Limoneira
Santa Paula-based Limoneira Co. has come a long way since its early days as a family-owned lemon grower. Today, it’s traded on Wall Street and enjoys tens of millions of dollars in sales each year. And it’s not just a citrus business — Limoneira is now one of the largest players in the tri-county real Read More →
With Towbes, L.A. takes notice of our region
For the past five years, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards — aka the Oscars of business in Los Angeles — have followed an annoyingly familiar script. Really cool South Coast companies get named finalists and they look good in awards videos. But they haven’t exactly lit a fire under the judging Read More →
Making cement green: Oxnard firm leads the way
Jim Price, president of Oxnard’s Diversified Minerals, has entered a range of businesses with his 26-person company, but it all adds up to single-minded focus: greener cement. Diversified Minerals builds giant cement silos, runs a railroad spur and blends specialty cements for projects like dams and levies. But its main thrust is to remanufacture Read More →
Hearst buys Paso meat company
The Hearst Corp. announced June 9 that it has purchased the former Paso Robles Meat & Sausage Co. out of bankruptcy. The meat processing facility had been in receivership since June 2009 and was closed by a federal bankruptcy court in March, Hearst said. Hearst said it will lease the plant to Kaney Foods, which Read More →
Towbes wins Entrepreneur of the Year honors
Breaking a five-year drought for South Coast companies, Montecito Bank & Trust owner Michael Towbes won a coveted Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Greater Los Angeles. The awards were presented June 22 at the Beverly Hilton hotel. Towbes, who celebrated his 80th birthday last year, was the winner in the Financial Read More →
Made in Santa Maria: Prince Lionheart puts its plastics plant to new uses
If you bought anything made of plastic in the past 15 years, chances are it read “Made in China.” Central Coast Molding, a new venture launched by longtime Santa Maria manufacturer Prince Lionheart, is working to make more plastic products read “Made in the U.S.A.” Founded in 1973, Prince Lionheart has expanded to become a Read More →