LABJ Weekly Edition | Los Angeles Business Journal

Dream Factories

Colleges ramp up study-in-Hollywood programs

Out-of-state colleges and universities operating study-in-Hollywood programs are becoming a force in higher education locally as their real-estate footprints mushroom across Los Angeles.

KKGO Owner Is Still Dialed In at 93

Levine leads LA’s last independent station

Saul Levine has kept the last independently owned radio station in L.A. running for 62 years thanks to hustle and a refusal to sell.

Are Mattel’s Cuts Working?

Top toymaker expects modest gains

Mattel Inc. managed to maintain revenue at $4.5 billion last year, and its guidance for 2020 calls for a modest full-year revenue growth of 1% to 2.5%, but Wall Street appears skeptical.

Frank Sonzala, chief executive of a South Gate-based truck chassis manufacturer, is transferring about a third of his company’s production from China to the United States, a move he says will create about 275 local jobs.

Herbalife Sees Coronavirus Impact

Company anticipates disruption in operations for quarter, year

Count downtown-based nutrition supplement company Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. as another company feeling the impact of the rapid spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus throughout China.

Oaktree Capital Blazes a Trail in China

Investment management company establishes distressed debt unit

Oaktree Capital Management has become the first foreign distressed debt company to set up a wholly owned unit in China under the Phase I U.S.-China trade deal.

L.A. Rising: Miracle Mile

Mid-Wilshire area gets a makeover

The changes taking place in the Miracle Mile area largely fall into two categories: museums and multifamily housing.

A Mixed Bag

Traffic at area airports last year grew at slowest rate since the recession

A record 103 million passengers went through the gates at the four commercial airports serving Los Angeles County last year, but that was up only 1.4% from 2018, marking the slowest growth rate since the Great Recession.

Conversation Starter

Anna Ondaatje I Playboy Enterprises Inc.

Playboy's Anna Ondaatje makes a statement with her work and her fashion choices.

LABJ Insider

Award Worthy

Read this week's column from Los Angeles Business Journal Editor Scott Robson for goings-on in L.A.'s business community.

Multicultural Film Fund Launches

AUM aims for diverse audiences

Producer Nina Yang Bongiovi, whose films include “Fruitvale Station” and “Dope,” has entered into a partnership to launch AUM Group, a Los Angeles-based multicultural entertainment fund to finance feature films for rapidly diversifying audiences.

AdQuick Raises $6 Million

Adtech software company will expand teams

Outdoor advertising software company AdQuick Inc. raised a $6 million Series A to expand its sales, marketing and engineering teams.

Trinity Sells to Citizens Financial

Firm specializes in restaurant industry deals

Trinity Capital, a Brentwood-based boutique investment bank, will be acquired by Rhode Island-based Citizens Financial Group Inc.

Surf Air Acquires BlackBird Air

Company will provide flights and scheduling

Santa Monica general aviation airline Surf Air Inc. announced it has acquired San Francisco-based online aviation marketplace BlackBird Air Inc.

AEG to Fill Up With Fuelster

LA Live fans to get gas delivery

Fans at Staples Center and L.A. Live will now be able to get their cars gassed up while they’re watching events at the venues.

Alpine Village Restaurant to Close

Bavarian-themed property will lay off 35 employees

An upcoming landmark designation will ensure the walls at Alpine Village remain intact, but there’s no guarantee the lights will stay on.

Forever 21 Deal OK’d

Landlord group rescues company from bankruptcy

Forever 21 Inc. is emerging from bankruptcy with new owners who have a stake in keeping the company going.

OC’s Hoag Moves Into LA County

Institute acquires surgery center in Marina del Rey

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, one of Orange County’s largest hospital and health care networks, is entering the Los Angeles County market.

ChromaDex Expands Pact

Nestlé service will boost company’s supplement

The world’s largest food and beverage company has agreed to flex more of its marketing muscle for a product from Westwood-based nutrition company ChromaDex Inc.

Crenshaw Plaza Sets Financing

Recently acquired retail center receives $31 million

Despite the so-called retail apocalypse, shopping centers in Southern California are still receiving interest from buyers and lenders.

JRK Property Holdings Is Checking Into Hotels

Company buys Texas sites, seeks other opportunities

JRK Property Holdings Inc. is upgrading its status in the hotel category as part of its larger growth strategy.

Hancock Park Gets Coliving Site

Joint venture will convert 78-unit apartment building

A 78-unit apartment building in Hancock Park has sold for $29 million to a coliving developer.

Star Gazer

Aerospace Corp.’s Steve Isakowitz is still aiming higher

Steve Isakowitz is president and chief executive of Aerospace Corp., the nation’s only federally funded research and development center focused on aerospace.

Float Shuttle Receives DOT Approval

Air commuter service ready to launch routes between La Verne, Hawthorne and Camarillo

After months of delays, L.A.’s first air shuttle service for local commuters received DOT approval Feb. 19.

Fertile Ground for Tractor

Motivo machine brings green farming

Motivo Engineering’s new electric-powered Monarch tractor performs farming functions quietly, with no human operator and without any trace of pollution.

Jerde Thinks Local, Too

After international fame, firm eyes LA work

Jerde Partnership believes it can go big and go home. The downtown-based design and architecture firm is putting its mark on projects around Los Angeles.