Education
University of California-Irvine named Dr. Howard Federoff chief executive of UC Irvine Health. He joined the university last July as vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the medical school. He had been interim chief executive of the medical center since Terry Belmont’s retirement last year. The permanent post also gives him oversight of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC Irvine Health-Newport and several primary and specialty care outpatient centers.
A team of engineering students at the University of California-Irvine entered its project design in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition introduced by entrepreneur Elon Musk, the Los Angeles Times reported. The competition pits designs for a high-speed ground transportation system between L.A. and San Francisco. Its goal is to expedite development of a prototype.
Hospitality
The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort will get a Miraval Life in Balance Spa, according to a hotel trade journal. The spa will be managed by St. Regis management and Miraval Group, Hotel Business said. Miraval Group is a joint venture between KSL Capital Partners LLC in Denver and an affiliate of Revolution LLC, which has offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. KSL bought the 400-room St. Regis in May 2014 for about $320 million and plans to finish a $30 million renovation of rooms, restaurants and other areas by May.
Manufacturing
PLUSfoam Compound Technologies LLC in Newport Beach received an undisclosed investment from Acorn Innvestments and the Noël Group. The maker of recyclable materials said it will use the money for new manufacturing facilities and marketing. Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Jason Stanson cited the employee talent base and local consumer products firms as reasons for expansion here.
Media
PBS SoCal in Costa Mesa received a three-year, $1.7 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to produce documentaries about real-life issues faced by foster youth in Southern California. The region has one of the largest foster youth populations in the country, according to PBS SoCal. The content developed for the “Southern California Foster Youth Initiative” will be shared with audiences on-air and online, as well as via screenings, panel discussions and social media campaigns.
Restaurants
Rancho Santa Margarita-based fast casual operator Pieology Pizzeria said it received an investment from Andrew and Peggy Cherng, who founded Panda Restaurant Group. Pieology has 92 locations with average unit volumes of about $1.6 million, according to a trade journal estimate. Pasadena-based Panda runs more than 1,800 locations under several brands with $2 billion in sales. Pieology said it gains access to PRG’s real estate and vendor and purchasing relationships.
Newport Beach Restaurant Week launched with a slight bump in participating restaurants compared to last year. Sixty are offering specials during the two-week event; last year, just under 60 recorded revenue of about $4.6 million, or an average of about $75,000 per restaurant. It’s the event’s 10th year.
American Restaurant Holdings Inc. in Irvine will open two company-owned Muscle Maker Grill restaurants in Orange County this year. The locations, at the Jamboree Promenade Shopping Center in Irvine and City Place Shopping Center in Santa Ana, will be New Jersey-based Muscle Maker’s first appearance in Southern California. It has two other restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area and operates 57 locations nationwide. American Restaurant bought Muscle Maker last year.
Services
Roth Staffing Cos. in Orange promoted Adam Roth from president and chief operating officer to chief executive as successor to Ben Roth, his father and founder of the 21-year-old employment services company. Ben Roth moves to the role of executive chairman. Roth Staffing is one the largest privately held staffing firms in the U.S., with more than 100 locations in 20 states. Its units provide clerical, legal, financial, engineering, and technology employees.
Technology
Smart Utility Systems announced plans to add 200 workers this year at its new headquarters in Irvine, plus an international expansion plan with new offices in Asia. The maker of subscription software geared for utilities and municipalities held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the 35,000-square-foot space at Newport Gateway, a two-tower office campus near the Irvine-Newport Beach city line that has attracted several technologies companies, including virtual reality headset maker Oculus VR Inc. Smart Utility employs about 150 in Irvine and another 150 in India.
