Orange County Business Journal

Irvine-based Rivian Automotive is expanding its recent partnership with energy technology company Redwood Materials, which initially launched in April to power the automaker’s manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois with second-life battery packs. Redwood, founded in 2017, will start recycling battery scrap generated at Rivian’s manufacturing operations along with the battery packs from decommissioned electric vehicles.

OCVibe has revealed SENA by Marriott as the first of two on-site hotels that will open at the 100-acre development in Anaheim. The 300-plus-room property, expected to open in 2029, will be the city’s first hotel part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection portfolio. SENA will be operated by Denver-based Sage Hospitality Group and designed by architecture firm WATG with Rockwell Group doing the interiors. The hotel will also include a new signature restaurant led by Chef José Andrés.

Space launch company Rocket Lab said it has delayed the inaugural launch of its new, larger Neutron rocket, due to carbon composite manufacturing issues. Founder and CEO Peter Beck said yesterday the launch is expected to occur in 2027 without specifying a time frame. The first launch had been expected toward the end of this year.

Irvine Company has sold the One North Wacker building to the family investment firm of Amancio Ortega, the billionaire founder of fashion retailer Zara, the Business Journal has learned. The sale price was not immediately disclosed, though earlier reports placed the transaction at about $500 million. The deal closed on Oct. 13. Eastdil Secured represented Irvine Company in the sale of the 1.4-million-square-foot skyscraper to Ponte Gadea, the Spanish fashion mogul’s family office.

Cerritos-based GEN Restaurant Group said on Wednesday it will sell nearly all restaurant operations to Chubby Cattle Group for $100 million, affecting 47 locations over the next 12 months. The deal marks GEN’s official step away from operating its all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurants to focus on growing its consumer-packaged goods (CPG) business of Korean food products. GEN plans to keep only three of its restaurants — one in Cerritos and two in South Korea.

Costa Mesa-based California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is adding a new line of restaurant-inspired salad kits, in partnership with FiveStar Gourmet Foods, to expand the chain’s retail platform beyond its existing frozen offerings. CPK, best known for its frozen pizzas, aims to launch the new refrigerated products in stores nationwide next year.

Newport Beach-based Evolus Inc. is entering into an option agreement with an undisclosed private company developing an injectable treatment for hair restoration. Evolus will make an initial $1.5 million payment and support development of the treatment and an initial proof-of-concept study, with the option to acquire all assets associated with the program. Development is expected to continue through 2027, with first-in-human clinical trials anticipated to begin afterward.

Swiss dermatology giant Galderma (SIX: GALD) has agreed to acquire Irvine-based ZO Skin Health for $1.5 billion in cash from investors including Blackstone and the Obagi family, the companies announced Wednesday. Founded by dermatologist Dr. Zein Obagi, ZO Skin Health sells 40-plus skincare products through a network of more than 16,500 physician, medical spa and online accounts in more than 40 countries.

The era of treating technology as four separate problems is ending. For manufacturers and growing businesses across Southern California, the smarter move is to manage IT, security, compliance, and AI as one strategy — before a deadline or a breach forces the issue. By Shuchipan Sharma, Founder & CEO, TechHeights Walk into almost any mid-sized Orange County company today, and you will find technology managed in pieces. One vendor keeps the network running. Another sells a security tool.

Some of the world’s best beach volleyball players are coming to Blackie’s Beach near the Newport Beach Pier this weekend for the fourth annual Hoag Newport Beach 4-Man Volleyball Invitational. Organizers say the free, two-day event on Oct. 17 and 18 typically draws a few thousand spectators each day.