Fisker Automotive Inc. recalled 2,400 Karmas to fix cooling fans. The Anaheim-based automaker earlier recalled more than 200 of the luxury-hybrid vehicles on similar concerns.
Kathleen and Mark Santora donated $1 million to University of California, Irvine’s athletics department. The gift will be used to expand the Ed Carroll Strength and Conditioning Center in UCI’s Crawford Hall.
Companies participating in Octane’s startup accelerator LaunchPad combined to raise $25.3 million in funding during the first half, or 30% more than in the first six months of last year. LaunchPad was established in 2004 by the Aliso Viejo-based networking organization to connect tech and life-science entrepreneurs with potential backers. It is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and California State University, Fullerton.
Distressed-debt specialist Sabal Financial Group LP closed its first construction loan through its recently launched builder-constructor lending program. The Newport Beach-based firm loaned $4 million to a group involved in a new housing development in Torrance. Borrowers include Bali Construction, Keusder Homes Inc. and Core Real Estate Services.
There were nine hotel property sales in Orange County in the first half, representing a 125% increase from a year earlier, said Irvine-based researcher Atlas Hospitality Group. The deals’ combined price tag of $42.3 million amounted to a 42% increase over the first half of 2011. The median price per room in the first half sales was 11% lower than a year earlier, at $67,308 (see related story, Hilton Anaheim, page 1).
The Landing, a shopping center at 32nd Street and Balboa Boulevard in Newport Beach, sold to an unnamed buyer for $35 million. Texas-based developer Catellus was the seller.
Aliso Viejo-based online retailer Buy.com is changing its executive lineup. Owner Rakuten Inc. of Tokyo said Buy.com Chief Executive Neel Grover and Chief Operating Officer Greg Giraudi will exit those posts Sept. 1, though Grover will remain a director and also join of the Rakuten USA board. Roger Andelin, Buy.com’s chief information officer until 2008, will return as president and chief technology officer. Chief Marketing Officer Bernard Luthi will add chief operating officer duties.
Irvine-based burger chain Habit Restaurants LLC plans to open four restaurants in OC by year’s end. A Huntington Beach restaurant will open in mid-September, and locations in San Clemente, Costa Mesa and Irvine are set to follow. The new locations will give the chain 60 overall.
William Roberts, a former chairman of Emulex Corp., died Aug. 5. The Newport Beach resident was 80. Roberts and colleague Paul Rutkowski co-founded the Costa Mesa-based maker of computer networking gear in 1979 (see related story, page 1). Roberts was a supporter of OC arts institutions, including Opera Pacific and Arts Orange County.
Shayne Higdon, who ran mergers, acquisitions and corporate strategy at Quest Software Inc., left the company to head Boulder, Colo.-based cloud-services provider Symplified Inc. His exit from Quest follows the recent announcement that Texas-based Dell Inc. will acquire the Aliso Viejo-based business-software maker for $2.4 billion.
Anaheim was the 31st most popular city among U.S. meeting destinations booked through Cvent.com. The Virginia-based service said Orlando was the most popular meeting site, with 3,000 conferences and 2 million hotel room nights booked through the website. Anaheim had 1,847 meetings booked through Cvent and 800,000 related room nights.
Laguna Hills-based timeshare company Pacific Monarch Resorts Inc. laid off 47 workers in Orange County and 17 elsewhere. The moves follow the completion of a bankruptcy reorganization in which Las Vegas-based Diamond Resorts International bought Pacific Monarch assets for $49.3 million in January.
Irvine ranked No. 6 in a list of 100 U.S. cities dubbed “best places to live” by Money magazine. The annual list ranked cities on job growth, home affordability, school quality, safety and local arts offerings. Yorba Linda also made the list, at No. 42.
Stand-up paddler Rob Rojas of San Clemente won the SEA Paddle NYC competition in New York. The sixth annual event benefited Surfers’ Environmental Alliance and several autism groups.
ECONOMIC INDICATOR
UP: The outlook on home foreclosures in OC in June, when the rate dipped to 1.8% from almost 2% in May and 2.1% a year earlier, Santa Ana-based data service CoreLogic Inc. said. The rate of mortgage delinquencies fell to 4.6% in June from 4.7% in May and 6.1% a year earlier.
