Business Briefs

Blockbuster on Sunol Blvd. closed

Residents who live in southeast Pleasanton may have noticed that the Sunol Boulevard Blockbuster store in the Raley’s shopping center has closed.

According to an employee at the Hopyard Road Blockbuster, the Sunol store closed three weeks ago due to a lack of business. Customers who have rental items from the Sunol location are asked to drop them off at the Hopyard store, 4747 Hopyard Road.

Aloha Island on Main to shut its doors

Like a fairytale ending, the Aloha Island Trading Company will soon fade away into the sunset. The store’s owners have decided to purchase over 50 acres of land in Hawaii and plan to move the shop’s services back to its island roots. Located at 410 Main St., the store that sells all things Hawaiian was named the “Best Clothing Store” in 2006 by readers in the Pleasanton Weekly’s “Best of Pleasanton.” To mark the closing, the store is offering deep discounts on its merchandise. For more information on Aloha Island, visit www.alohaislandtradingcompany.com.

Pleasanton Albertsons to become Lucky supermarket

Modesto-based Save Mart Supermarkets announced that it will bring back the Lucky supermarket brand to the Bay Area, including the Pleasanton store on West Las Positas Boulevard. Save Mart acquired 130 Albertsons stores earlier this year and exclusive rights to the Lucky name. In total, it will convert 72 stores in the bay to Lucky.

Lucky stores were rebranded in 1999.

“Bringing Lucky stores back to the Bay Area consumer is a great responsibility,” said Bob Spengler, president of Save Mart. “Even after all these years, the Lucky name carries with it a great deal of consumer equity.”

The changes to come with each store conversion are significant, Save Mart reports, but the aisles won’t be rearranged. Save Mart will bring back many popular programs such as “Three’s a Crowd” and the “Max Pack.”

Stores will close for two days to convert and the work is scheduled to conclude by the end of September.

Asbestos settlement made with Pleasanton company

A $2.1 million settlement against several manufacturers and distributors of asbestos-containing products, including one based in Pleasanton, has been announced by Baron & Budd, the law firm representing the plaintiffs. On July 17, Kaiser Gypsum and Hanson Permanente (previously known as Kaiser Cement) settled with San Francisco residents John and Rita Dachauer.

John Dachauer, 69, worked as a plasterer from 1955-1997 and testified that he regularly used exterior stucco and joint compound products made and sold by Kaiser and Hanson. He sued both companies after a 2006 diagnosis of mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

Simpson Manufacturing announces acquisition

Pleasanton-based Simpson Manufacturing has announced that its subsidiary Simpson Strong-Tie has acquired Swan Secure Products for $43.5 million. Swan Secure manufactures and distributes stainless steel and other fasteners. Simpson Manufacturing, through its subsidiary, designs, engineers and is a leading manufacturer of wood-to-wood, wood-to-concrete and wood-to-masonry connectors and fasteners and pre-fabricated shearwalls.

Thoratec gives update on product recall

Pleasanton-based Thoratec Corporation, which produces products to help treat cardiovascular disease, has updated information on a voluntary recall that began April 9 of all paracorporeal Ventricular Assist Devices (PVAD) manufactured and distributed prior to October 2006.

Thoratec voluntarily recalled the products after learning of continuing incorrect collet nut assembly during surgical implantation, which has in three cases resulted in severe bleeding and death.

Patients should immediately contact their doctor. According to Thoratec, hospitals were requested in the recall letter to check for proper cannulae connections on all patients currently on PVAD support. Thoratec notified its customers of the recall by letter on April 9 and is arranging for the application of conspicuous warning labels to all recalled product remaining in hospital inventory.

For information, call 1-800-456-1477.

Ross Stores reports June sales figures

Pleasanton-based Ross Stores reported sales of $545 million for the five weeks ended July 7, 2007, an 11 percent increase over the $490 million in sales for the five weeks ended July 8, 2006.

Michael Balmuth, vice chairman, president and CEO, said “comparable store sales in June were ahead of our expectations, benefiting from solid sell-through of seasonal merchandise. The Northwest, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic were the best performing regions, while Dresses and Home continued to be the strongest merchandise categories.

Looking ahead, we continue to project comparable store sales gains of 3 percent to 4 percent in July 2007. Based on current sales and margin trends, earnings per share for the 13

weeks ending Aug. 4, 2007 are now forecast to be 36-37 cents, up 13 percent to 16 percent over second quarter 2006 earnings per share of 32 cents.”