Dole seeks buyout bidders
Shares of Dole Food, based in Westlake Village, closed above CEO David Murdock’s buyout offer price of $13.50 after the company disclosed in SEC filings that other bidders may be surfacing. In its filing Dole said that “beginning on the morning of Aug. 12” representatives of investment bank Lazard began contacting potential bidders, including four Read More →
Defense furlough to end; 6,100 to return to work
The more than 6,100 civilian Department of Defense employees in the Tri-Counties will return to work full time after a U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced a furlough program will be cut short, ending next week. The military is the largest employer in the region, with 26,390 employees between Naval Base Ventura County and Read More →
Eight arrested at Oxnard firm on mortgage fraud charges
Eight people were arrested this morning on suspicion of carrying out a mortgage fraud scheme of filing bogus loan applications that generated hefty fees and commissions for the suspects while causing $11 million in losses for lenders when the homes went into foreclosure. The Ventura County District Attorney’s office began the investigation into Oxnard-based New Read More →
BKF Capital boots Qualstar CEO in battle for control
The battle for control of Simi Valley-based Qualstar Corp., a data storage and power supply maker, appears to have ended in victory for Steve Bronson and Florida-based BKF Capital Group. The investment firm started grappling with the Qualstar’s brass more than year ago, when it began a proxy contest to replace board members and executives. Read More →
Ceres loses $9.3M, missing estimates
Thousand Oaks-based agricultural biotech firm Ceres’ third-quarter net loss widened to $9.3 million, or 38 cents per share, on revenue of $1.4 million, it said July 11. The energy crop firm attributed the higher loss to added expenses from expanding business operations in Brazil and higher-than-expected variability in how much fuel its crops can produce. Read More →
