With its numerous economic advantages, businesses continue to seek out Orange County as a place to call home.
As reported by the Orange County Business Journal, the following are some of the companies that recently relocated their headquarters to Orange County:
Avanti Moves HQ to Costa Mesa
Kate Schwartz, July 2, 2015
Avanti Restaurant Solutions said it moved its corporate headquarters from Sacramento to Costa Mesa.
The restaurant supply company said it took 6,000 square feet on Airport Loop Drive, up from 2,400 at its former offices up north, and hired six new employees here.
“Orange County and surrounding areas are exploding with growth,” said Mark Rossi, chief executive and founder of Avanti. He said the relocation will help the company grow.
Avanti reported annual sales of $19.1 million in 2014. It is the 71st largest food service equipment and supplies dealership in the U.S. according to Foodservice Equipment & Supplies Magazine’s 2015 list of the top 100 “Distribution Giants,” and one of only two Orange County-based companies on the list.
Auto R&D Plant Bound for Irvine
By Mark Mueller, January 19, 2015
A 14-acre property in Irvine near the Tustin Legacy development site is expected to be converted into a manufacturing center for a Japan-based automotive research and development company, with a self-storage facility slated for next door.
Sivax, which opened its North America office in Irvine last year, will be building a roughly 50,000-square-foot R&D and manufacturing facility at the site this year, according to brokers with the Irvine office of JLL who worked on the deal.
Sivax’ range of services runs from development of new-generation car design concepts to mass-production follow-ups, according to company documents. Its design prototypes for cars range from clay models to actual concept cars and exhibition models.
The company is said to do a lot of business with Japan’s largest car makers, most of which have offices in Orange County. Two of them have their U.S. headquarters here—Mazda North American Operations is in Irvine, and Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. is in Cypress.
LED Manufacturer Sets Up in Anaheim
By Jane Yu, November 10, 2014
MaxLite Inc., a lighting products manufacturer in New Jersey, has relocated the base for its West Coast operations to Orange County, where it has expanded its facility space as part of a bid for growth.
The West Caldwell, N.J.-based company recently completed a $7.5 million facility in Anaheim. The building, located in the Anaheim Concourse development, is about 49,000 square feet and will house MaxLite’s assembly and testing operations, which had been in a 27,000-square-foot facility in Rancho Cucamonga.
“We were looking for a bigger location … and we just thought this was a better location, and we could be closer to our customers,” said General Manager Jay Lee, who oversees the Orange County operations.
China-Based Athletic Brand Picks Irvine for U.S. Headquarters
By Mediha Dimartino, September 19, 2014
361 Degrees International Ltd., which bills itself as second-largest athletic brand in China, has chosen Irvine for its North American headquarters.
“We are building a brand in the U.S. from the inside out,” Monahan said in a statement. “Our goal is to build quality performance product through extensive research and development while paying attention to the demands of the consumer. Our success in the United States will contribute to 361 Degrees becoming a top five global sports brand in the future.”
The apparel and footwear company was founded in 2003. It is traded on Hong Kong exchange and has a market value of about $592 million.
OC Notches Another Billion-Dollar Company
By Chris Casacchia, August 18, 2014
Orange County has reeled in a big fish in the technology industry with the addition of ViewSonic Corp. to its strong corporate base.
The visual products maker brings about 90 jobs to its new headquarters in Brea and more than $1 billion in revenue, cementing a position as one the county’s largest private companies.
The company chose North OC over other locales because of the region’s deep talent pool, the proximity of employees who live in and near Walnut, and to highlight its ongoing transition to new market segments.
“We were looking at our lease and the next evolution of product categories, and we decided it would be a value to become an Orange County resident,” said Jeff Volpe, president of ViewSonic Americas. “It’s very much a hotbed for technology.”
Swiss Manufacturer Enters OC
By Chris Cassachia, March 11, 2014
A Swiss commercial printing equipment maker has established its North American headquarters in Laguna Niguel. Wadjet America Inc., a unit of Wädenswil, Switzerland-based Wadjet AG, will be responsible for marketing and distributing its parent company’s wide-format inkjet printers to the U.S., South America and Asia.
