APPAREL
Evolv Sports & Designs LLC said Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. in New York acquired a majority stake in the Buena Park-based manufacturer of climbing footwear. Details of the transaction weren’t disclosed.
AUTOMOTIVE
Hyundai Motor America said it will pay a $17.4 million civil penalty and comply with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s requirements for failing to report in a timely manner a braking system defect that affected Hyundai Genesis models 2009 to 2012. Brake fluids used in approximately 43,500 sedans didn’t adequately inhibit corrosion in key components of the brake system, which federal safety regulators said could result in reduced braking effectiveness and increase the risk of a crash. There have been no fatalities or serious injuries related to the safety defect, according to the automaker.
Newport Beach-based The Conant Auto Retail Group bought the Irvine-based Fladeboe Automotive Group on undisclosed terms. The deal involved three dealerships, one each for Honda, Volkswagen and Buick/GMC. Conant now has 14 dealerships in California and Florida.
Jared Rowe will shift from the president’s post at Irvine-based Kelley Blue Book to the same title with parent company AutoTrader.com. Atlanta-based AutoTrader
.com, which aggregates new and used car listings from dealers and private sellers, acquired Kelley Blue Book in 2010 on undisclosed terms.
EDUCATION
The Hollywood Reporter named Chapman University’s film school the seventh best in the U.S. The publication based the top 25 ranking on a survey of the film schools and industry professionals and trade groups.
HEALTHCARE
Irvine-based St. Joseph Hoag Health and Children’s Hospital of Orange County said they would form an accountable care organization. CHOC and St. Joseph Hoag Health will share the financial and medical responsibilities of managing and providing care to patients. The institutions said in a news release that the goals were to improve quality, enhance patients’ experience and “create efficiencies through collectively attending to patients’ needs and avoiding unnecessary treatments.” The accountable care organization includes eight hospitals and nine medical groups and affiliated doctor networks. CHOC, in Orange, said it would remain independent and continue to care for children who are outside of the St. Joseph Hoag Health network.
RESTAURANTS
The Lake Forest-based parent company of old-time ice cream concept Farrell’s Ice Cream said it will begin franchising. Parlour Restaurants has six Farrell’s in Southern California, including restaurants in Brea, Buena Park and Mission Viejo, along with one in Sacramento. The company said it plans to expand outside California, including internationally.
RETAIL
Two OC companies made Stores Media magazine’s list of the 100 fastest growing retailers in the U.S. Northgate Gonzalez Markets in Anaheim placed No. 30 after its sales grew 12% to $690,000 from 2012 to 2013. Action-sports retailer Tilly’s in Irvine placed 74th. It’s sales grew 6% during the same period to $496,000. Tilly’s posted a 74% drop in earnings in the first quarter of this year.
SERVICES
Tustin-based engineering firm Hall & Foreman Inc. was acquired by David Evans and Associates Inc. in Portland on undisclosed terms. Hall & Foreman will keep its main office in Tustin, and Chief Executive John Hogan will remain in the post, said spokesperson Kelly Teenor.
Anaheim-based engineering firm Willdan Group Inc. won a $22.3 million contract extension from Consolidated Edison Inc. in New York, taking the total value of the deal to $61.3 million for a job that’s been ongoing since late 2012. Its subsidiary, Willdan Energy Solutions, was originally hired to implement various energy-saving projects and conduct energy-efficiency surveys with small businesses in New York. The extension of the contract calls for similar work in other areas in New York.
TECHNOLOGY
Laguna Hills technology startup OpenSignal got $4 million in a recent funding round led by Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of San Diego-based chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. OpenSignal maps cellphone signal strengths via crowdsourcing and manages a database of cellphone towers and wireless access points.
Irvine-based Vizio Inc. recalled about 245,000 flat-screen TVs from the E-Series line it introduced late last year. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said assembly stands on some of the models can “fail and cause the television to tip over unexpectedly, posing a risk of impact injury to the consumer.”
