AROUND THE VALLEYS

CONEJO VALLEY

THOUSAND OAKS

Amgen Inc. announced it has broken ground on a new biomanufacturing plant in New Albany, Ohio. The pharmaceutical company expects the facility to be operational by 2024. “Amgen’s choice to build a cutting-edge facility where approximately 400 Ohioans will assemble and package medicines that will positively benefit the lives of millions of those battling serious illnesses globally is great news for the state of Ohio,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. Turner Construction will oversee the project, while El Segundo-based CRB Group will handle design services. “In building this site, we expect to invest $365 million,” Sam Guhan, Amgen’s vice president of Engineering, said in a statement. “Environmental sustainability will be a priority, and we aspire for this plant to be LEED-certified and designed. We will maximize energy efficiency and waste reduction, advancing Amgen’s plan to make our operations carbon neutral over the next several years.” The facility will be managed by Sandra Rodriguez-Toledo, vice president of site operations at Amgen Ohio.

California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks announced the appointment of Roya Alt as executive director. She has served as the museum’s director since March 2020. The museum, located in The Oaks shopping mall, said that under Alt’s leadership it has significantly expanded its arts education programming and increased membership by 15 percent. The museum is free but asks for donations. Alt, the former senior director of public relations for City of Hope Cancer Center, said, “I am delighted to lead the CMATO team, working alongside our dedicated staff and board to build on the excellent work they have been doing, and to ensure the museum remains a welcoming and inclusive space where art, creativity, inspiration and reflection are the centerpiece,” Alt said.  

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

CALABASAS

Marcus & Millichap Inc. has formed the William A. Millichap Fellowship Program, a comprehensive two-year training and development initiative designed to prepare participants for commercial real estate careers. The brokerage will partner with Project Destined, a social impact platform that provides training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and real estate; and Commercial Real Estate Women Network, also known as CREW Network, a business network dedicated to advancing women in the industry. Marcus & Millichap Chief Operating Officer Richard Matricaria said that the program aligns with the values of its namesake. The search for the inaugural cohort of Winter 2022 Fellows is currently underway. 

ENCINO

PropertyShark has released its annual list of the 100 priciest ZIP codes for residential properties and two of North Los Angeles neighborhoods – Encino and Calabasas – have made the ranking Encino’s 91436 ranked No. 59 on the list with a median sale price of $1.99 million. Calabasas’ 91302 ZIP code ranked No. 65 with a median home price of $1.93 million. Atherton in San Mateo County topped the list with a median sale price of $7.5 million. California claimed six of the list’s top 10 spots while Los Angeles County proved to be “the hottest county in the country for expensive real estate with 21 of the priciest ZIPs,” the study said.

NORTH HILLS

Galpin Auto Sports has released the first episode of a new weekly webseries, “What’s on the Rack” airing on the customization shop’s YouTube channel. Hosted by Galpin Auto Sports General Manager Tommy Rezaie, the show’s first episode reveals the detailed modifications, including a widebody conversion, made to a 2021 Ford Bronco in advance of its debut at the annual SEMA show held earlier this month in Las Vegas. 

SYLMAR

The U.S. Navy has awarded contracts worth up to $8 billion over 8 years to five companies, including Tutor Perini, for construction projects in Hawaii and Washington state. Jorge Casado, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications for Tutor Perini, said the contract “allows us to compete for some major Navy shipyard projects over the next several years.” As part of the contract, Tutor Perini and the other firms will bid for projects related to preconstruction work at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Hawaii as well as Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington state. Each firm is being awarded $2 million in order to satisfy the minimum guarantee, according to a Department of Defense statement. The contract terms are for up to 8 years or cumulative value of $8 billion, whichever is reached first. It is called an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract because those aspects have not yet been determined. Tutor Perini also announced that Marcus Leavitt has joined the construction company as a senior vice president to lead new strategic project pursuits. Leavitt will focus on large complex projects being procured under alternative project delivery models, such as public-private partnerships, design-build and progressive design-build.

VAN NUYS

Nancy Hoffman Vanyek, chief executive of the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed to chair the Business Services, Marketing and Resource Development Committee for the city of Los Angeles’ Workforce Development Board, the chamber announced. Board members are appointed by the mayor. The Workforce Development Board oversees the expenditure of more than $50 million in public funds annually through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, with the aim of building the local economy and improving quality of life within the community. Hoffman Vanyek has served as chief executive of the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber since 1993. She also serves on the board of the WACE Foundation and the advisory board of the Van Nuys Airport.

TRI-CITIES

BURBANK

Walt Disney Co. missed Wall Street expectations on earnings but beat on revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter. The entertainment and media giant reported adjusted net income of $987 million (37 cents a share) for the quarter ending Oct. 2, compared to a net loss of $103 million (-20 cents) for the same period a year earlier. Revenue increased 26 percent to $18.5 billion. Analysts on average expected earnings of 44 cents on revenue of $16.3 billion, according to Thomson Financial Network. The company missed the mark on new subscribers to its Disney+ streaming service. According to Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg reported a consensus estimate of 119.6 million subscribers to the service versus the 118.1 million that Disney reported for the quarter. Still, Chief Executive Bob Chapek said the year was very productive for Disney as it made strides in reopening its businesses while taking innovative steps in the direct-to-consumer and parks divisions.

GLENDALE

Toronto-based investment giant Brookfield is in the process of buying the DreamWorks Animation headquarters for $327 million. Brookfield will purchase the seven-building, 450,000-square-foot property – located at 1000 Flower St. – from Seoul-based Hana Asset Management and Ocean West Capital Partners in El Segundo. DreamWorks has occupied the campus since its inception as DreamWorks SKG in 1997. Comcast Corp., which owns NBCUniversal, acquired the animation studio behind “Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “How to Train Your Dragon” in 2016. DreamWorks’ lease at the Flower Street address runs through 2035. 

Legal technology company LegalZoom.com Inc. announced the acquisition of Earth Class Mail, a virtual mailbox that allows businesses to access their postal mail online. The acquisition comes as LegalZoom continues to build out its portfolio of subscription services that will be catered to the businesses that use their services. The company also announced its third quarter results, reporting a net loss of $39.7 million on revenue of $148 million.  On a per-share basis, the company said it had a loss of 20 cents but adjusted for one-time gains and costs, earnings came to 1 cent. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 4 cents a share. Revenue, however, exceeded expectations. Subscription revenue was $73.3 million, up 24 percent from a year earlier.