AROUND THE VALLEYS

Van Nuys Al & Ed’s Autosound isn’t exactly in need of exposure. The mobile electronics specialist company has 24 stores in Southern California, with a corporate office in Van Nuys. Established in 1954, Al & Ed’s has been a pioneer in its field, playing an instrumental role in FM radio, cassette players and alarms for cars. More recently, the company has become known as the first to market iPod connections in vehicles and has led the way in the placement of automotive computers that store movies, games and pictures. Now, as a partner on the new KNBC (NBC4) show “Whipnotic,” the company stands to receive more exposure. “‘Whipnotic’ is a fast-paced car culture magazine show with many different subjects of interest to the viewer,” said Al & Ed’s head buyer, John Haynes. “Al & Ed’s Autosound has been a mainstay in the mobile electronics industry for more than 52 years, so we’re a natural fit.” Since January, the show has aired on Saturdays at 3 p.m. It is also simulcast in Spanish on Telemundo on Saturday mornings. Trips to local car shows and discussions about hot rods and other specialty vehicles have been featured on “Whipnotic.” To boot, Haynes, known as Mr. Mobile on the show, is featured in a segment called “I Want That,” which highlights the latest car stereo and mobile electronics gadgetry trends. “As the product manager for the company, I select the products that we carry, the categories that we feature and how better to bring this wonderful world of mobile electronics to the public,” Haynes explained of his role. In light of a law change in July, making it illegal for California drivers to hold cell phones, Haynes has featured Bluetooth hands-free kits on “Whipnotic.” “There’s a wide variety of things we offer,” he said. What Haynes likes best about the show is its interactive aspect. Viewers have the opportunity to win any item they’ve seen during the “I Want That” segment by visiting either http://www.al-eds.com or http://www.WHIPNOTIC.com. Those who don’t win the featured items will still receive the opportunity to obtain special offers on products. While 18- to 24-year-old men is the demographic that has come to be known for showing the most interest in automotive electronics and gadgets, Haynes said that Al & Ed’s has been fortunate enough to attract a broader clientele. “We have many clients who are older and many female clients,” he said. Moreover, Haynes feels that Al & Ed’s Van Nuys headquarters has given the company a chance to widen its customer base as well. “When we relocated our corporate offices in 2003, we specifically looked at the San Fernando Valley as a good place to relocate,” he said. “We liked the fact that the San Fernando Valley is close to major freeways, and it provides a good business client.” Thus far, the decline in car sales hasn’t left a marked impact on the company. “When the economy starts to have a downturn, we feel the pinch like anybody else. However, when people can’t afford a new vehicle, they will tend to invest some of their money in existing vehicles to make it even better,” Haynes said. “People have been customizing and personalizing their vehicles for as long as we can remember, certainly since as long as the ’40s.” SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Burbank Jet: Avjet Corp. will be marketing a 2002 Boeing Business Jet owned by Samsung Technwin Co. Ltd. The contract with the Korean electronics and information technology company is a further demonstration of Avjet’s leadership in large private aircraft sales, acquisitions, management and charter in the Asia Pacific aircraft market. Over the past decade, Avjet has worked on Samsung’s behalf in large cabin and carrier class jet sales. “Samsung recognizes the benefits of our experience in bringing aircraft to the global market, and our commitment to getting the aircraft to the top of the list of qualified buyers,” said Avjet Chairman and CEO Marc J. Foulkrod. Lab: A new media lab on the Warner Bros. Studios lot will test how consumers engage new forms of content and enable hands-on interaction with new electronic devices and distribution methods. Warner Bros. Media Research took a space used for traditional focus groups and rebuilt it for the digital age. The respondent room sits up to 12 people where they can be tested on content via broadband, video-on-demand, PC- and console-based gaming systems and wireless services. The lab serves as a resource for Warner Bros. Entertainment divisions and for outside companies. Canoga Park Science: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne hosted more than 1,000 elementary and middle school students in its ninth annual Science Expo 2008. The students experienced demonstrations and hands-on experiments from Pratt & Whitney engineers, scientists and technicians. The three-day event encouraged students to become interested and learn about math and science. Science Expo 2008 took place at the company’s Leadership and Learning Center, a conference center that features a display of historic and current Rocketdyne propulsion and space power products. North Hollywood Honor: Adult novelty manufacturer Doc Johnson was recognized for a second year by Women’s Health magazine in its Annual Sex Awards issue. Doc’s Cocktails lubricants gained a mention in the Best in Bed section for being the ultimate Naughty Nightcap.The product comes in mojito, fuzzy navel, sour apple martini, mimosa and cosmopolitan flavors. “To have a top mainstream publication annually dedicate an entire feature to the world of adult novelties says a lot about how far the industry has come, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of this movement,” said Chad Braverman, director of product development and licensing for Doc Johnson. New School: Ground was broken Feb. 25 on Valley Region Elementary School #7 in North Hollywood. The new school will provide overcrowding relief to Arminta, Camellia, Roscoe and Strathern elementary schools. Valley Region Elementary School #7 is scheduled to open for the 2010-2011 school year and will include 800 two-semester seats in 32 classrooms, a library, a multi-purpose room, a food service area and lunch shelter, administration, playfields and underground parking. Calabasas Testing: