Orange County’s automakers helped drive a modest uptick in employment last year among the largest foreign-owned companies with major operations here.
The 40 largest such companies added 123 workers in the past year, ending the period with 31,263, up nearly 1%. The increase marked the third straight year the segment added jobs. The group a year earlier added 1,688 local jobs for a 5.2% jump, aided by China’s rise on the global stage and growing influence in OC.
The list is based on OC employment totals, with a qualifying minimum of 200 workers.
Nine companies added employees, while three shed jobs. Four were flat, and 24 companies—the same number a year ago—did not provide enough information for a yearly comparison.
The segment represents a cross-section of industries, from in-flight entertainment providers and telecoms to apparel and automakers.
Notables
• Medical device maker B. Braun Medical Inc., a unit of German-based B. Braun Melsungen AG, moved up six spots to No. 2 after adding 271 employees at its Irvine operation. Moreover, the maker of infusion therapy and pain management products moved up to No. 50 on the Business Journal’s list of largest employers, from No. 68 just two years ago.
• Foothill Ranch-based Oakley Inc., a unit of Luxottica Group SPA in Italy, moved down one spot to No. 3 after cutting 300 local jobs, down 15%. The sunglasses and apparel maker evoked the cuts in a global downturn in bricks-and-mortar retail sales and was across departments, including customer service, marketing, apparel design, retail and sales operations. The cuts were driven by Oakley’s integration into parent Luxottica, according to the company.
• Broadcom Ltd. retained the No. 5 spot with an estimated 1,630 local employees, though its actual employment figure is likely lower, as the company continues to downsize local operations. It was renamed early last year after Singapore-based Avago Technologies Inc. acquired Irvine-based Broadcom Corp. for $37 billion and shifted its U.S. headquarters to San Jose.
The chipmaker’s status on the list and others may change next year if it succeeds in its hostile bid for San Diego-based rival Qualcomm Corp., which has rejected an unsolicited $103 billion offer and a slate of 11 board candidates recommended by Broadcom and investor Silver Lake Partners.
Broadcom is also in the process of designating its on-the-books headquarters as Delaware. Hock Tan was a visible backer of the corporate tax cut in the Tax Cut and Jobs Act.
Autos
• No. 20, Irvine-based Karma Automotive LLC, moved up two spots after adding 188 workers for 588, up 47%. The percentage increase was the highest of any company on the list.
The hiring push helped support the first customer deliveries of luxury electric hybrid Karma Revero in May. The $130,000 car was first launched in 2012 as the Fisker Karma.
“We’ve had a lot of growth,” Karma Chief Executive Tom Corcoran told the Business Journal. “Unlike others in California, we’re more than just a technology lab or show car development company. We’re actually a car company.”
Wanxiang Group Corp. in China purchased the automaker in a 2014 bankruptcy court auction for about $149 million in cash.
• The North American operations of Mazda, Hyundai and Kia added jobs in the last year.
Mazda North American Operations edged up one spot to No. 23, adding 28 workers for 518.
“We’ve seen a rise in both internal employee satisfaction and the general pride to be part of the Mazda team,” Jeremy Barnes, director of brand experience and public relations said since the carmaker moved into its new 200 Spectrum headquarters office and updated to its research and development facilities on McGaw Avenue in Irvine.
Hyundai Motor America Inc., a unit of Seoul-based Hyundai Motor Corp., moved down one spot to No. 24 with 489 employees at its Fountain Valley headquarters, up 1.2%.
At the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, the company unveiled the Kona, a small utility vehicle with a 2.0-liter Atkinson Cycle 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. This month in Las Vegas at CES, the world’s largest consumer electronics show, it introduced an electric vehicle that can travel 238 miles on one charge. The Niro EV is a compact SUV with a battery-electric powertrain and an Active Pedestrian Warning System that combines front-view cameras, object recognition technology, and front speakers, which alert pedestrians and cyclists of its presence.
n Irvine-based Kia Motors America Inc. a unit of Seoul-based Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, moved up three spots to No. 26 and added 56 workers for 380, up 17%.
The company recently announced a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp. to build a $1.6 billion manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Ala. The plant, scheduled to open in 2021, will employ about 4,000 and build 300,000 vehicles a year.
Production will be split equally between Mazda’s CX crossover models and the Toyota Corolla.
