Omaha, land of Buffett and jobs aplenty
Imagine a state where the unemployment rate is 5 percent. Where large corporations are not contemplating moving out because of high taxes. Where housing prices are affordable and stable. Where public universities promote their famous graduates at tourist destinations. Such a state doesn’t need to be imagined. It actually exists. The full version of this Read More →
Another stop on the Green Coast tour
When German solar panel manufacturer SolarWorld took over the former Shell Solar plant in Camarillo in 2006, the early signals were not exactly encouraging. First, SolarWorld planted its North American headquarters flag not in Ventura County but in Hillsboro, Ore., where it acquired an empty computer chip factory and built a solar panel plant that Read More →
Atascadero might not be big enough for both theater projects
A theater showdown may soon be coming to a small city near you. Atascadero has two development teams battling to fill the void in the currently theater-less city, but the City Council is concerned that two movie theatres may be one too many for its little town. On May 11, the City Council voted 5-0 Read More →
Recession taking its toll as builders file for bankruptcy
Well-known Santa Barbara contractor David Lack has filed for both business and personal bankruptcy, listing a total of $2.6 million in debts for his firm and $3.1 million for himself. But Lack’s is just one in a flurry of filings that have rushed through the region’s bankruptcy court in recent months — many smaller construction Read More →
Greening the coast, world at UCSB
If it’s spring it must be summit season at UC Santa Barbara. Two recent events put on by UCSB underscore how important a player the campus has become in the convergence of energy and the environment now being called “sustainability.” Both the Corporate Partners Summit at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and Read More →
Retail market heats up again in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo counties
The Tri-Counties are finally seeing some retail leasing action again, with everybody from large national chains to local mom-and-pop shops penning deals on spaces. It’s an encouraging sign that the economy is truly on the upswing. In Santa Barbara, national clothing retailer Love Culture announced that it has signed a 10-year lease on 7,000 square Read More →
A new deal for a new banking era
Every financial crisis breeds its own solutions. In the case of Pacific Capital Bancorp, the region’s largest financial institution, that solution is something called a “recapitalization.” As befits the era of the hybrid, the proposed $500 million cash injection by Dallas-based Ford Financial Group is part sale and part workout, all done with a wink Read More →
