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Ron and Art Birtcher are out and Mitsui is in as overseer of the domestic development and construction arms of Birtcher, one of OC's oldest and best-known organizations.
Mitsui & Co., part of the Japanese-based conglomerate that became the 50% partner in Birtcher Real Estate Ltd. three years ago, has taken management and ownership control of the Laguna Niguel-based developer.
Ronald Birtcher confirmed that he and his brother, Arthur, who headed the company for nearly 35 years, have stepped down as co-chairmen of Birtcher Real Estate Ltd., the holding company for various Birtcher entities.
The new chairman is Tsutomu Utsugi, one of the Mitsui representatives on the Birtcher board.
Ron Birtcher said he and his brother retain their seats on the board and maintain an ownership stake, but are out of the operations.
"We now have time to look after some of our own interests, including a vineyard in Napa," he said.
In a separate interview, Andrew Youngquist, president of the company's "Birtcher Construction subsidiary, confirmed Mitsui now owns the majority stake in the company. He said he believed the Mitsui stake was at least 65%.
Youngquist said key Birtcher executives remain in place, including Michael Voss as president of Birtcher Real Estate and Youngquist...