by The Editors on March 13, 2008
Carlsbad’s leading pharmaceutical company Isis announced today that they only lost $7 million dollars this quarter compared to a lost of $14.1 million in 2007.
Isis’ full-year loss after preferred dividends widened to $136.3 million, or $1.63 per share compared with a loss of $45.9 million, or 62 cents per share, in the previous year. The company said $1.50 of the 2007 per-share loss was attributable to the $120 million purchase of Symphony GenIsis.
There are millions in this business somewhere.
[Link: Forbes.com]
by The Editors on March 13, 2008
We’ve written about this before, but on March 10, 2008 Legoland California officially opened their newest theme section: The Land of Adventure.
A real live camel staring at his own LEGO image, a dancing snake charmer and a 16-foot tall LEGO Pharaoh weren’t the only surprises at LEGOLAND California today as the family theme park unveiled Land of Adventure. The brand new area opens just in time for spring break with four new attractions including the park’s first-ever dark ride, Lost Kingdom Adventure.
“Taking such a popular LEGO series and making it into an interactive area for families with children 2 to 12 has been an incredible experience,” says Master Model Designer Bill Vollbrecht who was a lead designer of the new area. “I am honored to have worked with the Merlin Entertainments Creative Team from beginning to end transporting guests into 1920s Egypt.” Vollbrecht even studied Egyptian history and hieroglyphics to make Land of Adventure more authentic, entertaining and educational.
Lego would also like to remind everyone that this is only part of it’s planned $20 million in improvement this year. The “two-story 36,000 square foot” Sea Life Aquarium will open in July. We are seriously looking forward to checking this new zone out and are guessing that this alone would be a great reason to visit the park, if you (like us) haven’t been there since New Year’s 2007. Follow the jump for the entire press release.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on March 12, 2008
Carlsbadistan’s own trading card company Upper Deck turns 20 this year and to celebrate the company is producing a limited-edition card set featuring all the athletes (like Michael Jordan) who helped made Upper Deck famous.
Upper Deck was founded in 1988, but as every collector knows, the first set from the leader in sports trading cards debuted in 1989.
As Upper Deck prepares for the 20th anniversary of that historic set, a special collecting experience is being offered in the months leading up to the release of Upper Deck’s 2009 Series 1 Baseball. The company is producing a limited-edition, 80-card set featuring athletes from professional baseball, football, basketball and hockey that have helped make Upper Deck the collector’s choice over the last 20 years.
Happy Birthday, Upper Deck. Twenty-years and we’ve never bought one of your cards or products. Is that possible?
[Link: The Bleacher Report]
by The Editors on March 11, 2008
Carlsbad golf clothing company Ashworth has today reported that they lost $7.4 million in the first quarter on $34 million in revenue. That’s compared to losing $2.4 million in the first quarter of 2007.
Revenue for the quarter ended Jan. 31 fell to $34.5 million from $38.3 million. Shares of the Carlsbad, Calif.-based provider of golf apparel and sportswear closed the regular session down 5 cents at $2.65, but rose about 5.4%, or 14 cents, to $2.79 in after-hours trading.
Maybe things can get worse.
[Link: CNNMoney.com]
by The Editors on March 11, 2008
A little ad agency from Carlsbadistan (who got famous pimping sneakers for Airwalk back in the day) is now launching Skyy Vodka’s newest product Skyy Infusions. But apparently, Lambesis really is that good (and not all that small).
Instead of its traditional brand advertising that posits the liquid in chic, club environments, the Infusions print ads will feature only the new bottle and fruit imagery, as well as educational copy. An ad for the raspberry flavor includes a listing of BTI scores, and the tag: “Why drink artificially tasting vodka when you can go natural?” Ads direct users to SkyyInfusions.com for more information. A 15-market, two-month mobile marketing tour and online ads also support.
Congrats, Lambesis. We’re just bummed we’re going to have to wait 20 days to taste some.
