Tax troubles set back developer
Latest newsUnpaid taxes totaling nearly $300,000 are the latest problems piling up for Robert Fowler, the owner of a 100-acre tract near the Santa Margarita Ranch in San Luis Obispo County. California officials have issued a $293,757 tax lien against Fowler. Last fall, he received a default notice on the 100-acre parcel in Santa Margarita that Read More →
Peso sinks; Calavo profit soars
Latest newsSanta Paula-based avocado marketer Calavo Growers said its net income shot up 235 percent in the fourth quarter to $4 million, making it the single best quarter in company history. Calavo’s fourth-quarter revenue jumped to $93.6 million — a 10 percent increase over the same quarter in 2007 but slightly lower than the $96.9 million Read More →
Wood & Bender merges with NY firm
Latest newsWood & Bender, a 14-attorney law firm based in Ventura, has merged with New York-based Anderson Kill & Olick, which has 79 attorneys. Founded in 1995, Wood & Bender ranked as the eighth largest law firm based in the Tri-Counties before its merger, which took effect Jan. 1. Both Wood & Bender and Anderson Kill Read More →
Special Devices files for Chapter 11
Latest newsMoorpark-based Special Devices said Dec. 15 that it has filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code in a Delaware court. Special Devices is one of the largest manufacturers of triggers for airbags used in the automotive sector, among others. The pyrotechnics company is believed to be one of the largest privately-owned Read More →
Ready, set, go for Miramar
Latest newsWhen dirt starts to move on the Miramar Hotel project in Montecito next year, the region’s newest resort will help usher in a new era in hospitality products — smaller, niche-oriented properties that are priced for a wide range of budgets. The Miramar, along with Fess Parker’s Waterfront property, which is now under construction on Read More →
Ampersand Publishing makes more staff cuts
Latest newsThe parent company of the Santa Barbara News-Press said Dec. 3 that it is eliminating 17 positions and consolidating operations of two other publications it owns. Ampersand Publishing LLC, which owns the News-Press and other publications, said that its Valley Living and Goleta Valley Voice editions will be “incorporated into the daily pages” of the Read More →
Johnson & Johnson acquires Mentor for $1.07B
Latest newsOne of the Tri-Counties’ largest public companies, Mentor Corp., was acquired by Johnson & Johnson Dec. 1 for about $1.07 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Johnson & Johnson will start a tender offer to purchase all shares of Mentor at $31 – nearly double Mentor’s Nov. 28 closing price of $16.15. Santa Barbara-based Read More →
