Dole IPO may confound the skeptics
ColumnsBy the time you read this column, Dole Food Co. should be on the glide path to an initial public stock offering that might mark a turning point for the markets and for long-suffering investors. Emphasis on the word “might.” I’m hedging my bets just a bit when it comes to Westlake Village-based Dole and Read More →
Fight over coastal Cayucos property could set precedent
ColumnsThe California Coastal Commission has stopped a Cayucos family from building a motel in the seaside town of 3,000, and the family is fighting back, launching a case that has captured attention across the Golden State. The DeCicco family spent 10 years dreaming up plans for an inn and four townhomes on their Highway Read More →
Power-Save raises eyebrows with the SEC
UncategorizedSan Luis Obispo-based Power-Save Energy Corp. posted some big revenue gains over the past two years, but financial observers and the Securities and Exchange Commission have criticized the firm for non-existent internal financial controls. Power-Save’s stock has also lost more than 90 percent of its value in recent months, and the firm was ordered to Read More →
Defense firms draw jobs
UncategorizedDefense and space contractors are adding scores of jobs and thousands of square feet of production space on the South Coast. In the midst of a down economy, the tri-county divisions of defense giants Raytheon and Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, are hiring for engineering and other high-paying positions and breaking ground on new facilities that Read More →
Plastics firm moves in on market
FeaturesPaso Robles-based Lindamar Industries is angling to become one of the top suppliers of custom-made plastic bags to the California coast’s rich agriculture industry. With 70 employees and a 40,000-square-foot factory, the company cranks out nearly 1.5 million bags each day. Its core customers are agribusinesses from Salinas to Oxnard, and it supplies the kind Read More →
Tank Farm gets a makeover
FeaturesBy Sara Hamilton on October 18, 2009. San Luis Obispo residents may not recognize Tank Farm Road by this time next year. Chevron, owner of the vacant land on either side of the busy street, has extensive development plans for its former crude oil storage facility. The petroleum giant wants to restore the land, dedicate Read More →
The three-step tax fix for California
OpinionHere’s a simple, three-step fix to California’s budget. First, cap the flat tax on individual income at 7.5 percent. Use a 10-year history to estimate what the average level of revenue will be with taxes at that level. That plus the state sales tax and other levies should really be California’s baseline for spending. It Read More →