Los Angeles Economic, Social, and Demographic Data

[Westsidelife]

Marines Abuzz Over Deal for Aerovironment’s Wasp III

By RICHARD CLOUGH
Los Angeles Business Journal Staff
December 3, 2007

Aerovironment Inc., a Monrovia manufacturer of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles and quick-charge energy systems, is flying high with the military.

The U.S. Marine Corps recently placed a $19.3 million order with Aerovironment as a follow-on to a contract awarded by the Air Force in 2006. That contract provided the means for other branches of the military to place orders with Aerovironment.

The Marine Corps ordered the Wasp III unmanned vehicles, which can provide battlefield reconnaissance and surveillance. The Wasp III has an infrared camera and two color cameras that can transmit streaming video to troops on the ground.

The planes are Aerovironment’s smallest and lightest unmanned aerial vehicles, with a wingspan of just 29 inches and weighing about a pound.

Additionally, under the order Aerovironment will supply the military with a specialized battery charging system.

“The small size and light weight of Wasp make it ideally suited for deployment directly to platoons, where flexibility, portability and reliability are critically important,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. James Roudebush, the unmanned aerial vehicles program manager, in a statement.

Aerovironment derives about 80 percent of its $191 million in annual revenue from the sale of its line of unmanned planes. In addition to the Wasp III, the company makes about five other vehicles, including its most popular, the Raven.

Broadening Biodiesel

Allegro Biodiesel Corp., a Los Angeles-based producer and distributor of biodiesel fuel, is looking to expand.

The company has extended a $500,000 loan to Littleton, Col.-based Community Power Corp. in a move that could allow Allegro to acquire the company. Community Power specializes in using biomass – or plant material – residues for power generation.

“Our agreement paves the way for Allegro to add biomass conversion to our core competency of biofuels production,” said Bruce Comer, the company’s chief executive, in a statement.

Community Power has a proprietary gasification system that can derive energy from a variety of sources, including wood and grass, even when small amounts of plastic, such as from utensils, are mixed in.

Watershed Contract

Tetra Tech Inc. announced last week it has won a $75 million contract to provide engineering services for a nationwide watershed management program.

The Pasadena-based construction and engineering services provider was one of four companies chosen to help manage the program by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The program will focus on improving watershed management and cleaning pollution.

Tetra Tech, which recently was named one of the county’s leading Iraq and Afghanistan military services contractors, has helped manage watershed programs since 1987.

Black Hawk Up

L.A.’s oldest company announced last week that it has won a significant deal to manufacture elements of the blades for the Black Hawk helicopter.

Ducommun Inc., a Carson-based aerospace company, will build titanium erosion shields – which protect the main rotor blades – for Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.’s military helicopter program under a new five-year, $60 million contract.

The contract was awarded by GKN Aerospace, a subcontractor to Sikorsky that is manufacturing the sheath assemblies for the blades.

Ducommun Chief Executive Joseph Berenato said the company will seek more work on the aircraft. Work on the shields will begin in January.

Diverse Deals

Civil engineering giant Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced two new contracts in vastly different fields.

The Pasadena company said it was awarded a $50 million contract to support base realignment for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and another contract by Petro-Canada to assist in heavy oil development.

Under the Army Corps of Engineers contract, Jacobs will provide a range of services to support construction projects in more than 10 states.

In the second contract, Jacobs will assist the Canadian oil and gas company in evaluating and upgrading its heavy oil development processes at its Lewis facility in Alberta. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

Valley Blast

Four people were injured last week in an explosion at a cosmetics manufacturing facility in Chatsworth.

One woman suffered burns to her face and three men had shortness of breath after the explosion at Thibiant International Inc., which firefighters said involved an organic peroxide. None of the injuries was life-threatening.

About 300 people at the Prarie Street facility and an adjacent building were evacuated.

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Source: Los Angeles Business Journal

[Westsidelife]

Northrop to compete for $3.8B Air Force contract

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 6, 2007

Northrop Grumman Corp. said Thursday that it will be competing for a nine-year contract from the U.S. Air Force worth up to $3.8 billion.

