Towbes thrives in tough times
Michael Towbes likes to keep busy. In the face of the worst recession he can remember, Towbes, one of the region’s most successful builders and bank owners, will not be slowing down anytime soon. The best evidence for that is a wall full of plans in the Towbes Group conference room in downtown Santa Barbara. Read More →
Banking: New rules for a new game
More than a decade ago, a pair of expansion-minded competitors, Mid-State Bank & Trust and Pacific Capital Bancorp, parent of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, rewrote the rules for the banking game. • Simpler structures will be the name of the game. Bank of America is selling off First Republic, a longtime player in South Read More →
UC
I’m pleased to announce that Mark Yudof, president of the University of California, will be the keynote speaker for our 7th annual Spirit of Small Business Awards. President Yudof has been on the job since March 2008. In recent months, he’s been touring the state speaking to community groups on the need for California to Read More →
Cal Poly grad ponders e-waste solutions
Most days, you’ll find Kyle Wiens, the chief executive of Atascadero’s iFixit, jetting off to London or New Zealand to be the first in line for new gadgets like Apple’s iPhone. His company dissects the devices on iFixit’s Web site and shows users how to do their own repairs. They sell the parts and tools Read More →
Oasis Apartments scores $10.5M from LA lender
Johnson Capital’s Los Angeles office funded $10.5 million in permanent financing for the privately held entity that owns the 125-unit Oasis Apartments in Goleta. This is the fifth loan Johnson Vice President Kevin Burkhalter has closed in the South Coast area in the past two years. “In my 25 years in this industry, I’ve never Read More →
Scholar, engineer, magician
Just a few months shy of 10 years ago, I arrived in the Santa Barbara area to start what would become the Pacific Coast Business Times. I was introduced to Paul Glenn, an investor and philanthropist, who graciously hosted a lunch for me and several area business leaders. Glenn said at the time that he Read More →
Bank sues contractor, alleging his home is not his house
Some heavy accusations are being thrown at a well-known area contractor by a Santa Barbara bank. According to a lawsuit filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, David Lack of David Lack General Contractors and Bank of Santa Barbara are tangling over the matter of Lack’s house. Or, rather, the house Lack appears to lack. Read More →
