Fletcher Jones Motorcars breaks car sale record...

Fletcher Jones Motorcars breaks car sale record

Fletcher Jones Motorcars broke a 100-year-old record for vehicles

sold during a calendar year.

The Mercedes Benz dealership logged 5,160 sales of new cars during

the year. No other dealership in the country had ever sold 5,000 cars

in a single calendar year.

“We are delighted to have been recognized for setting a new

standard,” General Manager Garth Blumenthal said. “Our mission has

always been to offer the finest quality automobiles in the world

while providing the highest level of service.”

Fletcher Jones rang up $463 million in sales for the year.

Established in 2001, Fletcher Jones is the nation’s No. 1 Mercedes

dealer and the No. 1 dealer in Newport-Mesa.

The dealership counts 180,000 square feet of showroom space and

includes a cappuccino bar, television lounge, work stations with

telephones and computer hookups, a retail shop and putting green.

The dealer has 400 employees and offers service from 77 service

bays.

Costa Mesa-based ICN has growth of 18.7% in 2002

ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc. grew revenue 18.7% in 2002, from $620.8

million to $737.1 million the previous year, the company reported

Thursday.

ICN’s fourth quarter revenue, which it also reported, was

essentially flat, as the company put the lid on simmering problems

with spin-off Ribapharm Inc. by ousting that company’s board of

directors in January.

The company reported revenue for the quarter ending Dec. 31 of

$199.6 million, compared with the $194.2 million the company earned

the in the same quarter of 2001.

Despite the slight increase in revenue, ICN reported a net loss

for the quarter of $100.7 million, or $1.20 per share. In the prior

fourth quarter, the company was profitable, with 40 cents a share of

income.

ICN, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, closed Friday at

$9.39, up 0.86% on the day.