The contract would cover logistics support for the KC-10 aircraft and global logistics, maintenance and repair support for the aerial refueling system for the KDC-10 aircraft.

Both planes are used for refueling and transport.

The Boeing Co. will also be competing for the project. The companies are also competing for the Air Force's KC-X contract, which is potentially worth $40 billion.

Defense contractor Northrop (NYSE: NOC) is based in Los Angeles.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

National Technical Systems makes buy in Kansas

By Wichita Business Journal
Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 6, 2007

Calabasas' National Technical Systems Inc. said Thursday it would buy United States Test Laboratory LLC of Wichita, Kan.

USTL specializes in the testing of soft body armor, helmet, firearm safety devices, handgun testing, stab resistance and hard body armor testing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"(The USTL) acquisition aligns with our growth strategy to provide a wider breadth of services to government, military and law enforcement agencies," said William McGinnis, president and CEO of NTS, in a release.

NTS (NASDAQ: NTSC) provides engineering services to the defense, aerospace, telecommunications, automotive and high technology markets.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

CSC gets $66M IT contract from Navy

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 10, 2007

Computer Sciences Corp. was awarded on Monday a contract from the U.S. Navy's Naval Network Warfare Command worth up to $66 million.

CSC will work with the Navy to improve its information technology systems, including security, system operations and infrastructure for the Navy and Marine Corps Intranet, the Navy's connection to the Global Information Grid.

The contract is part of the Navy's Cyber Asset Reduction Security and Task Force program. The contract has a one-year base period and three one-year options.

CSC (NYSE: CSC) is an information technology company based in El Segundo.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

Northrop gets Army deal worth $600M

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 10, 2007

Northrop Grumman Corp. on Monday was awarded a logistics contract from the U.S. Army worth up to $600 million.

The seven-year contract is part of Global Combat Support System-Army program. Northrop's Mission System division will develop a system providing the current status of all Army equipment and assets so that soldiers can best anticipate, allocate and manage available resources.

Northrop received initial funding of $10 million for the system.

Northrop will work with IBM Global Services, Computer Sciences Corp., Joint Logistics Managers Inc. and SAP America on the contract.

Northrop (NYSE: NOC) is a Los Angeles-based defense contractor.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

Teledyne subsidiary buys Impulse Enterprise

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 10, 2007

Teledyne Instruments Inc. is buying San Diego's Impulse Enterprise for an undisclosed price.

Impulse is a manufacturer of underwater electrical interconnection systems. The company had sales of $16.8 million for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.

The purchase will allow Teledyne to increase its business to offshore oil and gas, defense, oceanographic and telecom markets by offering products that function underwater.

The deal is expected to close on December 31, after which, the company will operate under the name Teledyne Impulse.

Teledyne Instruments is a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based Teledyne Technologies (NYSE: TDY), a provider of electronic components, instruments and communication products, systems engineering solutions, aerospace engines and components and on-site gas and power generation systems.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

ATopTech, Broadcom in software deal

By Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal
Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 10, 2007

ATopTech Inc. said Monday it entered a "multi-million dollar per year" contract with fabless semiconductor company Broadcom Corp. to incorporate its place and route software for designing integrated circuits into Broadcom chips.

Santa Clara-based ATopTech did not disclose specific terms of the deal with Irvine-based Broadcom (NASDAQ:BRCM), but said Broadcom's first chip using ATopTech's software is already in the works.

The privately held company said the Broadcom agreement is a "multi-year" deal.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

Seneca Gaming retains Live Nation for concert bookings

By James Fink, Buffalo Business First
Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 10, 2007

Seneca Gaming Corp. has retained Live Nation to be the exclusive booking agent for its New York casino operations in Niagara Falls and Salamanca.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Live Nation is the largest concert promoter in North America.

The deal covers entertainment acts booked for the Seneca Events Center and Bear's Den Showroom at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel and the Seneca Events Center, a 2,000-seat venue that will open in February at the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca.

