Westlake
FeaturesMove Inc., the realty-related Westlake Village online firm that has only turned in a profit three times since 1993 and whose stock has lost more than 90 percent since its bubble-fueled peak, has moved. Sort of. The company is the parent of Move.com and Realtor.com, Web sites aimed at selling homes and connecting Realtors Read More →
Ventura chamber CEO leaving Nov. 30
UncategorizedVentura Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Zoe Taylor is stepping down. Taylor, who led the business group for more than 13 years, is in the final stages of starting her own consulting agency. She’ll help businesses connect to government agencies. “I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while,” Taylor told the Read More →
Deals bolster balance sheets at two area banks
UncategorizedOne bank went local, and one bank got smaller but sturdier. Two deals recently closed that change the tri-county banking landscape. As of Nov. 11, the Bank of Santa Barbara will answer to group of Santa Barbara investors rather than a Michigan-based parent firm. As of Nov. 6, the parent of Solvang-based Los Padres Bank, Read More →
Diani builds on legacy
UncategorizedIn 1949, a World War II vet named A.J. Diani started a small grading and paving business in his hometown of Santa Maria. The son of Swiss immigrants, he put an emphasis on family relations and customer satisfaction, added some elbow grease and watched his company grow. Sixty years later, A.J. Diani Construction is a Read More →
River Oaks Center hopes to lead the way on sustainable certification
ColumnsPaso Robles-based Estrella Associates, the developer that brought you the River Oaks Golf Course and the River Oaks Hot Springs Spa, received a gold LEED rating on its new office and retail center in Paso Robles. Or it will, anyway. Before breaking ground in March 2008, Estrella jumped through the hoops of precertifying its Read More →
Santa Barbara
OpinionSince the earliest days of the region as a Mecca for wealthy families, philanthropy has been part of the social scene. Some efforts, notably Direct Relief International, have grown from informal ideas into world-class social organizations. But lately, philanthropic efforts often seem to be single-cause focused, reflecting the special interests of donors. From the Santa Read More →
Why SLO may lead the recovery
ColumnsThe Tri-Counties version of The Great Recession began in San Luis Obispo County late in 2006 when house prices started to falter. After three grueling years, what likely will amount to the worst of times for those of us too young to remember the 1930s, likely will end just about now as SLO County sheds Read More →
