APPAREL
Former Sport Chalet chief executive Craig Levra was named president of Costa Mesa-based retailer Gear Coop, a new executive role. He led Sports Chalet to over $400 million in sales at its peak. It folded in 2016 amid stiff competition in sporting-goods retailing. Gear Coop sells outdoor sporting goods.
— Subrina Hudson
FINANCE
Irvine fintech firm AutoGravity signed TD Auto Finance, a subsidiary of TD Bank, to its mobile car sales app, permitting indirect financing offers from TD to qualified auto buyers using AutoGravity’s application to finance a vehicle.
— Peter J. Brennan
HEALTHCARE
Seattle-based SightLife Surgical Inc. will buy the Kamra corneal inlay implant from AcuFocus Inc. in Irvine on undisclosed terms. The implant, which received Food and Drug Administration approval in 2015, is used in patients with age-related farsightedness. President and Chief Operating Officer Al Waterhouse said the buy “allows us to focus our full energy and efforts on bringing our groundbreaking IC-8 small aperture [intraocular lens] to the U.S. market.”
— Sherry Hsieh
HOSPITALITY
Hotel marketer Preferred Hotels & Resorts in Newport Beach named Michelle Woodley president and Kristie Goshow chief marketing officer, and promoted Caroline Michaud to executive vice president, corporate communications and public relations. Lindsey Ueberroth had been president—she remains chief executive—and Goshow replaces Lindsey’s brother Casey Ueberroth, who remains on the board.
— Paul Hughes
INSURANCE
Newport Beach-based Alliant Insurance Services Inc. said it acquired Portland-based Hecht & Hecht for its property and casualty insurance services. Terms of the agreement were undisclosed. Alliant acquired its employee benefits arm in 2016.
— Peter J. Brennan
MARKETING
Jeffrey Coats will leave his post as president and chief executive of Irvine-based AutoWeb Inc., formerly Autobytel, as the company missed expectations on earnings and revenue in its most recent quarter. The company also said Chief Financial Officer Kimberly Boren is leaving, effective April 12. AutoWeb offers consumer leads and marketing services to auto dealers and manufacturers.Â
— Subrina Hudson
PHILANTHROPY
Broadcom Corp. co-founder Henry Nicholas is donating $40,000 to ensure the men’s and women’s crew teams at the University of California-Irvine will participate in the 2018 American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championship Regatta in May in Georgia.
— Chris Casacchia
RESTAURANTS
El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. in Costa Mesa expanded delivery service, the second OC-based operator to do so in the last month. The fast-food chicken chain will work with San Francisco-based DoorDash to deliver food from 280 of its 470 locations.
— Paul Hughes
OTHER
Thirteen OC residents made the recent Forbes global billionaires list: Irvine Co. Chairman Donald Bren, $16.3 billion to $17* billion; David Sun and John Tu of Kingston Technology Corp., $4.2 billion to $5.7 billion each; Igor Olenicoff, who made his fortune in real estate, $4.2 billion; Broadcom co-founder Henry Samueli, $3.8 billion to $4.3 billion; Broadcom co-founder Henry Nicholas III, $3.3 billion to $3.5 billion; Red Digital Camera Co. and Oakley Inc. founder James Jannard, $3.2 billion to $4.1 billion; Pacific Investment Management Co. co-founder and former chief investment officer Bill Gross, $1.9 billion to $2.7 billion; Top Monster Beverage Corp. executives Rodney Sacks and Hilton Schlosberg, $2 billion to $2.25 billion each; Los Angeles Angels owner Arturo Moreno, $2 billion to $2.5 billion; real estate developer and investor George Argyros, $2.4 billion; and In-N-Out Burger Inc. owner Lynsi Snyder, $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion. The list missed seven people the Business Journal ranks on its annual Wealthiest list. Asterisks denote the Business Journal’s wealth estimates from July, 2017.
— Chris Casacchia
