Three Kohl’s stores in Orange County will open in-store Babies ‘R Us boutiques this month.
Babies ‘R Us, which closed its brick-and-mortar shops in 2018 as part of the Toys ‘R Us bankruptcy, is collaborating with Kohl’s on a store-in-store experience at 16 locations in Southern California and 200 stores nationwide.
The mini-stores are opening in waves, first coming to Kohl’s in Rancho Santa Margarita, Irvine and Tustin. Other locations coming to Orange County include Kohl’s stores in Buena Park and Laguna Niguel.
Beyond Orange County, the baby-gear retailer will be added to Kohl’s first in Beaumont, La Quinta, Menifee, Murrieta, and Redlands. Future sites include Mira Loma, Victorville, Alhambra, Downey, Lakewood and Chino.
Merchandise will include baby gear, furniture, activities and accessories. Shoppers should expect to find popular brands such as Baby Bjorn, Britax, Chicco, Halo, Maxi Cosi, Nanit, Safety 1st. Furniture will include DaVinci, Storkcraft, Graco, Delta Children, Sealy. Accessories come with some familiar names, too: Baby Brezza, Boon, Dr. Brown’s, EZPZ, Itzy Ritzy, MAM, Munchkin, Oxo Tot and Philips Avent.
Kohl’s said the Babies R Us experience store will not take away from its offerings from children, which features brands like Little Co. by Lauren Conrad, Jumping Beans, Carters and Nike.
OC Credit Union opens branch in Santa Ana
Santa Ana-based Orange County’s Credit Union recently opened a new branch in the city’s downtown.
The branch, which sits under the newly opened Rafferty apartment community, opened Monday, July 29 at 401 N. Main St.
“This state-of-the-art facility, located in the heart of a bustling retail district, demonstrates our dedication to supporting the financial needs of the Santa Ana community,” said Kathy Jumper, CEO of Orange County’s Credit Union.
The Rafferty stands eight stories tall with 218 units ranging from studio to two-bedroom apartments. Rents for studios up to two bedrooms units will cost tenants anywhere from $2,426 to $6,550 monthly.
Nano Banc in Irvine has named Mary Lynn Lenz as its new president and chief executive. The commercial bank formed in 2018 after the acquistion of Commerce Bank of Temecula Valley in Murietta. Lenz previously was the bank’s chairman of the board of directors. (Photo courtesy of Nano Banc)
Lynn McKenzie-Tallerico recently was named board chairwoman at Nano Banc in Irvine. The commercial bank was created in 2018, joining the Federal Reserve System in Aug. that year. (Photo courtesy of Nano Bank)
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Nano Banc in Irvine has named Mary Lynn Lenz as its new president and chief executive. The commercial bank formed in 2018 after the acquistion of Commerce Bank of Temecula Valley in Murietta. Lenz previously was the bank’s chairman of the board of directors. (Photo courtesy of Nano Banc)
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Nano Banc marks leadership milestone
Nano Banc in Irvine has initiated a leadership change that puts two women at the helm for the first time.
Mary Lynn Lenz is the new president and chief executive while Lynn McKenzie-Tallerico was named board chairwoman. Nano Banc was created in May 2018, joining the Federal Reserve System in August that year.
The commercial bank was formerly Commerce Bank of Temecula Valley in Murietta and had $76 million in assets when it was acquired for $23.3 million by Nano Financial Holdings. It changed its name to Nano Banc and opened its second branch and headquarters at 7755 Irvine Center Drive in Irvine.
Bank representatives said assets have since grown to $1 billion.
Lenz most recently serving as chairwoman of the board and before joining the bank, she held executive positions in community banks in California, Arizona and Massachusetts. McKenzie-Tallerico previously worked at KPMG.
Sign and graphics company rebrands under new ownership
Signs By Tomorrow Center in Irvine recently rebranded as Image360, a franchise brand in the Alliance Franchise Brands network of companies.
Brothers Devish and Ravish Patel bought the nearly 20-year-old Signs By Tomorrow Center a year ago and opted to rebrand while expanding the company’s services.
Image360 produces custom graphics, wayfinding solutions, ADA signage and promotional displays for businesses and organizations in the area.
For more information, go to image360.com/irvine or call 949-679-8969. Address: 17777 Main St., Suite B
JWA traffic simmers in June
Summer airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport dipped 9.1% in June year over year.
The airport served 963,531 passengers vs. 1,059,614 in June 2023.
The airport last year started cutting its passenger count to align with its 11.8 million annual passenger cap. The cap is part of a nearly 40-year-old agreement JWA has with Orange County, Newport Beach and Airport Working Group and Stop Polluting Our Newport to keep noise and pollution at certain levels.
Here are more highlights from June’s report:
Commercial aircraft operations decreased 7.6%
Commuter aircraft operations increased 6.3%
There were 24,878 takeoffs and landings, an 8.6% increase
The top three airlines in June 2024 based on passenger count were Southwest Airlines (277,026), American Airlines (163,911) and United Airlines (152,949).
Waukecha Wilkerson is the new chief development officer at Newport Beach-based Project Self-Sufficiency in Newport Beach. She is the former president of the organization’s board of directors and also founded Won’t She Do It, which provides coaching and development training to student-parents. (Photo courtesy of Project Self-Sufficiency)
Jonathan Judge recently was appointed to the board of directors at Waymakers in Irvine. Judge works at Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo where he leads the Private Labor and Employment Group’s Advice and Counsel Team. (Photo courtesy of Waymakers)
Louis Ting is the new director of Power Resources at Orange County Power Authority in Irvine. He comes to OCPA from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. (Photo courtesy of Orange County Power Authority)
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Waukecha Wilkerson is the new chief development officer at Newport Beach-based Project Self-Sufficiency in Newport Beach. She is the former president of the organization’s board of directors and also founded Won’t She Do It, which provides coaching and development training to student-parents. (Photo courtesy of Project Self-Sufficiency)
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On the move
Waukecha Wilkerson is the new chief development officer at Newport Beach-based Project Self-Sufficiency. The nonprofit helps low-income single parents graduate from college or vocational training with career skills. She is the former president of the organization’s board of directors and also founded Won’t She Do It, which provides coaching and development training to student-parents.
Louis Ting is the new director of Power Resources at Orange County Power Authority in Irvine. He will serve as a technical advisor on energy projects and contracts, the organization said. Ting, who has 30 years of experience working at for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, will also manage energy resource planning and procurement for OCPA.
On board
Jonathan Judge recently was appointed to the board of directors at Waymakers. The Irvine-based nonprofit provides counseling, education, shelter, conflict resolution and support services to Orange County children and families. Judge works at Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo where he leads the Private Labor and Employment Group’s Advice and Counsel Team.
Good works
Orange County’s Credit Union in Santa Ana raised $15,553 for Children’s Hospital of Orange County at the 2024 CHOC Walk in the Park at Disneyland. The credit union said 90 of its members and associates took part in the fundraising efforts. Orange County’s Credit Union has participated in the CHOC Walk for 16 years.
The Golden State Foods Foundation recently donated $11,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, part of its fifth annual Focus on Food campaign. GSF Foundation reps said the organization hit a milestone this year, donating the equivalent of 1.35 million meals to food banks across the U.S.
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos tosgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
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