Agriculture
A Netherlands-based subsidiary of American Vanguard Corp. in Newport Beach made an undisclosed investment in Belgium-based Biological Products for Agriculture. The investment granted American Vanguard distribution rights to products in the Americas, and access to products resulting from research programs. American Vanguard makes agricultural chemicals.
Amusement
Former Disneyland Resort President Jack Lindquist died Feb. 28. He was 88. Lindquist was a Walt Disney Co. employee from a few months after the park opened in 1955 until his retirement as resort president in 1993, working in advertising and marketing for Walt Disney theme parks and involved in developing several of its best-known initiatives, including the “I’m going to Disneyland!” commercial slogan. He continued to be involved with the company in his retirement and received several honors from the local park. He wrote a book about his experiences and also served as a trustee of Chapman University in Orange (see related OC Insider item, page 3).
Education
Chapman University’s College of Performing Arts, Cal State University-Fullerton’s College of the Arts and UC-Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts will develop Collaborative Arts Development Experience to provide cultural enrichment for anyone interested in learning more about the arts. The program also will provide artistic development for young student artists and performers. Sessions blend art and culture via workshops, experiential learning, and industry immersion. Students apply and are accepted on a competitive basis. Cultural enrichment “observers” don’t need to apply and can sign up on a first-come, first-served basis.
Healthcare
Fountain Valley-based MemorialCare Health System said it will close its Saddleback Memorial Medical Center’s San Clemente campus on May 31. The decision came after an abandoned proposal to convert the hospital to an ambulatory healthcare campus and a failed effort to establish a satellite emergency department. MemorialCare said a declining census—daily patient volumes had dropped to the low teens and “many days in the single digits”—made operation of an acute-care hospital unsustainable.
Law
Layne Melzer was named managing partner of Costa Mesa-based Rutan & Tucker LLP, Orange County’s largest full-service law firm, succeeding Steven Nichols, who was managing partner in 2014 and 2015. Melzer will oversee the entire firm, including its Palo Alto office. The business litigator joined the firm in 1988 and is chairperson of its unfair competition/class-action defense group.
Media
Tribune Publishing, owner of the Los Angeles Times, still plans to bid for the assets of bankrupt Orange County Register owner Freedom Communications following a management change at the company. Tribune Chief Executive Justin Dearborn told analysts that it’s working on a bid for the Register and the Press-Enterprise in Riverside County. Dearborn was recently named to the post after a board-induced shakeup.
Retail
Ellia Kassoff of Newport Beach, owner of Strategic Marks, reached a settlement with Macy’s granting him trademarks to seven long-gone department store brands, the Orange County Register reported. Strategic Marks obtains the rights to defunct brands and brings them back. Kassoff got the trademarks to May Co., Robinson’s, Bullock’s and I Magnin, plus department store brands in Texas and on the East Coast. The brands merged with the Macy’s brand over decades of consolidations.
