Biz News: Woodbridge center to host open house
The public is invited to see the plans for $30 million in renovations at the Woodbridge Village Center in Irvine at an open house from 1 to 5 p.m. April 16.
Irvine Co. representatives will be present to answer questions and present models and renderings.
Construction is set to begin in August and be completed by the second half of 2017.
The center, at 4730 Barranca Parkway, first opened in 1979.
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Hidden House coffee shop opens in Costa Mesa
Hidden House Coffee Roasters recently opened a new shop in Costa Mesa.
The store replaces ChocXO, a chocolatier, at 1534 Adams Ave., Suite A.
The hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
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Tribute acquires Avenue of the Arts hotel
Tribute Portfolio, a division of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, has acquired the Avenue of the Arts hotel in Costa Mesa.
The 238-room hotel at 3350 Avenue of the Arts was formerly a Wyndham property.
“We know the newly renovated Avenue of the Arts hotel Costa Mesa will deliver a truly unforgettable California experience, from its locally inspired design to the distinct touches that make it a true indie experience,” Dave Marr, global brand leader for Tribute Portfolio, said in a statement.
The hotel is proposing a 15-story expansion, according to plans presented to the Costa Mesa City Council.
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White Box Club coming to Irvine
The White Box Club will have its first Orange County meet-up at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 7725 Gateway in Irvine.
The group, which originated in Minneapolis, is named after “the daunting white boxes many employees receive to ‘pack up their things,’” according to a news release. It helps provide employment resources and career transition tools.
For more information, visit thewhiteboxclub.com.
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Eureka Fest set for Thursday
The Eureka Building in Irvine will host its second annual Eureka Fest, powered by Microsoft, on Thursday.
The festival brings together entrepreneurs, technology leaders, start-up chief executives, investors, city officials, university faculty members, developers and more to celebrate Orange County’s growing start-up and technology scene, according to a news release.
The Eureka Building is at 1621 Alton Parkway. For more information, visit eurekaon.com.
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Irvine company’s brands move into Angel Stadium
Irvine-based American Restaurant Holdings is adding its Muscle Maker Grill and Fresca’s Mexican Grill concepts to Angel Stadium in Anaheim.
The partnership runs through 2018.
“We are extremely proud to announce this new partnership with Angels baseball,” Tim Betts, chairman and chief executive of American Restaurant Holdings, said in a statement. “Stadiums are a great vehicle for our brands, as we’ve learned as a result of our Muscle Maker Grill partnership with MetLife Stadium [in New Jersey] — the No. 1-grossing sports venue in the world. We are excited to work with this great new partner and look forward to serving Angels fans for years to come.”
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JetSuite expands with Bay Area connection
Irvine-based JetSuite, a private jet operator, will launch a new charter service April 19 connecting Burbank to Concord in the Bay Area, according to the Burbank Leader newspaper.
A one-way ticket on the 30-seat planes will cost $109 to $300.
JetSuite also is looking to add routes to San Diego, Santa Barbara and Phoenix, the Leader reported.
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Real estate group to present luncheon
Commercial Real Estate Women, Orange County, will hold a luncheon April 19 to discuss “emerging trends that are shaping the dynamic healthcare commercial real estate landscape,” according to a news release.
The event will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Pacific Club, 4110 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach.
Early registration starts at $45. For more information or to register, visit www.crew-oc.org.
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Birdwell, RVCA create new collection
Santa Ana-based surf brand Birdwell Beach Britches and Costa Mesa-based RVCA have created a new collection for spring, according to a news release.
“Both brands take tremendous pride in their work and are staples in the local Southern California surf community, so it was a no-brainer that these two would collaborate,” the companies said in a news release. “The collection, which is entirely made in the U.S., marries Birdwell’s technique of sewing difficult fabric into durable product and RVCA’s artistic creative approach.”
The collection includes board shorts, jackets, surf totes and T-shirts.
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Rutan & Tucker attorney joins Harvard women’s alliance
Maria Stearns, an employment partner attorney at Rutan & Tucker in Costa Mesa, has been selected as president of the Harvard Law School Women’s Alliance, according to a news release.
“This is an exciting opportunity for me to lead a group that is dedicated to building a strong global network of Harvard Law School alumnae,” Stearns, who graduated from Harvard Law in 2002, said in a statement. “My goal is to expand upon this powerful network of Harvard Law School women who share a common commitment to increasing the presence of women in positions of power and leadership, whether that be at a law firm, in the boardroom, the public sector or otherwise.”
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Volcom announces new hire for women’s business
Volcom recently announced Lyndsey Roach as the Costa Mesa-based company’s global head of women’s business.
Roach brings more than 15 years of experience in strategy, marketing, creative and sales, according to a news release.
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Pacific Union opens Costa Mesa office
Pacific Union Financial, a Texas-based mortgage company, has opened a new operations and sales facility in Costa Mesa’s South Coast Metro district.
The office at 675 Anton Blvd., in the Pacific Arts Plaza, has more than 150 people, according to a news release, and will accommodate nearly 500 workstations.
“We are very excited to open the doors of the Costa Mesa site. Our Southern California employees will now have more space to grow their teams along with an enhanced environment and location,” Dwayne Smith, senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer, said in a statement.
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Hoag receives award
Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach was recently designated as a Blue Distinction Center in the Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac Care program by Anthem Blue Cross, according to a news release.
Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities “shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community,” Hoag officials said.
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Kenneth Brown Salons acquires space in Newport
Kenneth Brown Salons recently signed a lease for 4,000 square feet of retail space at 2700 W. Coast Hwy. in the Mariner’s Mile area of Newport Beach, according to a news release.
The 10-year lease begins in May.
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Transcat acquires Irvine-based Excalibur
Excalibur Engineering, Inc., based in Irvine, was recently acquired by Rochester, N.Y.-based Transcat for $7.35 million, according to a news release.
Excalibur, established in 1990, provides calibration services and electrical repair work.
“Excalibur has done an excellent job building a business with a first-rate reputation that is an outstanding strategic, operational and geographic fit with Transcat’s business, as it enhances both our service and distribution segments on several levels,” Lee Rudow, president and chief executive of Transcat, said in a statement.
Christopher LaPlante, founder and CEO of Excalibur, said in a statement: “I’m looking forward to this exciting opportunity and combining our unique capabilities with Transcat’s best-in-class calibration services and new Southern California lab facilities.”
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GCube expands into Newport Beach
GCube Insurance Services, an underwriter for renewable energy, has expanded, with teams now based in Newport Beach, according to a news release.
The company hopes to expand its West Coast presence and has brought in employees from New York and London, as well as four new staff members.
“California continues to set the pace for the U.S. market and the global renewable-energy sector as a whole,” GCube Chief Executive Fraser McLachlan said in a statement. “These latest additions to the Newport Beach team reflect recent regional growth and will help us continue to provide this unique market-specific offering.”
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Farmers & Merchants hires new executive
Farmers & Merchants Bank has named Kathy Reed its senior vice president and regional relationship manager for the Newport Beach and Corona del Mar branches, according to a news release.
Reed has more than 25 years of banking experience. She previously was director and commercial mortgage operations portfolio manager for MUFG Union Bank.
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IHO hires new program manager
Innovative Housing Opportunities, an Irvine-based developer and advocate of affordable housing, has hired Cathleen “Cate” Murphy as its senior program manager, according to a news release.
Murphy’s industry experience of more than 10 years includes serving as executive director for iHOPEoc. She also has served on IHO’s board of directors.