Such acts as Matchbox Twenty, Alanis Morrisette, Kid Rock and Collective Soul have been booked at least one of the venues thanks to the new partnership.

"Their (Live Nation) industry knowledge and reputation for producing tours for some of the biggest names in the music business is a perfect fit for our growing entertainment division at Seneca Gaming Corp.," said Rob Victoria, Seneca Gaming senior vice president of marketing. "This partnership will allow us to draw bigger names and bigger crowds."

Los Angeles-based Live Nation (NYSE: LYV) owns and operates concert venues across the nation.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

Jacobs awarded four new overseas contracts

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 11, 2007

Three contracts from London highlight the four awarded to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. on Tuesday.

Havering

Jacobs received two contracts from the London Borough of Havering to work with borough teams on highway and building programs.

Among the projects that will be dealt with under the contract will be transportation, the upkeep of property assets, regeneration, and economic development.

The two contracts will run in parallel for up to 10 years with an opportunity for extension beginning in January 2008.

The value is not determined, but is estimated between 12 and 20 million pounds sterling, or $24.4 to $40.7 million, over the ten-year period.

Blackfriars Station

Jacobs received a contract from Network Rail, the United Kingdom's rail network owner and operator, for support on the redevelopment of Blackfriars Station in London.

Value of the contract was not disclosed. The contract has a top-end length of five years.

Jacobs will provide project management, architecture, engineering and environmental services for the project, which is part of the Thameslink program aimed at increasing passenger capacity on one of Europe's busiest railways.

INVISTA

Jacobs' operations in Singapore were awarded a contract by INVISTA (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. for engineering, procurement and construction-management services for INVISTA's nitric acid plant on Jurong Island in Singapore.

Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Nitric acid is a feed stocks for adipic acid, which is used to make nylon, polyurethane and other products.

Pasadena's Jacobs (NYSE: JEC) provides technical, professional, and construction services. It has more than 52,000 employees worldwide.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

CIM Group expands D.C. portfolio

By Joe Coombs, Washington Business Journal
Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 12, 2007

JP Morgan Investment Management, a division of New York's JP Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), sold the two-building, 609,540-square-foot Union Square office complex in Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles' CIM Group Inc. for $262 million.

Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL) represented JP Morgan, which has only owned the property for about a year.

The buildings are fully leased to various D.C. government agencies, including the Department of Health, Office of Tax and Revenue and Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

"This offering was one of D.C.'s most in-demand investment opportunities, given the property's prime government location immediately north of Capitol Hill," said John Kevill, Jones Lang LaSalle's co-managing director in D.C., in a statement.

Part of the deal includes a development entitlement on the site for a new 256,000-square-foot office building. CIM Group already owns several properties in the District.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

Yum details international plans for Taco Bell

By Business First of Louisville
Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 12, 2007

Following the lead of sister brands KFC and Pizza Hut, Taco Bell Corp. is starting to expand outside of the United States, according to a report by Reuters.

Currently, Irvine-based Taco Bell operates one restaurant in Monterrey, Mexico, and five restaurants in the Philippines. The company plans to expand to Dubai, Spain, India and Japan within the next two years, Reuters said.

Taco Bell CFO Rick Carucci told investors at a meeting in New York that the brand's international stores won't become a significant sales and profits driver for parent company Yum Brands Inc. for five to 10 years, Reuters said.

Carucci said Louisville, Ky.-based Yum's International Division, which currently has about 12,000 stores, eventually could have 40,000.

Yum (NYSE: YUM), which also owns the Long John Silver's and A&W All-American Foods brands, has about 35,000 restaurants worldwide.

At the same investor meeting, Yum CEO David Novak detailed growth strategies for the company, which has said in recent weeks that it will concentrate on boosting performance at its U.S. restaurants, which have lagged behind the explosive growth of its international operations.

According to Reuters, Yum's strategy includes introducing healthier products, broadening menus and emphasizing breakfast and evening sales.