The local unit will share its home, services and information technology with Mantel Digital Inc., which spun out its digital printer manufacturing business into Wadjet AG earlier this year, creating a separate, stand-alone company.
Mantel Digital will remain the exclusive distributor for Wadjet products in most of Europe.
Wadjet AG joins a strong contingent of global printer manufacturers with U.S. operations in Orange County, including competitors Toshiba Ltd. and Ricoh Co. Ltd., both based in Tokyo.
Boost Mobile Cofounder to Move Headquarters for Latest Startup Here
By Chris Cassachia, January 4, 2014
Peter Adderton, who cofounded Boost Mobile LLC and grew its revenue to more than $500 million before its sale to Nextel Communications, is planning to move his publicly traded technology company from Los Angeles to Orange County.
Mandalay Digital primarily targets wireless carriers and cellphone manufacturers with a suite of services, including digital content distribution and licensing, automated and customized software uploads, embedded smart search engines, e-commerce and mobile operating system development. The company expects to post about $30 million in revenue this year. It employs some 130 globally, with additional offices in Australia, Germany and Israel—all picked up through its roll-up strategy.
He said he’s moving the company for a more pragmatic reason: OC offers a more stable workforce than Los Angeles. “There’s no better place in the world—you can’t pry me out of here,” Adderton said. “The people in Orange County, as far I’m concerned, are not as transient. They’re happy with a really good job and want to stay for the long term. In L.A. everyone is bouncing to the next opportunity
“If there was a nicer place to live, I would be living there,” said Adderton, who certainly could afford to after securing big payouts in several company exits. “It’s one of the special places in the world.”
CJ Foods Follow Fullerton Plant With New HQ in La Palma
By Jane Yu, May 11, 2013
Korean food company CJ Foods Inc. plans to move its corporate headquarters from Commerce to La Palma this summer. The company, which began its U.S. operations in 1978 and has steadily grown sales here, expects to move to 4 Centerpointe Drive in July. It has leased 18,000 square feet of office space there, with about 60 employees expected to initially make the move.
The La Palma headquarters is the latest shift to OC by CJ Foods. The company paid $8.2 million in March for a Fullerton manufacturing plant it plans to renovate. CJ Foods expects to have about 50 employees there once renovation is complete in early 2014.
Fullerton also is home to a new CJ Foods warehouse, which has about 20 employees. The company said it’s working on consolidating its three other California distribution centers there by June.
The Fullerton initiatives inspired thoughts about moving the company’s main office to OC, primarily for potential improvements in logistics and cost-saving measures, according to Han Jong Kim, chief financial officer of Los Angeles-based CJ America Inc., which operates as CJ Foods.
Fox Head Puts Foot Down in OC
By Kari Hamanaka, March 10, 2013
Orange County’s stable of apparel companies just got bigger with the move of Fox Head Inc.’s global headquarters to Irvine.
The 39-year-old company got its start as a distributor of motocross parts and accessories from Europe. It now makes helmets and other racing gear along with clothing for men and women and a growing line of shoes.
Fox Head’s annual revenue is estimated at $200 million or more on sales at various apparel retailers and motocross stores, and the company also has 14 of its own stores in the U.S.
The company had been based in the Northern California town of Morgan Hill. Last year it signed a 15-year lease for its current 81,600-square-foot building in a campus setting at 16752 Armstrong Ave., where major renovations were made before the company shifted its headquarters.
Call Center Sees Irvine HQ as Brand Boost
By Jane Yu, December 29, 2012
A call-center operator has moved its headquarters to Irvine from Chino, bringing a work force of 75 to Orange County.
Alorica had leased about the same amount of space in Chino. It made the move to Irvine as part of a larger effort to bolster the company’s stature, according to Chief Marketing Officer Amit Shankardass. “In 2012, we embarked upon a rebranding effort for the company,” Shankardass said. “We had a new logo and a new messaging system internally and externally. We also wanted to establish a better, more vibrant corporate environment for the company, which is what instigated our move to Irvine.”
Irvine’s infrastructure and convenience in transportation are among the factors that drew Alorica to the city. “Things like hotels, restaurants and entertainment, as well as the office’s proximity to John Wayne Airport—all of these are factors that attracted us,” Shankardass said.
