The furniture maker Joybird is open at the South Coast Collection retail center in Costa Mesa.
Joybird, a subsidiary of La-Z-Boy, is leasing 4,643 square feet of space from SoCo owner Continental Realty Corp. The retailer opened its first Orange County showroom on June 5. The company has 12 U.S. locations.
Shoppers at Joybird can customize their furniture choices for the living room, bedroom, home office and outdoor areas.
Coverings come in 75 color choices ranging from woven fabric to leather for sofas, sleepers and sectionals and accent chairs. Furniture choices also include side tables, beds and dressers.
Purchases come with free design services, which include using a 3D space planner, sofa builder, and room scanner.
Other shops at SoCo include BoConcept, Design Within Reach, La-Z-Boy, Brown Jordan, Natuzzi Italia and Room & Board. Food concepts include Arc Food and Libations, Butcher’s House, Greenleaf Kitchen & Cocktails, Moulin, Il Girasole and Portola Coffee.
Address: 3303-3323 Hyland Ave.
Salvation Army thrift opens in Foothill Ranch
The Salvation Army opened a thrift store Thursday, June 26 in Foothill Ranch.
The 15,000-square-foot store at 26662 Portola Pkwy. takes the place of a home consignment furniture store. It’s the fifth Salvation Army retail location in Orange County.
Store hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 am to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm.
The nonprofit said every purchase and donation at the Foothill Ranch store supports the Anaheim Adult Rehabilitation Center, a 179-bed residential program for men and women.
“If you’ve never shopped at a thrift store, you’ve got to stop by — you’ll be amazed at the incredible finds and unbeatable prices,” said Captain Timothy Pemberton, Administrator for Development at The Salvation Army Anaheim ARC. “And the best part? Every purchase helps change lives right here in our community, bringing real hope to those overcoming life’s toughest challenges.”
State program pays 90% of auto A/C repair costs
Does your car’s air conditioning need a fresh blast of cold?
The year-old Cool Air Rebate (CAR) Program offers financial assistance to qualifying, low-income Californians who need a particular coolant leak fixed in cars made between 1993 and 2019.
“Low-income families are often the most impacted by extreme heat, and this program makes it possible for them to fix their car A/C and avoid the heat-related risks that come with driving in extreme heat,” said Nathan Perrine, the executive director of the Car Care Council, which manages CAR.
The program offers a discount that amounts to 90% of the overall repair costs, according to program coordinators.
Here’s who and which cars qualify:
—Residents must meet household income requirements. If they already are recipients of Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWorks, or California Healthy Families, they automatically meet the income requirements. A family of four, for example, would qualify with an annual income of $64,300 or less. A family of two would require an annual income for $42,300 or less.
—Proof of income can be the last six months of income (pay stubs), a copy of a customer’s 2024 tax return, a 2024 W-4 or a Social Security benefit letter.
—If the car (no older than 1993) is leaking R-134a refrigerant – a greenhouse gas – it qualifies for the program. Older cars or light trucks that were retrofitted to use R-134a also qualify.
The program coordinators note that not all vehicles use this refrigerant, and not all air conditioning failures are due to refrigerant leaks.
“The primary goal of this program is to directly reduce the amount of air pollution caused by the release of R-134a refrigerant in our atmosphere,” according to CAR.
Don’t know if your car is leaking that particular refrigerant? A host of repair shops will test the vehicle system for free. Applicants can find out where by going to the CAR website.
CAR debuted as a pilot in Fresno in July 2024. It has since repaired 1,067 vehicles, providing nearly $1.2 million in subsidies to participating auto repair shops across the state. A quick search of area ZIP codes found nearly 230 participating repair shops in Southern California.
The program is paid by consumers who fail to claim can deposits for R-134a they buy in California. That funding system was authorized by the California Air Resources Board in 2024.
We asked program coordinators to explain the program a bit more. Their answers have been lightly edited for length.
Q: What’s the average cost per participant when the rebate is factored in?
A: The cost of each repair varies depending on the repairs needed and the shop completing the repairs. The average repair cost is about $1,100 and the customer is responsible to pay 10% (or $110) of that cost at the completion of the service. The program pays the rest directly to the certified auto repair shop.
Q: How long does the whole process take?
A: Once a resident has received their approval letter from the CAR Program, they work directly with the certified auto repair partner to schedule the diagnostic and complete the repairs.
If the parts needed to complete the repairs are in-stock, the customer can receive their diagnostic and repair completed on the same day. If parts need to be ordered, the certified auto repair partner works directly with the customer to schedule the return appointment, often in the next day or so.
Q: How do people apply for the service?
A: The quickest way to apply is to visit the program’s website at CoolAirRebate.org to complete a five-question survey to see if they pre-qualify. The customer then completes a full application, which includes income verification.
The CAR Program will send an approval letter via email to the customer, and the customer has 120 days to bring their vehicle into a participating auto repair shop.
If the customer needs additional support or would like to complete the application process via mail, they can send an email with that information via the Contact Us link on the website or call 888-534-4728 during business hours.
Q: Will customers get an estimate before committing to the service and payment?
A: Yes, the customer will receive and approve an estimate from the automotive repair partner before any work begins.
Q: Where is the program available?
A: CAR is available in more than 110 cities statewide at participating auto repair shops, which can be found on the shop locator at CoolAirRebate.org.
On the move
Belin Robertson has joined UBS Wealth Management US as a financial adviser in the firm’s Irvine office. He brings 25 years of industry experience, specializing in trust matters and planning around liquidity events for clients and their families. Robertson spent the past three years with Wilmington Trust and previously spent much of his career at firms such as Merrill Lynch and Neuberger Berman.
Top Workplaces nomination period extended
The Orange County Register has extended its nomination period for the 18th annual Top Workplaces 2025 survey.
The workplace survey is open to any organization with 35 or more employees in Orange County (public, private, nonprofit, government).
There is no cost to take part in Top Workplaces, and anyone can submit a nomination.
For the final categories and winners, companies are broken down from small (50 to 149 total employees), midsize (150 to 499 total employees) and large (500 or more total employees).
To participate, go to ocregister.com/nominate or call 714-442-2768.
The deadline for nominations is now Aug. 1.
To see last year’s winners, click here.
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
