Cal Lutheran pumps $142M into Ventura County
Thousand Oaks-based California Lutheran University contributes $142 million to the Ventura County economy, including taxes of about $21 million and 1,400 full-time jobs. Those figures are the result of an economic impact study CLU conducted as part of its 50th anniversary. The study was conducted by Jamshid Damooei, a professor of business administration at CLU Read More →
Strawberries top Santa Barbara crop report
Santa Barbara County’s agricultural production topped $1.24 billion in 2009, its highest total ever, according to the county agricultural commissioner’s annual crop report. The report, released April 12, shows a 9.1 percent increase over 2008 in gross value of crops, livestock and other agricultural products. Santa Barbara County ranked 14th in the state in agricultural Read More →
$10M State Street Borders deal is a bright spot in a dull market
The $10 million sale of 900 State St. in Santa Barbara makes for the largest retail real estate deal in the city in more than two years, but the outlook for the South Coast’s commercial real estate market remains shaky. The 38,000-square-foot retail space where Borders bookstore is housed was sold on April 5 to Read More →
Novel plan may speed green building
A new way of financing energy efficiency upgrades in buildings is gathering steam across Santa Barbara County and headed for a vote by supervisors on April 13. Called emPowerSBC, the program allows property owners to borrow money from a funding pool set up by the county, install upgrades such as solar and pay off the Read More →
Hotel could change hands
The 135-room Country Inn & Suites in Port Hueneme might change hands soon as its owners face foreclosure on $53.2 million in debt. The loan dispute is between two obscure partnerships that ultimately lead to the Royal Bank of Scotland and Credit Suisse, two of the largest investment banks in the world. It also represents Read More →
Tri-county tech stocks make market moves
Ventura County tech companies inked big sales, swung back to profits and traded at heavy volumes in early April. Oxnard-based CalAmp Corp., a communications gear firm, signed contracts for $15.2 million in new wireless networks sales, sending shares up. After paring itself down to basics and tightening its manufacturing to deal with heavy losses, Camarillo-based Read More →