Alorica provides customer-management outsourcing services from 40 call centers across the U.S. and abroad. It has more than 20,000 employees companywide, with about 16,000 in the U.S. The company caters to a number of industries, such as financial services, retail, utilities and tourism. Its services range from technical support and online chatting platforms to social media support.
UK Defense Contractor to Consolidate Division at New HQ in Irvine
By Mark Mueller, November 17, 2012
Aerospace and defense contractor Meggitt PLC is relocating its sensing and monitoring systems operations from offices in San Juan Capistrano and New Hampshire to a new divisional headquarters in Irvine, where it plans to ramp up hiring. The sensing system division expects to see more than $370 million in sales this year, according to company documents.
The impending move is expected to result in more local hiring under the banner of parent Meggitt PLC, whose Meggitt Defense Systems unit—which makes combat systems and combat training systems —also is based in Irvine. Meggitt PLC counted more than 500 employees in Orange County overall before it announced plans for the consolidation of its sensing and monitoring operations in Irvine.
Fujitsu Unit Settles at Lake Forest HQ
By Chris Casacchia, June 2, 2012
An emerging unit of Fujitsu Ltd. has moved to new headquarters here and shifted its manufacturing operation to upstate New York as part of a consolidation of its U.S. operations.
It’s the second move in the past year for Fujitsu Frontech, which shifted its headquarters from Dallas to Foothill Ranch in 2011 to realign U.S. operations and draw from the region’s strong talent base of engineers and programmers, according to President Yoshi Masuda.
The latest consolidation moves also included relocating hardware and engineering operations from San Diego to Orange County. Fujitsu Frontech has about 100 employees here, including management and a development and engineering lab.
Paramount Shipping Company Relocating to Brea
By Kari Hamanaka, April 16, 2012
Shipping company Extra Express plans to expand with a move into a new headquarters in Brea by June. The company, which is currently based in Paramount, will take up more than 35,000 square feet of space on Enterprise Drive in Brea.
Extra Express picked Brea for its headquarters to be close to California State University, Fullerton, and other area universities for recruiting purposes, President Robert Bell said.
“When looking for a location we gave considerable thought to improving our employee recruiting base,” Bell said in a statement. “We believe North Orange County is the place to be.”
Sizzler Moves Corporate HQ to Mission Viejo
By Kari Hamanaka, April 14, 2012
Orange County’s restaurant industry just got bigger with Sizzler USA’s recent headquarters move to Mission Viejo.
Sizzler joins the ranks of Irvine-based Taco Bell Corp., Del Taco LLC in Lake Forest, Aliso Viejo-based Johnny Rockets Restaurant Group Inc. and others in the area ranging from fast-food to fine-dining chains.
The company previously operated out of Culver City but saw Orange County as a better fit logistically. Traffic around Culver City made it difficult to conduct regular checks on Southern California restaurants, often forcing executives to make visits to restaurants on weekends, said spokesperson Janet Ritter.
The move, which was completed last month, allows Sizzler executives to cover multiple restaurants in one day, leaving the office at 8 a.m. and returning back to Mission Viejo by the late afternoon.
Pacific Trust Sees HQ Here as Growth Platform
By Jane Yu, March 17, 2012
Pacific Trust Bank recently moved from Chula Vista to its new headquarters in Irvine, and it brought along a shopping list.
“We see Irvine as a central hub for commercial banking activity,” Chief Executive
Gregory Mitchell said. “Our strategy is to grow throughout Southern California over the next five years to $5 billion” in assets.
The bank arrived to its new Irvine headquarters with 125 employees. Another wave is expected to join its mortgage business when it closes the Gateway deal, which includes its Mission Hills Mortgage Bankers subsidiary.
Opus Bank Now Largest Based Here
By Jane Yu, October 4, 2011
Opus Bank became the largest Orange County-based commercial bank with a recent move of its headquarters to Irvine.
Opus had been officially based in Redondo Beach, with executive offices in Irvine, for the past year.
The bank has assets of about $2.2 billion. The bank has grown to 29 offices through acquisitions and new openings in the last year.
