Emulex

The lobby at Codercard Inc.'s corporate headquarters in Irvine is so cramped that for two people to enter or exit, both must turn sideways. Mercifully, there is no receptionist to complicate the maneuver. More than space is tight at the computer security card manufacturer. Sales are almost non-existent, and profits are still only the stuff of dreams. Still, Codercard founder Robert W.

Dave Hoen, 41 years old, a man with a good job, a nice house, two kids and even an ex-wife who loves him, is nervous as hell. His hands are shaking a bit, his smile is just a little tight. Only the two of us are here in his living room, but Dave Hoen knows that our conversation will probably change his life--for the better, he hopes. Then again, he knows that when some people read this, they will hate him simply because of whom he loves. Dave Hoen is "coming out," on the job at the Emulex Corp.

Broadcom Corp. on Monday sweetened its offer to buy crosstown rival Emulex Corp. nearly 20% to $912 million, from its original bid of $764 million. "This is the best offer Broadcom intends to make," Scott McGregor, chief executive of the Irvine chip maker, wrote in a letter to Emulex Chairman Paul Folino. McGregor noted that his latest offer for $11 a share in cash represents a 66% premium over Emulex's closing stock price of $6.61 on April 20, the day before Broadcom announced its bid.