Sonia Chung

Irvine

Graphic Artist at Orange County Business Journal

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ocbj.com

Articles

OCRM Launches Skills Program

5 days ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Dave Coyle, chief executive of Santa Ana-based Coyle Construction Inc., is no stranger to building structures from the ground up. But now the veteran general contractor is looking to build more than structures. Through a new workforce training program launched by the Orange County Rescue Mission (OCRM), Coyle is helping individuals experiencing homelessness lead self-sufficient lives.
OC Leader Board: From Recon Marine to CEO to a New Battle

6 days ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

I attended Duke University on a Naval ROTC scholarship. My parents were delighted because they had both served in the Navy. In August of my junior year, I announced that I was “going Marine option,” meaning I would commission as a Marine officer upon graduation. Nearly speechless, their response was, “Don’t you understand that when Marines storm the beach, half of them die?
OC Insider: Burritos to Boards

1 week ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

So much for Jack Hartung’s quiet retirement. Again. Last July, Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) announced that Hartung, then CFO of the Newport Beach fast casual chain, had decided to retire after 25 years at the company, effective early 2025. That plan didn’t last long, as Chipotle’s then-CEO, Brian Niccol, was hired as CEO of Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) the following month.
Boot Barn Shares Take Wild 55% Rise in May

1 week ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Shares of Boot Barn Holdings Inc. went on a wild ride on Wall Street this month where they started around $104 a share. By press time, shares had climbed to $160.94 and a $4.9 billion market cap, making it a 55% rise in less than three weeks. The Irvine-based Western wear retailer on May 5 confirmed interim Chief Executive John Hazen to a permanent position. Hazen, whose career included stints at True Religion and Nike, had joined Boot Barn in 2018 as chief digital officer.
OC Leader Board: What an OC Investor Looks For

1 week ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Editor’s Note: The Business Journal’s issue this week highlights 50 rising entrepreneurs who have successfully raised funds and/or started companies. We asked three OC-based investors what they seek in entrepreneurs. The Buffalo ChargeBy Chris Van DusenCows run away from the storm while the buffalo charges toward it— and gets through it quicker. Whenever I’m confronted with a tough challenge, I do not prolong the torment, I become the buffalo. —Wilma MankillerEntrepreneurship is full of storms.
OC50 2025: Tommy Beadel

1 week ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

TOMMY BEADELFOUNDER / CO-CHAIRMANTHOMAS JAMES HOMESWHY: In 2006, started company that specializes in tearing down homes in older West Coast neighborhoods and building new ones, selling them from $3M-$7M. Often has 500 homes in production. Has raised $45M over time, according to PitchBook. Oaktree Capital made significant investment in 2018. Filed prospectus in 2021, reporting $291M in sales with $16M EBITDA in 1H of 2021; didn’t go public.
OC Insider: Irvine Infill

2 weeks ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

After frequently placing in the top 5 among the country’s best-selling master planned communities for the better part of a decade, the Irvine Company saw a steep decline in new home sales on its land the past few years. In John Burns Real Estate Consulting’s January listing of 2024’s top-selling communities, the Irvine Ranch didn’t crack the top 50 for home sales, let alone the top 5.
Buyer Scoops Newport Coast Home for $42M

2 weeks ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

A large estate in Newport Coast with a Pelican Crest address changed hands for $42 million, making it the most expensive residential transaction of the year, to date, in Orange County. The sale of 1 Pelican Crest Drive in Newport Coast is also the fourth most expensive residential deal ever in Orange County, not factoring in off-market deals, according to Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, data.
Preserving the Endless Summer

1 month ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Editor’s Note: Dick Metz is well known in the surfing industry as the former owner of Hobie Sports shops and Surfline Hawaii and for helping reveal the legendary surf spots Cape St. Francis and Jeffreys Bay in South Africa. He was the subject of the documentary “Birth of the Endless Summer,” which aired on PBS SoCal. The Business Journal annual list of apparel companies based in Orange County begins on page 17. I began surfing Laguna Beach in the mid-1930s when hardly anyone was surfing.
OC Leader Board: Preserving the Endless Summer

1 month ago | ocbj.com | Sonia Chung

Editor’s Note: Dick Metz is well known in the surfing industry as the former owner of Hobie Sports shops and Surfline Hawaii and for helping reveal the legendary surf spots Cape St. Francis and Jeffreys Bay in South Africa. He was the subject of the documentary “Birth of the Endless Summer,” which aired on PBS SoCal. The Business Journal annual list of apparel companies based in Orange County begins on page 17. I began surfing Laguna Beach in the mid-1930s when hardly anyone was surfing.