Executive Plans to Move Device Maker Here
By Vita Reed, March 13, 2011
Medical device maker Breathe Technologies Inc. plans to move its headquarters to Orange County from the Bay Area by July.
The company, now based in San Ramon, “more than likely” will settle in Irvine, said Larry Mastrovich, Breathe’s chief executive and a former executive at Lake Forest-based home healthcare provider Apria Healthcare Group Inc. The company is looking for a building for its corporate offices as well as manufacturing, he said.
The maker of devices for respiratory disorders is expected to start with 25 local jobs and grow to 70 or more people in its third year of operation here, according to Mastrovich.
Anaheim Lands HQ of Bay Area Drug Maker
By Vita Reed, October 24, 2010
Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc., a growing maker of a drug to treat multiple sclerosis and a rare form of epilepsy, has moved its headquarters from Northern California to Anaheim Hills.
The publicly traded company, which had a market value of $630 million last week, moved its base here to be closer to Chief Executive Don Bailey, who lives in Yorba Linda. The move was driven “by my (desire) to reduce my commute,” Bailey said.
In January, the company plans to move to about 4,500 square feet of permanent space nearby at La Palma and Imperial Highway, according to Bailey.
Lung Device Startup Moving HQ to Irvine
By Orange County Business Journal, July 11, 2010
Uptake Medical Corp., a Seattle medical device maker that recently raised $17.5 million in venture funding, is moving its headquarters to Irvine.
The company, which is working on a device for treating lung diseases, is moving to Orange County because Chief Executive King Nelson and others live here.
Uptake’s sales, marketing, clinical, regulatory and finance operations are coming to
Irvine, according to Nelson. The company’s technical group will stay in Seattle, he said.
The move to Irvine is set to finish by year’s end.
Legal Software Maker Sets Up Shop Here, Taps Exec
By Sarah Tolkoff, June 27, 2010
A startup that sells Internet-based software to lawyers and law firms quietly relocated to Santa Ana and tapped a local executive as its top guy.
RealPractice Inc., which has some 20 workers, moved from Los Angeles in January. Earlier this month, the company named Carey Ransom as its chief executive.
RealPractice is known for two software products, SmartRules and RealDealDocs, which are marketed as helping to save time and money for lawyers. RealPractice’s customers include Irell & Manella LLP, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan LLP and other law firms.
Supply Co. Moving to Orange with $22M Buy
By Mark Mueller, June 20, 2010
Paper Mart, a City of Commerce-based packaging supply company, is moving to Orange after making the largest industrial building buy the county’s seen so far this year.
Paper Mart is consolidating operations from two Los Angeles County sites. Paper Mart—which also operates as Frick Paper Co.—employs about 120 people.
The company’s been in business for nearly 90 years and sells boxes, bags, paper and other supplies. Its warehouse holds some 15,000 items, according to Paper Mart’s website.
The sale’s the latest sign of a revitalized local industrial market, particularly for businesses seeking to own their buildings rather than lease, said Jeff Read, executive vice president for the Orange office of Santa Ana-based Grubb & Ellis Co.
Seattle Biotech Tester Moving to Irvine
By Vita Reed, May 2, 2010
CombiMatrix Corp., a biotechnology company based outside Seattle, is moving its corporate headquarters to Orange County to cut costs.
The company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing last month that it will close its facility in Mukilteo, Wash., and relocate to Irvine, where its CombiMatrix Molecular Diagnostics subsidiary is located.
CombiMatrix, which makes tests used in identifying and determining the roles of genes and proteins and for diagnosing diseases such as cancer, said in its filing that it anticipated shutting down its Mukilteo operations within six to eight weeks.
Logistics Co. Set to Expand, Hire in Fullerton
By Mark Mueller, March 1, 2010
A South Bay trucking company has acquired an empty Fullerton warehouse where it plans to relocate its headquarters.
Carson-based South Coast Transportation & Distribution Inc., which provides trucking, warehousing and logistics services, last month bought a site that long had served as a local plant for Chicago-based cardboard box maker Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.
South Coast plans to expand and hire workers for the new space.
The company, which also operates as Western Regional Delivery Services, employs about 100 people. South Coast is expecting to grow its workers to nearly twice that following its move to the larger Fullerton facility, according to brokers involved in the deal.
