Stories for April 2004
Monday, April 26
Investing Leads Market Activity As Office Leasing Remains Soft
Investing Leads Market Activity As Office Leasing Remains Soft
LABJ FORUM - Passing On
The Business Journal asked: Does your company have a plan of succession for its top executive?
THE LIST - Insurance Brokers
The L.A. Business Journal's list of top 15 Insurance Brokers, ranked by 2003 L.A. County revenues
Reverse Merger Paying Off in Security Company's Stock Rise
CORPORATE FOCUS
Vacancies Continue to Rise as Professional Trades Downsize
Vacancies Continue to Rise as Professional Trades Downsize
LABJ's LA Stories / The Roving Eye
Weekly Columns; More news and talk from around the town, behind the scenes.
THE LABJ STOCK INDEX
Tracking 200 selected Los Angeles County-based companies; Market Diary, Market indexes, Industry analysis, 52-week performance, weekly top Gainers & Losers, Market summary, weekly profile
Weakening Junk Bond Quality Could Cause More Bankruptcies
WALL STREET WEST - Low interest rates and easy financings turned 2003 into a near-record year for junk bond issuances, behind only 1998 in dollar values.
BANKRUPTCIES
Weekly List of recent L.A. bankruptcies
Expansion-Fueled Activity Sees New Projects Rapidly Absorbed
Expansion-Fueled Activity Sees New Projects Rapidly Absorbed
Slow Construction, Low Rents Spur Rise in Submarket Activity
Slow Construction, Low Rents Spur Rise in Submarket Activity
Investors Banking on Rebound To Fill Buildings, Boost Values
Investors Banking on Rebound To Fill Buildings, Boost Values
Greater Absorption Balanced by Consistent Vacancy Rate
Greater Absorption Balanced by Consistent Vacancy Rate
Draw of New Buildings Fails to Stem Tide of Vacancy Increases
With the economy improving but still sluggish, and prospective tenants in a post-holiday season lull, Ventura County's office market was relatively slow during the first quarter.
Review & Preview
Review of this week's other top news; Preview of upcoming stories and events.
High Demand Propels Increased Activity in Sales, Leasing
High Demand Propels Increased Activity in Sales, Leasing
Developers Vie to Meet Demand By Building Small Infill Projects
Developers Vie to Meet Demand By Building Small Infill Projects
ECONOWATCH L.A. COUNTY
Charts of Economic Indicators, Real Estate, Tourism...
Will Reform Lure Carriers Back to Workers' Comp?
When lawmakers passed the biggest workers' compensation package in a decade, they rejected rate regulation and bet that the reforms would spur vigorous competition and lower premiums.
Reform Package Leaves Questions To Be Addressed
Employers who are banking on savings this year from the workers' compensation reform package Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law last week may be surprised to find out they will have to wait.
Pasadena Lease Activity Helps Maintain Healthy Vacancy Rate
Pasadena Lease Activity Helps Maintain Healthy Vacancy Rate
Lower Asking Rents Stave Off Increase in Vacancy Rates
Lower Asking Rents Stave Off Increase in Vacancy Rates
With Land Becoming Scarce, Tenants Relocate Farther East
With Land Becoming Scarce, Tenants Relocate Farther East
SeaWorld Must Pay Up
The city of San Diego has prevailed in a lease dispute with SeaWorld San Diego on the Mission Bay land it occupies.
Activity by Large Users Sparks Optimism in Mid-Sized Market
Activity by Large Users Sparks Optimism in Mid-Sized Market
Monday, April 19
Financing Alternatives Drive Rebound on M & A; Scene
Merger and acquisition activity rebounded substantially in the first quarter from depressed year-ago levels, as better financing alternatives allowed more companies to be gobbled up by strategic buyers and private equity firms.
Keller, Under Fire, Known as a Master Of "Wiggle Room"
In the sharp-elbowed worlds of longshoremen, international traders and City Hall politics, Larry Keller has made a point of avoiding conflict.
THE LABJ STOCK INDEX
Tracking 200 selected Los Angeles County-based companies; Market Diary, Market indexes, Industry analysis, 52-week performance, weekly top Gainers & Losers, Market summary, weekly profile
LABJ's LA Stories / The Roving Eye
Weekly Columns; More news and talk from around the town, behind the scenes.
