Also. . .

* Calabasas-based Countrywide Credit Industries Inc., the largest independent U.S. mortgage company, said its mutual fund unit hired William Hortz as executive vice president of sales. Hortz was most recently president of defunct Peregrine Asset Management. Countrywide hired Hortz to increase mutual fund sales through brokers, financial planners and institutional investors.

* Burlingame-based Gymboree Corp. reported first-quarter net income of $4.1 million, or 17 cents per share, on sales of $103 million, compared with $8.5 million, or 34 cents, on sales of $85.9 million, a year ago.

* Corona-based Hansen Natural Corp. reported sharply increased first-quarter net income of $705,000, or 7 cents per diluted share, on sales of $11.3 million, compared with $21,155, or 0 cents, a year ago, on sales of $7.1 million.