[Link: Brandweek.com]
by The Editors on March 11, 2008
The Carlsbad-based health water company Penta is relaunching this month according to a story on Brandweek.com. Apparently, the “patented process that allegedly produced a five-sided molecule” had some trouble with its science. Now, “the water will be touted as ultra-purified, antioxidant water with no additives.”
Who cares how many sides are on the molecule? Let’s keep it focused on consumer benefits,” said Dennis O’Brien, CEO at Penta, Carlsbad Calif. The veteran ConAgra and Procter & Gamble exec took the helm nine months ago.”
Well, we guess if the CEO doesn’t care, well, then Penta is just really pure water with a $4 million ad campaign behind it. Then again, this same strategy has worked pretty well for Evian. Anyone thirsty?
[Link: Brandweek.com]
by The Editors on March 11, 2008
Kind of looks like we’re overloading a little on Carlsbadistan business stories, but for some reason we’re finding them interesting today.
Like this one for example: Entriq is a Carlsbad-based company (owned by South Africa’s Naspers) that claims to be the only “all-in-one pay media solution that makes turning your content into cash as simple as DragDropSell.” Entriq has just purchased DayPort, a company that “helps media companies syndicate, manage and monetize their online video properties” for $10 million.
Guy Tennant (click here for an interview), Entriq chief operating officer, said DayPort’s advertising-supported model will add an important dimension in the culture of Naspers, whose biggest business is managing pay TV programming. “We’ve been all about premium content,” he said. “What we haven’t done yet is work on the free content side.”
And to think, all this is going on while we’re out surfing. We love living in Silicon Beach.
[Editors’ Note: Apparently, we were surfing a little too much as we failed to mention (or notice) that the sale was actually for between “$10 and $50 million.” Probably on the higher end. Thanks, John.]
[Link: The Red Herring]
by The Editors on March 8, 2008
Now that Chrysler has fallen into the hands of “private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP” things are obviously tightening up. That is a bummer for workers in the Carlsbad advanced design studio.
Chrysler says Friday night that work from the studio in Carlsbad will be moved to Auburn Hills, where the automaker has its headquarters. Chrysler plans to work with the about 20 Carlsbad employees affected by the closing. . . . In the statement, Chrysler says: “These moves are designed to help Chrysler become a more globally focused manufacturer.”
We’re guessing it’s more about cutting costs.
[Link: mlive.com]
by The Editors on March 7, 2008
Islands Restaurants, the Carlsbad-based operator of “59 company-owned restaurants” has announced that they are “calling it quits in Elk Grove, California.”
Cynthia Darlington, marketing director for the Carlsbad-based chain of 59 company-owned restaurants, said the Elk Grove site was “not performing up to our expectations.” . . . Islands was prepared to stick it out, she said, but another restaurant group offered to pick up Islands’ lease and buy its equipment. She could not identify the chain, but said it probably was “better suited for Elk Grove” than Islands proved to be.
We had to laugh at one of the comments: “What, an all you can eat trough?” Don’t worry. We still love your fries.
[Link: Sacramento Bee]
by The Editors on March 7, 2008
Sero Propeties, a Los Angeles-based company, has apparently purchased a large chunk of The Island at Carlsbad (that mall up in the netherlands of College and Faraday) from Orange County-based Island Property Partners, LLC for $23.6 million dollars according to story on crefeed.com.
The acquisition includes 39,982 square feet of retail space within the Island at Carlsbad, which was built in 2000. The two-story retail project is located at 5813 Van Allen Way and is currently leased to tenants including Carl’s Jr., U.S. Healthworks, TD Waterhouse, First Future Credit Union, Randstad U.S. and The Islands Oasis Food Court.
[Link: CREfeed.com]
Carlsbad’s leading pharmaceutical company Isis announced today that they only lost $7 million dollars this quarter compared to a lost of $14.1 million in 2007.
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