For KFC, Yum has more grilled products, desserts and beverages in store. At Pizza Hut, Yum plans to launch a new line of pastas aimed to increase weeknight sales, Reuters said. Taco Bell will add frozen drinks next summer and a breakfast menu in a couple of years.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

DirecTV buys DVR software developer ReplayTV

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 13, 2007

DirecTV Group Inc. has bought the ReplayTV business from Japan's D&M Holdings Inc., according to a report from Reuters.

ReplayTV develops software for digital video recorders. D&M acquired ReplayTV in a $36 million deal in 2003 that also gave it the Rio music-player brand. D&M subsequently unloaded the Rio brand in 2005. D&M reorganized the ReplayTV business, focusing on the software aspect.

The sale of the ReplayTV business will allow D&M to focus on its other brands, most of which are high-end audio products.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

DirecTV (NYSE: DTV) is based in El Segundo. It first announced its in-house DVR product in August 2005.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

J2 Acquires RapidFax

By ALLEN P. ROBERTS Jr.
December 13, 2007

J2 Global Communications Inc. said Thursday it has acquired the RapidFax business of Easylink Services International, a Norcross, GA-based business-to-business e-commerce services provider.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Los Angeles-based J2 said the deal includes all RapidFax customers, the RapidFax trademark and other related assets. RapidFax provides online fax-to-email services for consumers. J2 also said that the financial impact of the purchase is “immaterial.”

In July, J2 acquired Ireland-based messaging services provider YAC Limited for an undisclosed sum.

Shares in J2 were down 8 cents to $22.28 in early trading Thursday on the Nasdaq. Shares in J 2 have slipped 32 percent since the company reported third-quarter earnings in early November that missed Wall Street’s expectations.

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Source: Los Angeles Business Journal

[Westsidelife]

CSC gets $89M task order

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 17, 2007

Computer Sciences Corp. on Monday was awarded an $89 million task order under the U.S. Army Information Technology Enterprise Solutions-2 Services contract.

Under the order, CSC will support the Net-Centric Enterprise Services for the Defense Information Systems Agency's Service-Oriented Architecture Foundation program. CSC will develop, engineer, install and operate both classified and unclassified architecture foundation systems at multiple Defense Information Systems Agency locations in the continental United States and overseas.

The order has a base period of years and five one-year options.

CSC's team members on the project include BEA Systems, of San Jose, Raytheon Co., of Waltham, Mass., and Sun Microsystems of Santa Clara.

Also on Monday, CSC said it will release its first- and second-quarter earnings reports on December 20. The reports have been delayed as the company is conducting a review of its tax accounting.

CSC (NYSE: CSC) is a global information technology company based in El Segundo.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

Oxy Buys Western Oil Fields

By ALLEN P. ROBERTS Jr.
December 17, 2007

Occidental Petroleum Corp. said Monday that it has agreed to buy $1.55 billion in oil assets from Houston oil company Plains Exploration & Production Co.

The sale is for a 50 percent interest in Plains Exploration's Permian Basin holdings in West Texas and New Mexico, as well as a 50 percent interest in its Piceance Basin holdings in Colorado. Plains Exploration also sold $200 million worth of assets to XTO Energy Inc., a Fort Worth-based oil company.

The Permian basin holdings generate about 18,000 barrels of oil per day, with about 91 million barrels of oil in proved reserves as of the end of last year.

Los Angeles-based Occidental said the transaction, expected to close in the first quarter, will help it achieve its goal of 20 percent year-over-year growth from its combined Piceance assets.

Shares in Occidental were down 2.3 percent to $68.72 in early trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.

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Source: Los Angeles Business Journal

[Westsidelife]

IPC buys hospitalist group in San Antonio

By San Antonio Business Journal
Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 18, 2007

Accomplished Diagnostic Medical Inpatient Team P.A. (ADMIT), a hospitalist group based in San Antonio, has been acquired by North Hollywood's IPC The Hospitalist Company Inc. (IPC).

