Daily Business Report — Jan. 21, 2011

Changes in the Workplace

2011 heralds a new decade of changes in the workplace — fewer private offices and more open-desk environments, smaller workstations, less reliance ontelephones, among others. David Marino, principal of Irving Hughes Inc., catalogues the changes in January’s SD METRO. Look for his column at sandiegometro.com.

DD Studio’s Innovation Camp is Saturday

DD Studio in Carlsbad will hold its second annual Innovation Camp on Saturday, where biomedical engineering students will present their senior projects to a panel of industry experts. The program will run from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. ad DD Studio, 1817 Aston Ave., No. 101, in Carlsbad. Panelists will be Matt Perkins, chief technology officer at Awarepoint; Karen Winston, program director at CONNECT; Andreas Dreher, CEO of Quexta; Michael Swartz, vice president of marketing at DD Studio; and Charles Curbbun, chief at DD Studio. “Innovation Camp is one of the ways we invest in the growing San Diego innovation ecosystem,” said Swartz. “It also cultivates a tradition of giving back to the community as students graduate and enter their careers.” DD Studio has developed products for a range of industries, including flu testing kits for Quidel, ophthalmology devices for Zeiss and Ophthonix, satellite receivers for DirecTV and TiVo and surgical tools for Baxter and Alphatec Spine. It also developed a retrofit showerhead for Moen.

Sale of Businesses Down in County

The sale of small and mid-sized businesses in San Diego County last year totaled 1,150 — a decline from sales of 1,401 in 2009, according to the BizBen.com Index. Statewide, the number of closed business deals totaled 13,329 — a 6.6 percent drop from the 14,277 business sales in 2009.

Southwestern College Selects Interim Superintendent

Denise Whittaker, a veteran administrator in the California community college system, has been selected interim superintendent/president of Southwestern College in Chula Vista. Whittaker was selected by the college governing board Wednesday. She assumes the office left by Raj K. Chopra, who resigned in November. Whittaker has 34 years of experience in  community colleges, including leadership roles at Citrus College, Oxnard College, El Camino College, San Bernardino Valley College and Orange Coast College. She has served as community college president, vice president, dean, faculty and counselor with a particular background and expertise in student services, enrollment management, human resources, grant writing and grants management, community outreach, contract education & economic development, foundation and institutional development. Whittaker also served three years as the vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at Fairmont State University in Fairmont, W.Va. and six years as an educational consultant for the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.

Schubach Aviation Division Gets Helicopter Contract

Hangar One Avionics, a division of San Diego-based Schubach Aviation, has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to equip its new fleet of 14 Eurocopter AS 350 B2 helicopters with state-of-the-art avionics and mission equipment. Equipment that will be installed include a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera system, with live video-feed-down linking capability. With the use of the on-board GPS-based mapping system and multi-band digital radio communications, the aircrew will have the ability to provide real-time support to law enforcement personnel and command operation centers. The newly equipped helicopters will be delivered to the sheriff’s department in February.

Renovated Apartment Complex Opens in San Marcos

Affirmed Housing Group and the city of San Marcos celebrated the grand re-opening of the Sage Point Apartments, a 40-unit complex that was formerly known as Autumn Park. Affirmed partnered with the city in 2008 to rehabilitate the complex, which consists of 31 two-bedroom, one-bath units and nine one-bedroom, one-bath units. Interior improvements included new bathrooms and kitchens, with new Energy Star appliances, countertops, and cabinets; new electrical and plumbing systems; new heating and air conditioning; new paint; new flooring; and new washers and dryers for the complex, plus exterior enhancements. The complex serves lo-income residents. Sage Pointe’s financing partners included Torrey Pines Bank and the city of San Marcos Redevelopment Association. The development team included Affirmed Housing Group, Studio E Architects, general contractor Critical Pointe Construction, civil engineer Masson & Associates and landscape architect Darsono Design.

Credit Union Holds Branch Grand Opening

San Diego County Credit Union will hold a grand opening celebration Saturday at its new branch at 625 College Blvd. in Oceanside. The 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. celebration will feature complimentary refreshments and opportunities to win prizes. Padres reliever Heath Bell is schedule to make an appearance between 11 a.m. and noon.

Small Business Workshops

SCORE San Diego has scheduled January workshops to help small business owners and those interested in starting a small business. Fees range from $29 to $109. For more information, call (619) 557-7272. To register for a workshop online, visit scoresandiego.org.

• Jan. 24 – Professional Selling: Increase Your Business Sales Now! – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Jan. 24 – Insurance: What You Need to Know – 9 a.m. to noon at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).

• Jan. 25 – Introduction to Starting Your Own Business – 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at National University – Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad 92011; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Jan. 26 – Business Plan 201: How to Write a Winning Business Plan – 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $99, $109 at the door).

• Jan. 26 – Good Governance for Nonprofits: Effective Board Performance – 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).

• Jan. 27 – Internet Marketing 302: Develop a Winning E-mail Marketing Success Strategy – 9 a.m. to noon at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).

• Jan. 27 – Financial Statements: What They Mean, How to Use Them – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at National University – Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad 92011; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).

• Jan. 28 – Marketing and Contracting with State and Local Governments – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• Jan. 31 – Intellectual Property: Promise and Practicalities – 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).

The Daily Business Report is produced by REP Publishing Inc., publisher of SD METRO, the North Park News, Kensington News and the West Coast Craftsman. (619) 906-4104.