L.A. Speciality Publications Adding Advertising Pages
As the mainstays of New York's magazine business slog through a tentative advertising recovery, things are looking sunnier on the West Coast
Review & Preview
Review of this week's other top news; Preview of upcoming stories and events.
ECONOWATCH L.A. COUNTY
Charts of Economic Indicators, Real Estate, Tourism...
Layoffs Loom in L.A. City, County
State and local financial woes will hit home this week as county and city officials release budgets that must close deficits in the hundreds of millions of dollars for the next fiscal year.
System Down Again? You've Got Company
Almost three-fourths of Los Angeles businesses reported that their computer systems went down at least once in the past year.
Vic Edelbrock Waves Goodbye To Public Listing, Offers Buyout
WALL STREET WEST
Needle Safety Remains a Sticking Point in Medical Offices
Workplace safety inspectors are continuing to turn up serious violations of the state's landmark needle safety law at California medical offices
Money Crunches Push Non-Profits To Group Efforts
Talk of consolidation is rippling through the non-profit sector, as decreased funding and higher costs of health insurance and workers' compensation put an increasing number of organizations in financial jeopardy.
Cancellation of Port Deal Tied To Probes Into L.A. Contracts
Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn's chief of staff, Tim McOsker helped scrap a Port of Los Angeles lease deal that had been engineered by former Deputy Mayor Troy Edward
L.A. Tech Firms Enjoy Spoils Of Homeland Security Boom
Locally based contractors are cashing in as Washington turns to the private sector for its growing homeland security and technology needs.
CALENDAR
Calendar of L.A. business events, conventions, and announcements
LABJ FORUM - Root for the Home Team
The Business Journal asks: Have all the distractions with the Lakers affected your interest in the team?
BANKRUPTCIES
Weekly List of recent L.A. bankruptcies
NEWSMAKERS
Arriving Editor Makes Jump From Doyenne to Dormers
Investors Embrace Higher Volume of Biotech Offerings
The market for new biotechnology shares has been up and down, but more firms are waiting in the wings for their public debuts.
THE LIST - Conventions and Trade Shows
The L.A. Business Journal's list of top 15 Conventions and Trade Shows, ranked by 2003 attendance
Investors Allege Fraud in Deal for Burbank Bank
Former investors of Western Security Bank have filed suit against executives of the Burbank financial institution, alleging they engaged in fraud and "corporate waste" by taking golden parachutes that pay them 80 percent of their salaries over the next 15
Monday, April 12
CALENDAR
Calendar of L.A. business events, conventions, and announcements
LABJ FORUM - Taxing Matters
The Business Journal asks: Do you think there are too many corporate tax loopholes?
Youbet Hits Jackpot After TVG - Folds Hand on Stock Purchase
Youbet Hits Jackpot After TVG -
Less Confrontation Expected in Coming Round of Budget Talks
The Sacramento Showdown is fast approaching.
Readers, Merchants Bask in Growth of Book Festival
The L.A. Times-sponsored Festival of Books has emerged as the biggest event on the UCLA campus and one of the most lucrative for Westwood businesses.
Character Development: Writers Guild Seeking to Expand Contract to Reality Shows
The Writers Guild of America wants to expand its influence in reality television as part of its contract talks with Hollywood producers.
ECONOWATCH L.A. COUNTY
Charts of Economic Indicators, Real Estate, Tourism...
NEWSMAKERS
Love and Money Making Tappin Happy in New Position
THE LABJ STOCK INDEX
Tracking 200 selected Los Angeles County-based companies; Market Diary, Market indexes, Industry analysis, 52-week performance, weekly top Gainers & Losers, Market summary, weekly profile
End of All-News Programming Doesn't Vex Radio Advertisers
First quarter radio ratings won't be released for another week, but so far the demise of all-news programming in Los Angeles in favor of cooking and computer shows is turning out to be a lucrative move.
Two National Awards For Business Journal
The Los Angeles Business Journal has been recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for last year's examination of L.A.'s underground economy.
BANKRUPTCIES
Weekly List of recent L.A. bankruptcies
Budget Deficit Widens as Revenues Fall Short
Instead of the hoped-for narrowing of the state's deficit, the governor and lawmakers are face a widening gap as the critical May revise nears.
Review & Preview
Review of this week's other top news; Preview of upcoming stories and events.
