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By Staff Report / Thursday, November 7th, 2013 / East Ventura County, Technology, Top Stories / Comments Off on ImmunGene raises $9M
Thousand Oaks-based ImmunGene, a cancer treatment firm led by a former Amgen scientist, has raised $9 million from Ally Bridge Group, an investment group with ties to Hong Kong.
ImmunGene’s so-called antibody-cytokine fusion technology could help improve the cancer-cell targeting in therapies. President and CEO Sanjay D. Khare was formerly the scientific director at Amgen, the biotech giant. Prior to the funding, ImmunGene had received several hundred thousand dollars in federal research grants.
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By Staff Report / Tuesday, November 5th, 2013 / Central Coast, East Ventura County, South Coast, Tourism, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on 2014 Amgen Tour set to cycle through four of region’s cities
The 2014 Amgen Tour of California, the largest cycling race in the U.S., will visit four cities in the Tri-Counties in May. The eight-day annual event will roll through Cambria, Pismo Beach and Santa Barbara before concluding at the finish line in Thousand Oaks.
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By Staff Report / Friday, November 1st, 2013 / Banking & Finance, East Ventura County, Latest news, Tri-County Public Companies / Comments Off on Murdock completes buyout of Dole Food Co.
Dole Food Co. CEO and Chairman David Murdock has completed a buyout of the company, a deal that takes the Westlake Village-based produce giant private and values it at $1.6 billion.
The merger was approved by shareholders on Oct. 31, the company said. Dole shares will cease trading on the New York Stock Exchange at the close of business on Nov. 1.
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By Henry Dubroff / Friday, October 25th, 2013 / East Ventura County, Latest news, Opinion, Tri-County Economy, West Ventura County / Comments Off on Special comment: Ventura County’s energy landscape
Ventura County has an diverse array of energy assets, but the rules are going to have to change if innovation is going to flourish in the region.
That was my takeaway after moderating two panels on the future of energy at the Ventura County Economic Development Association’s annual business outlook conference on Oct. 25.
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By Marlize van Romburgh / Friday, October 25th, 2013 / Banking & Finance, Banking Industry, Central Coast, East Ventura County, South Coast, Top Stories, Tri-County Economy, West Ventura County / Comments Off on Heritage buy sets stage to compete in big leagues
With its $56.4 million purchase of another Central Coast bank, Heritage Oaks Bancorp lays the foundation to build the region’s next big community banking franchise and emerges as the dominant player in the market.
Paso Robles-based Heritage Oaks said Oct. 21 that it is buying Mission Community Bank, based in San Luis Obispo, in a cash-and-stock deal expected to close in the first quarter of 2014. The combined bank would have $1.5 billion in assets, making it the largest bank based in the Tri-Counties.
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By Patrick Kulp / Friday, October 25th, 2013 / Banking & Finance, Central Coast, East Ventura County, South Coast, Top Stories, Tri-County Economy, West Ventura County / Comments Off on Ratings agencies unfazed as county pension costs rise
Despite dire warnings that future pension costs could cause a fiscal meltdown for tri-county governments, credit ratings for Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo county bonds remain mostly unaffected by looming gaps in their retirement obligation funding.
Standard & Poor’s, a leading rating agency, ranks all three counties near the top of a scale that spans from its highest AAA to C, the lowest rating a bond can have without defaulting. Santa Barbara County carries the agency’s second highest AA-plus designation. Ventura County is assigned a slightly lower AA-rating this year and SLO County is ranked AA-minus.
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By Tony Biasotti / Friday, October 18th, 2013 / East Ventura County, Law, Top Stories, Tri-County Economy, West Ventura County / 5 Comments
Former Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks, whose $283,000 pension is among the largest of any retired government employee in California, is suing the county for a supplemental benefit that would pay him another $75,000 a year.
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