Regulators force banks to play defense
ColumnsLargely innocent bystanders in the financial meltdown that gripped Wall Street a year ago, community banks have been walking around with targets on their backs. A severe crackdown by regulators, including threats to get capital ratios up, shrink loan portfolios or face seizure, has put bank executives on the defensive. “We’re getting speeding tickets for Read More →
Cabrillo Business Park breaks ground, 12 years in the making
ColumnsIn 1997, Bill Clinton was president, Harry Potter was introduced to the world, and the development process began on an office project in the as-yet-unincorporated city of Goleta. Now, almost 12 years later, the Cabrillo Business Park has finally broken ground. It will eventually have 956,000 square feet of space on Hollister Avenue and 42 Read More →
Ex-Amgen workers file whistleblower suits
UncategorizedAs Thousand Oaks-based Amgen prepares to square off in court against 15 states over an alleged Medicaid kickback scheme, it’s facing two whistleblower lawsuits in Ventura County Superior Court. The complaints, which don’t appear related to the fraud alleged by the group of states, were brought by former employees who said they uncovered wrongdoing at Read More →
Sieg Borck finds niche in aerospace
ColumnsSieg Borck is not a rocket scientist, but he certainly knows a lot of them. Products built by his Camarillo-based company, Hi-Temp Insulation, have helped carry astronauts into space and every day they keep thousands of airliners flying by dissipating the heat from their high-tech engines. As Stephen Nellis reports on this page, his 500-person Read More →
Small businesses get into acquisition mode
UncategorizedThe most obvious effect of a recession is that some businesses go away. Weak business plans, poor management or just being in the wrong industry at the wrong time can force companies under. But a recession also offers strong businesses large and small an opportunity to expand and to grab market share and offer customers Read More →