Doing the Smart Thing With Tons of Dummies
Doing the Smart Thing With Tons of Dummies
Film Director Smith Sharing Secret Stash At Westwood Locale
The writer and director of "Clerks," "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma" is opening a West Coast version of a comic book store named after recurring characters in his movies.
New Ideas About Expanding LAX Take Off Quickly
L.A. Mayor James Hahn's plans to expand LAX appear doomed and alternative proposals are ready for takeoff.
THE LIST - Construction Projects
The L.A. Business Journal's list of top Construction Projects, ranked by project cost
P.R. Firm Doing Damage Control Over Its Own Billing
Fleishman-Hillard Inc.'s local public relations practice has found itself in an ironic position: trying to smooth out its own public relations.
Writers Attempt to Revise Health Benefits in New Pact
Rising health care costs have emerged as a likely haggling point in talks that began last week between film and TV writers and Hollywood producers.
Monday, April 5
Distractions Deflect From Issues v Even Around City Hall
Comedians get paid good money spoofing Angelenos and their lack of attention to serious items in the news, such as grand jury investigations into how city contracts are divvied out.
Tribune, Google Team to Micro-Target Online Advertising
Taking the first step to gain a share in the rebounding online advertising market, Los Angeles Times parent Tribune Co. has rolled out a cooperative deal with Google Inc. to sell targeted messages keyed to specific stories on the paper's Web site.
Close-Knit Group Under Riordan Never Forgot Who Was Boss
For two years, Stephanie Bradfield was separated from Richard Riordan by a few steps and one word.
ECONOWATCH L.A. COUNTY
Charts of Economic Indicators, Real Estate, Tourism...
LABJ FORUM - Spring Break
The Business Journal asks: What is your favorite spring thing?
THE LABJ STOCK INDEX
Tracking 200 selected Los Angeles County-based companies; Market Diary, Market indexes, Industry analysis, 52-week performance, weekly top Gainers & Losers, Market summary, weekly profile
Review & Preview
Review of this week's other top news; Preview of upcoming stories and events.
THE LIST - Advertising Agencies
The L.A. Business Journal's list of top Advertising Agencies, ranked by 2003 Los Angeles County billings
Insider Offering Forces Decline In Shares of Molina Healthcare
CORPORATE FOCUS - When insiders unload shares in a company through a secondary offering, it can be read by outside investors as a vote of no confidence, and it can play havoc with the stock price.
BANKRUPTCIES
Weekly List of recent L.A. bankruptcies
Dual Inquiries Set Federal, Local Investigators at Odds
Xandra Kayden, a senior fellow at UCLA's School of Public Policy, said she wasn't surprised to be contacted last month by the L.A. County District Attorney's Office, which is investigating whether contracts have been let based on political contributions.
Problems at Testing Firm Exceed Initial Disclosures
The ban that the FDA placed on new product submittals from Diagnostic Products Corp. last month resulted from a far broader set of problems with clinical trials than the company has disclosed to date.
Frederick's Considers Offer to Sell Controlling Stake
The board of Frederick's of Hollywood Inc. is considering an offer for a controlling stake in the Los Angeles-based lingerie retailer, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
CALENDAR
Calendar of L.A. business events, conventions, and announcements
EMachines Executives Move Quickly to Reshape Gateway
Gateway Inc. may be founder Ted Waitt's baby, but it's now firmly in the hands of Wayne Inouye.
Patent, Staff, Tax Issues Vetted Before Amgen Bought Tularik
WALL STREET WEST
Sustained Rise in Gas Prices Hurts Spending in L.A.
A nickel more at the pump can be a pain, all the greater for drivers of gas-guzzlers. In the long run, however, a pain can become a major drain.
Investors' Flight to Stability Marks First Quarter Trading
Investors fled risky, speculative stocks in the volatile first quarter and ran back into the arms of stability: banks, brokerages and homebuilders.
THE LIST - Public Relations Agencies
The L.A. Business Journal's list of top Public Relations Agencies, ranked by 2003 L.A. County net fee income
LABJ's LA Stories / The Roving Eye
Weekly Columns; More news and talk from around the town, behind the scenes.
Disney Shareholders Content to Wait for Comcast Drama to End
Almost two months after Comcast Corp.'s all-stock bid for Walt Disney Co., many investors and analysts remain convinced that the Philadelphia-based cable giant would have to up its offer for the deal to have a chance.