Biz News: Irvine Pavilions to become Haggen store

The Pavilions supermarket at 3901 Portola Parkway in Irvine will become a Haggen Food & Pharmacy in 2015 as part of Haggen’s planned acquisition of 146 stores, including the Albertsons at 3049 E. Coast Hwy. in Corona del Mar.

Haggen, a grocery chain founded in 1933 in Bellingham, Wash., said it will acquire the 146 stores “as part of the divestment process brought about by the Federal Trade Commission’s review of the Albertsons LLC and Safeway merger.”

Haggen currently has 18 stores and 16 pharmacies in Oregon and Washington.

The acquired stores are expected to convert to Haggen in the first half of the year, the company said, adding that employees will have the chance to stay on with Haggen.

The acquisition still needs FTC approval.

Bill Shaner, newly appointed chief executive of Haggen in the Pacific Southwest, said the chain has a heavy emphasis on fresh produce and quality meats and seafood.

“Haggen is between an Albertsons and Vons and what you might see to some extent in a Whole Foods,” Shaner said. “You will see a little tweak in assortment, a little tweak in the quality of the offerings.”

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Nekter grand reopening

Nekter Juice Bar’s flagship store in Costa Mesa will have a grand reopening party from 7 to 11 a.m. Jan. 9 to mark Nekter’s four-year milestone.

The store, at 474 E. 17th St., first opened in 2010. The chain has since expanded to 40 locations.

The 17th Street store has been completely reimagined, according to a news release, and now features a “modern farmhouse ambience” and nearly double the space as before, with communal tables, banquettes and an open-air garden.

“It’s exciting to celebrate Nekter’s fourth anniversary, our growth and our new concept at the place where it all started — our first store in Costa Mesa,” Steve Schulze, Nekter’s co-founder, president and chief executive, said in a statement.

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Ski company moving to Utah

Armada Skis Inc. is moving its headquarters from sunny Costa Mesa to snowy Summit County, an area east of Salt Lake City that includes Park City, according to a Utah state news release.

Armada, which designs, markets and distributes alpine skis, poles, outerwear, clothing and accessories, had been headquartered on Placentia Avenue in Costa Mesa’s Westside. It was founded in 2002 and employs about 60 people.

In Utah, Armada will move into a $500,000 facility that includes a research and development center, warehouse and showroom. Utah’s Governor’s Office of Economic Development approved a special tax credit for the company, which says it will create 56 new jobs and generate $1.77 million in tax revenue for the state over eight years.

“Armada is excited about relocating to Utah,” Chief Executive Erik Snyder said in a statement. “The combination of Utah’s business environment and abundance of world-class skiing make Summit County the ideal home for Armada’s future.”