Daily Business Report — April 5, 2010
Oak Knoll Villas Renovation Completed
The Oak Knoll Villas in Poway have been renovated into an affordable housing community that will be unveiled Wednesday at a 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. celebration. The $13.7 million renovation of the 52-unit complex, located at 12509 Oak Knoll Road, is part of a larger revitaliation of the Oak Knoll corridor, now under way, funded by the Poway Redevelopment Agency. Other improvements include new streets and sidewalks, underground utilities and a raised crosswalk with enhanced landscaping. Community Housing Works, the Poway Redevelopment Agency and Poway community leaders will be involved in Wednesday’s event.
Community Housing Works acquired the complex in 2008 and began renovations a year later. Improvements included outfitting each of the 52 apartments with low-flow toilets, energy saving windows and special carpet and paint that contribute to better indoor air quality. The new “cool” roof, which deflects the sun’s heat, makes the building more energy efficient. Drought-resistant, native landscaping is featured throughout the community, including edible fruit trees and a garden plot. Community HousingWorks outfitted the complex with a new community room and learning center with a full-time coordinator to provide residents with educational programs, access to computers and a homework club and activities for children. The rehabilitation also included a new barbecue area, tot lot and expanded laundry facilities.
Development partners in the Oak Knoll Villas renovation included Sun Country Builders, Zagrodnik + Thomas Architects, The John Stewart Co. and ConAm Management.
Mission Hills Office Building Sold for $2.6 Million
Jose Ricardo Rabines and Taal Rachel Safdie, trustees of The Rabines-Safdie Family Trust, purchased the 6,416-square-foot office building at 925 Fort Stockton Drive in San Diego for $2.6 million. Located at the southeast corner of Fort Stockton Drive and Hawk Street in Mission Hills, the two-story office building was previously occupied by Prudential California Realty. The new owners will occupy a portion of the building to house their architectural firm with the balance available for lease. Reg Kobzi of CB Richard Ellis and Don Mitchell of Cresa Partners represented the seller, Paseo de Mission Hills Two LLC. Richard Marsh of Colliers International and independent broker John Lomac represented the buyers.
Marketing Green is Topic for AMA Luncheon
The San Diego chapter of the American Marketing Association will stage an April 15 luncheon on “Marketing Green: What Does That Mean?” It will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the San Diego Hilton Mission Valley, 901 Camino del Rio South. Carol Bryant, director of corporate programs at MTI Marketing, will be the speaker. Her talk will include the “six sins of greenwashing,” examine consumer willingness to do business with green companies and explain the environmental attributes to various types of products and materials. Registration fee is $49.
Stem Cell Firm’s Subsidiary Signs Distribution Agreement
International Stem Cell Corp. in Oceanside announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lifeline Cell Technology, has signed a distribution agreement with Tokyo-based Veritas Corp. to distribute its human cell culture products throughout Japan. Lifeline, located in Maryland and California, specializes in the development, manufacture, and distribution of products to culture human cells for the study of human disease, including products to culture primary human cells and human stem cells. The company said the products are being requested by customers overseas, including those in Japan, Korea and India and this agreement is the first step in Lifeline’s plan to meet these requests. “This agreement is important in advancing ISCO’s goal of becoming the primary provider of high-quality human stem cell culture tools to the research and therapeutic markets,” said Andrey Semechkin, CEO.
Mingei to Close Escondido Galleries
Lack of patronage and the poor economy has forced the Mingei International Museum to close its Escondido museum galleries on West Grand Avenue, effective on June 26. The space will be used for storage. Museum admission will be free until the closure. The current exhibit is “Rite and Ritual —Ceremonial Art Across Cultures.”
“This was a difficult decision for the board of trustees because of our six-year commitment to establishing a strong cultural presence in downtown Escondido,” said board chair Frances H. White. “However, due to the uncertainty of the current economic climate and lack of sustained patronage, we felt it was necessary to close the galleries and store in order to fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities to the museum as a whole.” White said trustees and senior staff will assess options for appropriate future uses of the facility but there are no plans to sell the building.
Charlotte Cagan, director of marketing and planning who oversees the Escondido facility, said it has offered 16 exhibitions of international folk art, craft and design for thousands of visitors during the past six years. The facility was first opened to the public on Dec. 5, 2003. The main Mingei museum is located in Balboa Park.
Free Shredding Service Offered
San Diego County Credit Union will provide free shredding services from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 17 at six branch locations. The locations are Eastlake in Chula Vista, 2280 Otay Lakes Road; Encinitas, 501 North El Camino Real; Escondido, 1600 South Escondido Boulevard; Pacific Beach, 1650 Grand Ave.;Santee, 286 Town Center Parkway; and Temecula, 31693 Temecula Parkway. The public is invited to bring a maximum of two boxes containing personal and confidential information, and have their sensitive documents shredded on the spot at no charge in the parking lot at any of the six SDCCU branches.
Personnel Moves
Kristin Spitz has been named electronic sales and marketing manager at the the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego. She will focus on e-commerce and associated online marketing communications, but also will include work beyond the hotel proper including Sally’s Seafood on the Water, Top of the Hyatt, Kin Spa and Eldredge Fitness Center. Spitz earned a bachelor of arts degree in communication from San Diego State. She worked at the Rancho Valencia Resort prior to joining Hyatt and is a member of the National Association of Catering Executives.