Performance test systems provider Ixia opened an executive briefing center and proof-of-concept lab adjacent. At iSimCity customers can access thousands of test ports and conduct system testing by emulating dozens of infrastructure servers. The company’s goal with iSimCity is providing quick proof to customers that Ixia’s test solutions are essential in getting their products and services to market more quickly,” said President and COO Atul Bhatnagar. The iSimCity lab complements companies’ existing test labs and accelerates time to market by adding bandwidth for in-house projects, or handle short lead time requests for testing that their in-house test resources cannot schedule. Woodland Hills Retail: NewMark Merrill has established a Rocky Mountain division based in northern Colorado. The Wooodland Hills-based owner and developer of shopping centers teamed with Allen Ginsborg, a Fort Collins, Colorado, real estate investor and founder of Pacific Retail Partners in Long Beach, to create NewMark Merrill Mountain States. NewMark expects the new division to generate between $25 million and $50 million in shopping center acquisitions a year and the same in new development. Initially, the projects inline are the redevelopment of three shopping centers totaling 300,000 square feet and an investment of $30 million, the company said. NewMark was started in 1997 by Sandy Sigal and currently owns more than 45 shopping centers, including 6 million square feet of space, in Southern California, Colorado and Illinois. Chatsworth Bank: First Federal Bank of California announced the opening of its newest banking office in Chatsworth. Located at 20505 Devonshire Blvd., the branch is full-service, providing a full range of both consumer and commercial banking products and services. Branch manager Phyllis M. Barber, has more than 25 years of banking experience and is a Chatsworth resident with long-standing ties to the community, working with the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Improvement District and Depot Foundation. First Federal Bank of California, based in Santa Monica, was selected to U.S. Banker magazine’s list of Top 25 Banks of 2007, and First Fed’s Chairman and CEO, Babette Heimbuch, was selected to U.S. Banker magazine’s list of Top 10 CEOs. SIMI VALLEY Music: Three entrepreneurs have launched Big Brother Music to provide aspiring recording artists with assistance in attaining a successful music career. The company is made up of four business units: Big Brother Academy, a recording artist incubator; Big Brother Studio; Big Brother Stages, a live performing arts center; and Big Brother Records, an Internet record label and e-commerce engine. Technology gives artists far-reaching online distribution and unprecedented interaction with their fans, said Marin Shum, president and CEO. “What a gifted recording artist needs to do to make a comfortable living with their music is the ability to think and act like as an entrepreneur,” Shum said. Partnering with Shum in Big Brother are Elliott Abbott, a producer; and Matt Malley, a co-founder and bass player for Counting Crows. SANTA CLARITA VALLEY Newhall Launch: Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital has opened its fourth outpatient laboratory service center at 23928 Lyons Ave. at the Valencia Medical Building in Newhall. “When you choose Henry Mayo’s outpatient laboratory centers, you can be assured that your blood will be expertly drawn by our courteous and experienced, licensed phlebotomy staff,” Jonathan Miller, director of Henry Mayo Laboratory Services, said. “Testing is performed at our main hospital by skilled clinical laboratory scientists who are licensed to perform complex testing and provide accurate, timely results using state-of-the-art equipment and technology. Most results are available to the physician the same or next day.” The new laboratory will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Services will be offered on a walk-in basis. Information: (661) 287-1528. [W/PIC] Valencia Certified: College of the Canyons’ Employee Training Institute is now certificated as an official registered provider of Command Spanish Inc. language and cross-cultural training programs. Now, the institute can offer on-site, job-specific Spanish language and cross-cultural training in more than 30 occupational areas, including nursing, law enforcement, dentistry, public safety, construction, hospitality, banking, office management, warehousing, manufacturing and retail sales. Classes at the college’s Valencia campus will be offered based on local business interest. Programs are not grammar-based and focus on enabling trainees to be understood rapidly, using phrases key to an individual occupation. Information: (661) 362-3245 or [email protected]. ANTELOPE VALLEY Palmdale Court: The City of Palmdale is joining with Los Angeles County Probation and Los Angeles Juvenile Superior Court to recruit high school students to serve as jurors in Teen Court programs scheduled for March 12 and April 9. The four main objectives of Teen Court include: intervention by diverting first time offenders out of the traditional juvenile justice setting; prevention by stopping further delinquency by empowering and educating youth; development by providing young people with avenues for positive development and personal success; and accountability by encouraging youth and families to take responsibility for juvenile crime. Information: (661) 267-5665 or [email protected]. CONEJO VALLEY Thousand Oaks Speaker: World Relief President the Rev. John Nunes will discuss solutions to poverty and injustice in Samuelson Chapel of California Lutheran University March 7, 10 a.m. Nunes writes and presents on topics ranging from private charity to postcolonial poetry to sacramental spirituality. Nunes has given keynote addresses at both scholarly conferences and 40,000-participant youth gatherings. His book, “Voices from the City” attempts to capture the challenges of poverty, crime and multicultural ministry. CLU’s University Ministries and Center for Equality and Justice is sponsoring the free event. Samuelson Chapel is near the corner of Olsen Road and Campus Drive in Thousand Oaks. Information: (805) 493-3936 or [email protected].