Magellan Systems Company

Orbital Sciences Corp. agreed Monday to acquire Magellan Systems--a leader in the fast-growing consumer market for satellite receivers that tell hikers and sportsmen where they are--in a stock deal valued at $55 million. The deal opens potentially lucrative opportunities for San Dimas-based Magellan to start producing and marketing two-way personal pagers that would be part of a global communications system Orbital is developing for $150 million.

Magellan Systems Corp. of San Dimas will merge with Sunnyvale-based Ashtech Inc. to form a satellite navigation products company with annual revenue of more than $125 million. The combined company, which would be called Magellan Corp., would be based in Sunnyvale. Both companies make Global Positioning System and other satellite navigation devices. Magellan Systems' 250 employees in San Dimas would not have to relocate to the Silicon Valley, said company spokesman Don Meyer.

Magellan Systems Corp. of San Dimas will merge with Sunnyvale-based Ashtech Inc. to form a satellite navigation products company with annual revenue of more than $125 million. The combined company, which would be called Magellan Corp., would be based in Sunnyvale. Both companies make Global Positioning System and other satellite navigation devices. Magellan Systems' 250 employees in San Dimas would not have to relocate to the Silicon Valley, said company spokesman Don Meyer.

Orbital Sciences Corp. agreed Monday to acquire Magellan Systems--a leader in the fast-growing consumer market for satellite receivers that tell hikers and sportsmen where they are--in a stock deal valued at $55 million. The deal opens potentially lucrative opportunities for San Dimas-based Magellan to start producing and marketing two-way personal pagers that would be part of a global communications system Orbital is developing for $150 million.

Randy Hoffman concedes that he was probably driven to excel in business in order to overcome a troubled childhood and an abusive, alcoholic stepfather. At 17, he won top honors at his school for forming a student-run company that sold holiday-decorated brandy snifters filled with peppermint candies. By age 30, he was president of a binocular manufacturing firm with over $100 million in annual sales.

Randy Hoffman concedes that he was probably driven to excel in business in order to overcome a troubled childhood and an abusive, alcoholic stepfather. At 17, he won top honors at his school for forming a student-run company that sold holiday brandy snifters filled with peppermint candies. By age 30, he was president of a binocular manufacturing firm with more than $100 million in annual sales.

In the leafy affluence that is Thousand Oaks, a political candidate needs to remember one thing: Always embrace the environment by protecting the oak trees, ridgelines and open spaces that distinguish this city. Councilwoman Linda Parks was weaned on that truism; her rival in the supervisorial race, Randy Hoffman, is learning it fast. The activist politician and the millionaire businessman want to replace retiring Frank Schillo as the Ventura County supervisor representing Thousand Oaks.