Utah health products company opens Costa Mesa...

Utah health products company opens Costa Mesa branch

Tahitian Noni International, based in Utah, opened a Costa Mesa

branch near South Coast Plaza on Friday.

The privately held company, formerly known as Morinda Inc., sells

cosmetic and beauty products.

Tahitian Noni held a grand opening ceremony on Friday at the

store’s Metro Point Center location, at 535 Anton Blvd. The branch

will serve all of Southern California.

The company is also getting ready to launch a production plant in

Tahiti. The company harvests the juice of the Tahitian Noni fruit and

uses it as the base ingredient in its myriad products.

Last year, Inc. Magazine named the company one of the top 500

fastest growing businesses in the country. Tatitian Noni logged more

than $1 billion in global sales for 2001.

Newport Beach-based Irvine Co. hires new top legal eagle

The Irvine Co., based in Newport Beach, has hired Patricia Frobes

as their top attorney, a spokeswoman said Friday.

The company hired Frobes to take over as its senior vice president

of legal affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary.

Frobes has been working out of the Newport Beach office of

nationwide law firm O’Melveny & Myers. As chair of the firm’s real

estate division, Frobes managed 65 lawyers in five offices across the

country.

Frobes will begin at the Irvine Co. on March 10.

Frobes replaces Dan Hedigan, who has taken a job as the company’s

senior vice president of land sales and management. He will oversee

all of the company’s development and operation of its housing

communities.

Hedigan replaces Chich Willette, who is retiring June 30 after 26

years with the company. Willette will remain on as a consultant.

In another addition, Mary Westbrook will join Frobes in the

expanded general counsel’s office, where she will serve as vice

president of legal affairs.