Biz News: Lexmark acquiring Irvine software company for $1 billion
Printer manufacturer Lexmark will acquire Kofax, an Irvine-based customer information software company, for $1 billion, Lexmark announced Wednesday.
Kofax, which was founded in 1985 and has more than 20,000 customers worldwide, had revenue of $297 million in 2014, according to a news release.
The board of directors of Kofax voted unanimously in favor of the acquisition, the news release said. When completed, the purchase will double the size of Lexmark’s enterprise software business.
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Westin hotel to go dim during Earth Hour
The Westin South Coast Plaza hotel in Costa Mesa will go partially dark Saturday night as part of an environmental message, according to a news release.
To observe the sixth annual Earth Hour, an awareness event created by the World Wildlife Fund, the 393-room Westin will shut off power on some floors and in vacant meeting spaces from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The lobby bar will be lighted by candles during the hour.
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New owners, location for framing store
Custom framing business FastFrame has reopened under new ownership at a new location at 222 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa.
Owners Olya Bagby and Ivan Mazaev are siblings who grew up in Siberia, Russia.
“When we were living in the USSR and the weather in Siberia was minus 30 to 50 Celsius, we would always dream of living and working in the U.S., preferably somewhere near the ocean,” Bagby said in a news release.
After immigrating first to Florida, she and Mazaec moved to Orange County last year and acquired the FastFrame business that previously was in Newport Beach.
“I have lived my whole life surrounded by art and music” said Bagby, who was a professional dancer in Russia. “Once my dancing career ended, I wanted to find a job in a business I could love, and I love working with art, photography and design. … My brother Ivan is a technical expert with framing materials, and we want to use our skills to ensure that our customers achieve their artistic goals.”
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Citibank in Corona del Mar to close
The Citibank branch, at 3021 E. Coast Hwy., Corona del Mar, is closing June 19.
A letter to customers says clients’ accounts will be transferred to the Newport Center branch a mile away at 1100 Newport Center Drive.
Corona del Mar residents have complained that the area has too many banks, including Chase, Wells Fargo, Farmers & Merchants, First Republic, OneWest, Opus and Union.
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SOCO presents new tasting event
South Coast Collection in Costa Mesa is organizing a new food and wine pairing event called SOCO Uncorked.
The event, from 6 to 8 p.m. April 16, will feature food from SOCO tenants and wines from more than 30 producers.
Proceeds will benefit Project Hope Alliance, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit focused on ending child homelessness in Orange County.
Tickets are $80; VIP admission is $120.
For more information, visit bit.ly/SOCOUncorked.
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Animation executive to be honored
Marla Rausch — founder and chief executive of Animation Vertigo of Irvine, which provides motion-capture animation to entertainment companies — will be honored as a Woman of the Year at Enterprising Women magazine’s annual national conference Sunday through Tuesday in Florida.
Animation Vertigo, established in 2004, is the only company in the industry that offers motion-capture services by animation artists and motion editors in the Philippines, according to a news release. Its work can be seen in video games such as “Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2.”
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New Hotel Irvine executive named
Hotel Irvine announced a new director of sales and marketing for the 536-room hotel at 17900 Jamboree Road.
Heidi Bergos, a 25-year veteran of the hotel industry, previously was with the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point.
At Hotel Irvine, Bergos will oversee sales and marketing initiatives, along with advertising and public relations, according to a news release.
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Renovated Hoag Health Center opens
Hoag Health Center Irvine – Woodbridge is open after a renovation.
Urgent care, pediatrics and sports and family medicine are available at the location, 4900 Barranca Pkwy.
Hoag Imaging Center and many medical offices are in the adjacent building at 4870 Barranca.
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Villa Real Estate opens CdM office
Villa Real Estate, a luxury residential real estate company, recently opened a new location at 2700 E. Coast Hwy., Suite 100, Corona del Mar.
The company’s renovation of the office, including an exposed brick facade with red and black awnings and black and white architectural details, recently won a Beautification Award from the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce, according to a news release.
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Irvine chamber to hold forum on world trade
The Irvine Chamber of Commerce will present the first Orange County World Trade Week Breakfast & Forum on May 14 at the Hilton Irvine hotel.
The forum will bring together area chambers and business associations, trade organizations and other members of the business community to try to increase awareness of the effects of international trade and export in Orange County.
The keynote speech will be delivered by Mark O’Connell, chief executive of Northern Ireland-based OCO Global.
Guests can participate in an interactive session with local business owners who are exporting their products and services around the globe.
The forum will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at the Hilton Irvine, 18800 MacArthur Blvd. Tickets are $50.
For more information or to register, visit https://www.irvinechamber.com/wtw2015.