Appliance Maker HQ Moves to Costa Mesa
By Michael Volpe, February 22, 2010
Appliance maker Dacor Inc. moved its headquarters from Diamond Bar to Costa Mesa last week.
Dacor, known for upscale kitchen appliances, said it moved into Plaza Tower near South Coast Plaza to be closer to its target customers and chief executive.
“South Coast Plaza is a world-renowned shopping center, especially for luxury products, so we will be positioned very close to there,” said Stephen Joseph, vice president of marketing at Dacor. The other reason for the move was to be closer to Chief Executive Michael Joseph, who lives in Newport Beach.
Medical Device Maker Sets Up Shop in Aliso
By Orange County Business Journal, April 24, 2009
Vertos Medical Inc., a venture-backed maker of devices that treat degenerative spinal diseases, recently moved its headquarters to Aliso Viejo from San Jose as it readies its first product.
“My intent upon joining the company was to grow it commercially,” said Chief Executive James Corbett, an Orange County resident who joined Vertos in November. “I thought that Orange County would be more stable and (a better) area to build the company out.”
Vertos’ 10,000-square-foot headquarters, on Aliso Creek Road near the San Joaquin Hills (73) Toll Road, includes space for administrative, financial, some clinical research, sales and marketing, customer service and distribution functions, as well as a training center.
Accounting Firm Moves HQ to Brea, Expands Presence
By Orange County Business Journal, March 30, 2009
Moore Stephens Wurth Frazer and Torbet LLP just signed a 19,211-square-foot office lease at 135 S. State College Blvd.
The accounting and consulting firm, part of the London-based Moore Stephens International Ltd. association of independently owned professional services firms, will be relocating its headquarters from nearby City of Industry. It has about 75 local employees.
Moore Stephens’ clients are a combination of wealthy people and public and private companies in industries such as manufacturing, construction, agricultural business, wholesale and distribution.
Moore Stephens also counts an office in Orange, where about 36 employees work. The firm plans to remain in Orange as well, instead of consolidating the two offices, according to Abel. The two offices should make Moore Stephens one of the larger accounting firms in the county.
Baja Fresh Makes Move To Cypress
By Orange County Business Journal, March 24, 2009
Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, the healthful Mexican restaurant chain, has officially moved its corporate headquarters from Thousand Oaks to Cypress.
The move is part of a consolidation by Baja Fresh’s owner, Cypress-based Fresh Enterprise Inc., an investment group run by David Kim.
Baja Fresh left Thousand Oaks last month, according to a report in the Ventura Star newspaper.
Baja Fresh, started in 1990s in Newbury Park, features made-to-order burritos and tacos, as well as quesadillas, nachos and salads.
Swiss Chip Startup Moves HQ to Huntington Beach
By Orange County Business Journal, March 9, 2009
A well-funded Swiss chip startup has shifted its headquarters to Orange County.
BridgeCo Inc., which got its start as Switzerland’s BridgeCo AG, incorporated in the U.S. more than two years ago. But the company didn’t set up a base here until it leased a small Huntington Beach office late last year.
The company, which designs chips and software that help home audio devices wirelessly stream music over the Internet or home networks, has made the local office its functional headquarters.
“The board, as it realized this could become a global company, was on a mission to build a stronger U.S. presence,” Chief Executive Gene Sheridan said.
The company looked to OC to hire workers, including the recent additions of a technology chief and a head of engineering. “We felt that Orange County was better positioned for a tech startup in terms of talent,” Sheridan said.
Habit Burger Chain Relocates, Eyes Push
By Michael Volpe, October 12, 2009
Habit Restaurant Inc. has moved its headquarters from Santa Barbara to Irvine after appointing a longtime Orange County restaurant executive as its chief.
“The intention was always to move the headquarters to Orange County,” said Russ Bendel, who joined Habit as chief executive in June.
Habit owns and runs 27 restaurants in California, including four in Northern California. Most are in northern Los Angeles County, Ventura County and the Santa Barbara area.
The chain has been in business for more than 35 years with its first restaurant near the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The company plans to target OC and parts of Los Angeles for growth, he said.
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