Sanford C Sigoloff

Corporate turnaround expert Sanford C. Sigoloff, credited with leading ailing companies such as Wickes Cos. out of bankruptcy but criticized by many as a tough-as-nails boss, has died. He was 80. Sigoloff died of complications from pneumonia Saturday with his family by his side at his Brentwood home. He also had Alzheimer's disease. Sigoloff, whose stern voice and lean figure were familiar to millions of Southern Californians from his "We got the message, Mr. Sigoloff" television commercials for Wickes' now-defunct Builders Emporium chain, was an ace at salvaging debt-laden companies.

Corporate turnaround expert Sanford C. Sigoloff, credited with leading ailing companies such as Wickes Cos. out of bankruptcy but criticized by many as a tough-as-nails boss, has died. He was 80. Sigoloff died of complications from pneumonia Saturday with his family by his side at his Brentwood home. He also had Alzheimer's disease. Sigoloff, whose stern voice and lean figure were familiar to millions of Southern Californians from his "We got the message, Mr. Sigoloff" television commercials for Wickes' now-defunct Builders Emporium chain, was an ace at salvaging debt-laden companies.

A passengers quickly de plane, clear customs and head to two taxis that depart for a hotel on the other end of the tiny Atlantic island. s dusk begins to fall, a sleek white Canadair Challenger jet descends from gray clouds, touching down on an airstrip on the east tip of Bermuda. Its four passengers quickly deplane, clear customs and head to two taxis that depart for a hotel on the other end of the tiny Atlantic island.

Sigoloff, a specialist in rescuing troubled companies, serves on the state's Board of Education, chairing the committee on performance and evaluation. A graduate of Beverly Hills High School and UCLA, Sigoloff, 64, became a reluctant media star in the mid-1980s when he was featured in TV ads for the troubled Wickes Companies. ("We got the message, Mr. Sigoloff"). Head of a Santa Monica consulting firm, Sigoloff teaches a course in crisis management at UCLA's Graduate School of Management.

A number of Westsiders have been named officers and trustees of the UCLA Foundation, which develops private funding for the university. Stanley A. Wainer, Franklin R. Johnson and Joan Pavlevsky have been named vice presidents; new trustees are Caryl Volkman Carothers, Sanford C. Sigoloff, James L. Easton, Adrienne Kosches Hall, Orrin J. Hubbell and N. David O'Malley.

Five new members have been elected to one-year terms on the Museum of Contemporary Art's board of trustees: David R. Carpenter, chief executive officer of Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Co.; Richard J. Flamson III, CEO of Security Pacific Corp.; William J. Hatch, president of Metropolitan Structures West Inc., a development and property management company; Sanford C. Sigoloff, CEO of Wickes Cos. Inc.; and Federal Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer.

Let me congratulate you on an insightful profile of Sanford C. Sigoloff of the Wickes Cos., the successful corporate leader and the private man ("Ming the Merciless Is on the Prowl" by Nancy Yoshihara, July 27). Mr. Sigoloff also brings his commitment to win in his involvements outside the business arena. I am happy to tell you that, through Mr. Sigoloff's chairmanship of the Walk-America fund-raising event this year, the March of Dimes in Southern California raised a record $2.2 million, increasing its revenue by over 20% in only one year.

Sanford C. Sigoloff, the corporate turnaround specialist whose appointment last year as state school superintendent was derailed, has been appointed to the State Board of Education. Without debate, the state Senate voted 35 to 0 on Thursday to approve Gov. Pete Wilson's nomination of Sigoloff to the school board.

The state's largest teacher organization announced Monday that it opposes Gov. Pete Wilson's appointment of Los Angeles businessman Sanford C. Sigoloff as state superintendent of public instruction. "We have found no evidence that Mr. Sigoloff has the qualifications or the experience or that he meets any of the major normal and customary prerequisites" to be state schools chief, announced D.A. (Del) Weber, president of the California Teachers Assn.

What what would you do if you put your company up on the auction block, got the bidding started at $574 million, and couldn't get a higher offer? That's the situation facing Wickes Cos. The Santa Monica-based company said Friday that it has failed so far in its 1 1/2-month effort to find a bidder willing to top a $574-million offer by the firm's management. And to drum up more interest, the company's board said Friday that it might be willing to sell pieces of the company separately.

After weeks of worry, the county's rank and file workers breathed a sigh of relief Friday that the man nicknamed "Ming the Merciless" would not be taking aim at their jobs. But they worried that William J. Popejoy may not understand the workings of county government. "Thank God it wasn't 'Ming the Merciless,' " assessor Larry L. Bales said of Sanford C. Sigoloff, a corporate turnaround specialist long believed to be the front-runner for interim chief executive officer.

As Orange County supervisors struggled under mounting pressure Thursday to pick a new top administrator--with three ready to endorse tough turnaround specialist Sanford C. Sigoloff and two undecided--department heads and employees openly worried about what life would be like under the leading candidate.

Corporate turnaround specialist Sanford Sigoloff said Friday that if he wins Orange County's top administrative job, he will assemble a crack team of advisers to help him make peace among the county and its angry investors, generate quick cash and shrink county government. Sigoloff said that he and his five-member team would be a worthwhile investment to ensure the job is done effectively, but he warned that he could not do it alone.

Sanford C. Sigoloff is the very picture of the toughest boss you've ever had. Stern of visage, lean of frame, Sigoloff is a take-charge guy with a sharp mind and a photographic memory. He has revived companies that were thought to be near death--but at the cost of thousands of jobs. And now, Sigoloff is the leading candidate for Orange County's new chief executive post.

A Los Angeles businessman described as the likely front-runner to become Orange County's interim chief executive said Sunday that he is working to assemble a crack team of finance specialists and business consultants to help him lead the county out of its bankruptcy crisis.

A Los Angeles businessman known for rescuing doomed businesses spent Saturday at the Orange County Hall of Administration, meeting with supervisors about possibly taking the reins of the beleaguered county government for six months. Sanford C. Sigoloff, 64, said he is unsure whether he has enough time to devote to being interim county administrative officer, but that he finds the prospect of helping the county recover from the largest municipal bankruptcy in history challenging and exciting.

A Los Angeles businessman known for rescuing doomed businesses spent Saturday at the Orange County Hall of Administration, meeting with supervisors about possibly taking the reins of the beleaguered county government for six months. Sanford C. Sigoloff, 64, said he is unsure whether he has enough time to devote to being interim county administrative officer, but that he finds the prospect of helping the county recover from the largest municipal bankruptcy in history challenging and exciting.

A Wickes Cos. internal memo disclosed Thursday that some of the 150 employees at its Santa Monica headquarters may lose their jobs after the first of the year when the firm is acquired by two New York investment companies. But it did not address the fate of workers at Wickes operating units. Meanwhile, the buyers visited Wickes' operations in Southern California and in San Jose to get acquainted with executives of various subsidiaries. Wickes Chairman Sanford C.

Sanford C. Sigoloff, the corporate turnaround specialist whose appointment last year as state school superintendent was derailed, has been appointed to the State Board of Education. Without debate, the state Senate voted 35 to 0 on Thursday to approve Gov. Pete Wilson's nomination of Sigoloff to the school board.

Los Angeles businessman Sanford C. Sigoloff, with his prospects for confirmation apparently doomed, Thursday withdrew from consideration for the post of California schools chief and accepted an appointment to the State Board of Education. Sigoloff's surprise announcement came two months after Republican Gov.