Amgen lays off 100
UncategorizedThousand Oaks-based Amgen laid off about 100 employees on July 22, the company confirmed to the Business Times. The most recent round of cuts was among the company’s clinical manufacturing and quality-control workers. Previously, on May 1, Amgen laid off about 100 workers as part of an outsourcing of the company’s facilities services group, said Read More →
Work Investment Board gets $1.1M
UncategorizedThe Santa Barbara County Workforce Investment Board was slated for the public handoff of a $1.1 million check for youth job creation on July 15. A countywide youth jobs program funded by the federal stimulus bill is expected to create jobs for 125 youths. Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joe Centeno was scheduled to hand over Read More →
Real estate market may be slow, but press releases keep rolling in
ColumnsIf my inbox is any indication, the real estate market could be bouncing back much sooner than any of us have predicted. I’ve been inundated with deals in recent weeks, so for this column I figured I should just open the floodgates. Deals of the Week • Best Interest Financial & Insurance Services just leased Read More →
Coastal Commission needs to get a grip
OpinionOnce again the California Coastal Commission has proven why the state’s balkanized power structure needs to be reordered and simplified. In the latest instance, the Coastal Commission denied a request by Santa Barbara County, the city of Goleta and a number of organizations to replenish the beach near Goleta pier. In doing so, it overrode Read More →
Partners key to bank buy
UncategorizedBehind the scenes of the Bank of Santa Barbara sale – one of the biggest to hit the city in recent years — is a team of tri-county heavyweights headed by veteran Santa Barbara banker Eloy Ortega. Ortega assembled about 10 investors, including Kinko’s founder Paul Orfalea, Tim Marquez of Venoco and Hutton Foundation President Read More →
Towbes thrives in tough times
ColumnsMichael Towbes likes to keep busy. In the face of the worst recession he can remember, Towbes, one of the region’s most successful builders and bank owners, will not be slowing down anytime soon. The best evidence for that is a wall full of plans in the Towbes Group conference room in downtown Santa Barbara. Read More →