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Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial has hired Paul Klink as vice president, city leader of property, and Kim Vidal as senior property manager. Klink will oversee corporate services and property management for the firm’s institutional client relationships. He is a 26-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry and previously owned and operated Interface Properties, a commercial development company with an emphasis on retail and office development projects in the north and southwestern United States. Klink also worked with AVB Development Partners, Koll Development Co., John Burnham & Co. and Grubb & Ellis.
Vidal will work directly with Klink in property management services. Prior to joining the company, she founded Vidal Consulting in March 2008 where she performed assignments for temporary and/or long-term vacancies in retail, residential, and commercial office and industrial properties. She also was the vice president of real estate/facilities for ResMAE from April 2004 through January 2008. She held positions at Pacific Castle Management, Westfield America Corp., Urban Retail Properties Co. and Merit Property Management.
SCORE San Diego’s Small Business Workshops This Week
• Tuesday, April 6 – Marketing for Nonprofits – 9 to 11:30 a.m. at The San Diego Foundation – Liberty Station (2508 Historic Decatur Road, #200, San Diego 92106; pre-paid registration $39, $49 at the door).
• Wednesday, April 7 – Business Plan 101: How to Develop Your Best Competitive Advantage – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Point Loma Nazarene University in Mission Valley (4007 Camino del Rio South, San Diego 92108; pre-paid registration $79, $89 at the door).
• Thursday, April 8 – Financing Your Business – 9:30 a.m. to noon at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).
• Internet Marketing 301: Increase Sales Through Pay-Per-Click – Carlsbad – 9 a.m. to noon at National University (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad, 92011; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door)
• Friday, April 9 – Financial Statements: What They Mean, How to Use Them – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).
Business Datebook
April 9
SEMINAR: National Association of Women Business Owners San Diego continues its monthly seminar series. Angie Swartz of Square Martini Media will present “Using LinkedIn as a Marketing Tool.” Noon to 1 p.m., Brandman University, 7460 Mission Valley Road, San Diego. NAWBO San Diego members free, nonmembers $25. Box lunches provided. Online reservations at nawbo-sd.org.
CONGRESSIONAL LUNCHEON: San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce to host its annual Congressional Luncheon, presented by BAE Systems, at the Holiday Inn on the Bay, 1355 N. Harbor Drive, in Downtown San Diego. Registration at 11 a.m., luncheon and program noon to 1 p.m. Confirmed representatives include Congresswoman Susan Davis and Congressmen Bob Filner, Duncan D. Hunter and Darrell Issa. Moderator, Dennis Morgigno of Channel 4 San Diego.
April 13
PANEL PROGRAM: The cost and legal ramifications of the proposed California High Speed Rail system will be discussed at a program sponsored by the Urban Land Institute San Diego/Tijuana. 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the University Club, 750 B St., in Downtown San Diego. Panelists: John Chalker, member of the California Transit Commission; Steve DeBaum, partner with Best Best & Krieger; and Job Nelson, director of intergovernmental relations for the San Diego Mayor’s Office. Moderator: Jose Martinez, regional program manager for the California High Speed Rail Authority. $40 for ULI members, $50 for nonmembers. To register, call (800) 321-5011 or visit ulisd.org.
April 14
CONFERENCE: San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce hosts tri-national conference to discuss competitiveness, innovation and clean energy. Principals include U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Canada Minister of Industry Tony Clement and Mexico Secretary of Economy Gerardo Ruiz Mateos. Invited participants: Gov. Schwarzanegger and Baja California Gov. Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and Tijuana Mayor Jorge Ramos will participate. 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., main theater, Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, 5998 Alcala Park, on the campus of University of san Diego. Conference and luncheon cost, $35 ($20 for students). To reserve, call (619) 296-0605, Ext. 234, or visit sdchamber-members.org/MBC2.htm.
April 17
FREE WORKSHOP: Entrepreneurial Excellence Workshop sponsored by the Universiy of Phoenix Kearny Mesa Learning Center, 3870/3890 Murphy Canyon Road, San Diego. 9 a.m. to noon. Topics include outllook for small business in San Diego, business opportunities, legal issues for small businesses, search engine marketing, among others. Sports psychologist Casey Cooper to talk on “Home Run Leadership Styles.” To sign up, contact Gray Miller at (858) 650-4612.
April 20
PRESENTATION: Juval Aviv, president and CEO of Interfor Inc., will discuss some of the major financial fraud cases he has investigated during 30 years in the corporate investigations field, including personal anecdotes. Sponsor: Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) San Diego. 7 a.m. registration, 9 a.m. program, Doubletree Hotel Hazard Center, 7450 Hazard Center Drive, SanDiego. Free for ACG members, $50 for nonmembers. Make reservations at acteva.com.
April 21
LUNCHEON: Joon Han, founder and strategy specialist with Better San Diego, to speak on “Getting Ahead by Giving Back” at the luncheon meeting of the National Association of Women Business Owners San Diego. 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Sheraton La Jolla, 3299 Holiday Court, La Jolla. Early bird pricing for members and guests available through April 15. For more information and online registration, visit nawbo-sd.org.
The Daily Business Report is produced by REP Publishing Inc., publisher of San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, the North Park News, Kensington News and the West Coast Craftsman. (619) 906-4104.
