client win.
STARTUPS & INNOVATIONS
Cocoon Medical, a Barcelona, Spain-based medical aesthetics company that makes laser hair removal and body shaping products, is introducing its diode laser platform to the U.S. market through a hub in Tustin.
Philanthropy
Pacific Symphony presented “A Night in New Orleans” on March 7 at Hotel Irvine. The gala honored Carl St. Clair’s 30 seasons as a music director and celebrated the Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom family for its extensive support of Pacific Symphony.
Some Sectors Sparkle for Environmental Consultants
New Projects, Regs, Boost Some; Locals Flat Overall
Environmental consulting firms locally were flat to minimally higher on OC billings and workers for the year ended Dec. 31, with some companies reporting robust work levels because of new regulations or projects—or both.
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