ADMIT is comprised of 11 physicians operating as two practice groups. One group is located at North Central Baptist Hospital and the other at Northeast Baptist Hospital. Both hospitals are acute-care suburban facilities and part of the Baptist Health System owned by Vanguard Health Systems. Between the two hospitals, ADMIT physicians currently treat approximately 150 patients per day.

"We welcomed the opportunity to work with IPC because we believe the company's extensive infrastructure and technology will be beneficial in supporting the hospitalist services we provide to our community," says ADMIT principal George Wilcox "We are very enthusiastic about joining the industry leader in hospital medicine and look forward to a mutually rewarding future."

The purchase of the ADMIT Hospitalist Group marks the seventh acquisition that IPC The Hospitalist Company has made in 2007. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. IPC is a leading provider of hospitalist medicine in the United States. It owns or provides management services to hospitalist practices operating in more than 300 facilities across 16 states.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

Jacobs gets mediacity:uk contract

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 18, 2007

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. was awarded a services contract from Peel Media Ltd. for work on phase one of the mediacity:uk project.

The mediacity:uk project will provide new accommodations and studio facilities for the BBC and consists of the site infrastructure, three new office buildings, a hotel, residential towers, a multi-story parking structure, and a television and radio studio complex.

Jacobs will provide civil, structural, and environmental design services under the contract, the terms of which were not disclosed.

Pasadena-based Jacobs (NYSE: JEC) provides technical, professional, and construction services. The company has more than 52,000 employees worldwide.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

Reliance Steel's Valex subsidiary opens China facility

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 19, 2007

Valex Corp., a subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., has opened a facility in China that will produce ultra high purity tubes, fittings and valves for the semiconductor, LCD and solar industries, the company said Tuesday.
The 24,000 square foot facility is located in the Nanhui district of Shanghai and is the first Valex manufacturing plant in China. The facility was opened by Valex China Co. Ltd., a unit that is wholly owned by Valex Holdings. Reliance owns 88 percent of Valex Holdings.

Valex Corp. also has operations in Ventura, Calif., and Pyongtaek, South Korea. It is a 97 percent owned subsidiary of Reliance.

Los Angeles-based Reliance Steel & Aluminum (NYSE: RS) is a metals services center with more than 180 locations in 37 states, Belgium, Canada, China, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

Ceradyne gets 3-year order from Defense Supply Center Philadelphia

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 19, 2007

Ceradyne Inc. has received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity 3-year order for enhanced small arms protective inserts from the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, according to a release.

The order is worth a minimum of $22 million to a maximum of $87 million, according to a release. The initial order of $16.2 million is scheduled to ship in the second quarter of 2008.

Costa Mesa-based Ceradyne (NASDAQ: CRDN) develops, manufactures and markets technical ceramic products and components for defense, industrial, automotive/diesel and commercial applications.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals

[Westsidelife]

CSC announces contracts with TrygVesta, Dept. of Defense

Los Angeles Business from bizjournals
December 20, 2007

Computer Sciences Corp. announced two separate contracts on Thursday.

TrygVesta

Computer Sciences Corp. has signed a five-year, $192 million information technology outsourcing contract renewal with TrygVesta, an insurance company in the Nordic region.

The new contract, which supersedes the previous agreement signed in 2003, expands geographic coverage throughout the region and provides infrastructure services for about 3,900 users at TrygVesta locations in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, according to a release.

Department of Defense

CSC separately announced a contract to provide systems engineering and technical support services for the Department of Defense's Product Manager, Force Protection Systems organization, according to a release. The contract, with a one-year base period and four one-year options, is valued at about $70 million if all options are exercised, according to a release.

The company will provide systems engineering and integration support during the research, development, production and fielding of developmental and commercial products and equipment, according to a release. CSC is leading a team of small firms on the contract, including Springfield, Va.-based Empire Video and Earthcare Technologies, Wye Mills, Md.-based Registration Control Systems, and Edgewater, Md.-based The Convention Store.

El Segundo-based CSC (NYSE: CSC) is a global information technology services company.

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Source: Los Angeles Business from bizjournals