Breaking at press time … Newport billionaire Ron Simon sells RSI Home Products to Va-based American Woodmark … $1.08B, in stock, cash, debt assumption … Simon founded his Anaheim cabinet-maker in ’89, products widely respected for high-quality and value—on pace for $560M sales ‘17. Simon in a statement said merger “creates a stronger competitor in the kitchen and bath industry than RSI could be on its own.” RSI shareholders already gave OK—pending regulator signoff, closes next month. Woodmark’s Cary Dunston will run combined cos.
Like a Phoenix … Ed Laird, regrowing his HB mnf’g co. (p1) … Laird a businessman-gentleman …
Promoted … Paul Hernandez to Irvine Co’s SVP of Comm.’s—a role retired a decade ago with the retirement of Larry Thomas …
Urged … OC’s congressional delegation to not sign a tax bill that would harm CA taxpayers. Missive delivered by New Majority, OC’s well-heeled center-right political group (i.e. Save our SALT).
Voted for … Bobby McDonald tells me 21 of OC’s 34 cities now have at least one vet on councils— includes Councilman Rick Viczorek, Dana Point (Marines, deployed to Iraq), Council Member Greg Raths, Mission Viejo (Marines, fighter pilot Desert Storm) … Bobby Mc is Navy, Vietnam War and tireless vets warrior—just tapped for VA’s Comm. on Minority Veterans. Good nomination.
Welcome … our new exec dining columnists, Chris Trela, Catherine Del Pascale
Celebrating … The life of Fifi Chao. Dec. 4, 3 pm, Anaheim Hilton …
Whiteboard Warhol: 14 million Americans watched CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” last Thurs. night, a number inflated a smidge by friends and students of Jonathan Feng. The UCI physics prof. is a fan of BBT, long-running CBS sitcom about physicists at Caltech, and he’s a fan of science consultant David Saltzberg—“famous in the physics community, Feng tells me, makes sure science on the show is right.” Feng wrote Saltzberg to thank him for that, and Salzberg thanked Feng—who is science-famous for his dark matter theories … like about WIMPs, weekly interacting massive particles. I knew you knew. Well, Salzberg knows and asked Feng if “Bang” could put one of his equations on the set—put that in your dark matter!
Compensation? Releases? Nah. Honor among scientists. And Feng got to go to the WB lot for a taping, meet the cast. “After 200 papers, millions will kinda know my work, Feng laughed, from a whiteboard on Big Bang Theory.”
I called Feng back to confirm a few things—got referred to an Ari Gold …
