Daily Business Report — March 14, 2011

Financial Help for Young Adults

In his book, “From Ramen To Riches: Building Wealth in Your 20s,” author James G. Wood teaches young adults how to take control of their personal finances at a young age, and how to pave the road to financial security for the future. “Most young adults don’t have any training on managing their money and are just ‘dropped’ into the working world and are expected to be financially independent,” says Wood. “This is not a recipe for success. This book became a natural extension to my passion for helping promote financial literacy.” Read more of Wood’s lessons in the March issue of SD METRO Magazine and online at sandiegometro.com.

Rockrose Development Wins Environmental Honors

Brookfield Homes’ new home community Rockrose at The Foothills has been named the 2011 recipient of the Environmental Spirit Award by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. The chamber celebrated its 43rd annual Business Awards Dinner Friday at the Park Hyatt Resort Aviara in Carlsbad. Opened one year ago, Rockrose features single-family detached residences that exceed the state’s Title 24 standards for energy efficiency by at least 35 percent. In naming Rockrose its award winner, the chamber commended Brookfield Homes for making “a commitment to more sustainable home building with its first eco-savvy neighborhood, Rockrose at The Foothills of Carlsbad.”  Brookfield is the first homebuilder to receive this award. Every residence at Rockrose incorporates six areas of eco-savvy design, from energy and water conservation to waste reduction, improved indoor air quality, sustainable building materials/wood conservation, and renewable energy/solar power. (Photo: Among the eco-savvy features at Brookfield’s Rockrose model homes are Education Gardens that demonstrate to visitors water-saving irrigation techniques, drought tolerant landscaping, composting, and using garden materials in the home.)

SeaWorld San Diego V.P. Gets Corporate Position

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has promoted Roi Ewell, human resources vice president at SeaWorld San Diego, to corporate vice president for industry and government affairs. In his new role, Ewell will serve as the principal liaison between SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and alliance and trade organizations.  He will be responsible for developing and implementing corporate strategy and alliances with third-parties, including government agencies, industry groups, environmental and conservation organizations, and NGOs.  He will relocate to Washington, D.C. within the next several weeks. Ewell has held a wide variety of corporate and park positions over a career that spans 21 years. He leaves SeaWorld San Diego after nearly a decade leading the park’s human resources operation. Prior to that, he served as senior executive assistant to the chief communications officer of Anheuser-Busch.  SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment was a subsidiary company of A-B until it was acquired by The Blackstone Group in 2009. Ewell started his career at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va., rising to human resources director before joining the corporate H.R. staff in St. Louis.

Is Mission Bay Gross?

San Diego Coastkeeper will educate the public on Mission Bay’s water conditions at a May 12 program titled “Is Mission Bay Gross?” The nonprofit organization said development and uses of the bay has caused many to wonder about its quality and safety. The event will examine Mission Bay’s ecosystem, land use and development history, infrastructure upgrades to improve urban impacts and water quality data. The presentation will include three expert panelists and a celebrity moderator who will each examine different aspects of the bay. The quarterly “Signs of the Tide” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Urban Corps San Diego, 3127 Jefferson St., San Diego. Coastkeeper’s next Signs of the Tide will be on Aug. 9 and will examine “San Diego Bay’s Dirty Little Secret.”   For more information about Signs of the Tide, visit Coastkeeper’s Website at sdcoastkeeper.org.

Serra Mesa Shopping Center Sold

Beverly Hills-based Omninet Capital LLC has purchased the Rancho Serra Mesa Shopping Center in Serra Mesa for $6.7 million from the receiver, Douglas Wilson Cos. — a distressed property sale. Voit Real Estate Services was the broker in the deal. “This investment transaction was unique, as there are few distressed retail properties trading in the central San Diego area,” said Mark Caston, senior vice president of Voit who, along with Tony  O’Neill and Kendrick Askey of Voit, represented the seller. “It’s a tremendous value-add opportunity for the buyer as the recovering retail market will enable it to enhance the center’s value through strategic leasing and repositioning of the asset in a stronger market.” The center, anchored by a CVS Pharmacy, is located on 4.69 acres at 3202-3304 Greyling Drive and 3332 Sandrock Drive.

SCORE San Diego Small Business Workshops:

• March 15 – Hiring and Managing Employees – 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).

• March 17 – California Sales and Use Tax Basics – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).

• March 18 – Women’s Networking Breakfast & Exhibits – 8 to 11 a.m. at Morgan Run Resort & Club (5690 Cancha de Golf, Rancho Santa Fe 92091; Attendees: $30 by March 15, $40 thereafter; Exhibitors: $80 by March 15, $90 thereafter).

• March 19 – Introduction to Starting Your Own Business – 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

• March 19 – 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).

• March 22 – Marketing & Contracting with Federal Government – 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).

• March 24 – 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).

• March 25 – 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).

• March 30 – Business Basics 101 – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at SCORE Entrepreneur Center (550 West C St., #550, San Diego 92101; No charge, please preregister).

• March 30 – How to Start a Nonprofit – 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).

For more information, call (619) 557-7272 or visit score-sandiego.org.

North County:

The Business & Entrepreneur Center and the Small Business Development Center at MiraCosta College will offer free upcoming workshops to help businesses succeed. The workshops will be held at Vista City Hall, 200 Civic Center Drive, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the following dates:

April 5:  Financing Options for Businesses: Direct lenders and the SBA will discuss financing options for a business.

May 3: Ways to Market A Business: Learn to identify the “right” customer for a business and easy ways to market your business to them.

June 7: Marketing A Business Using Google Tools: Learn how to use Google tools such as ad words, ad sense, Google trends and more.

Bring a lunch to the workshops. Drinks will be provided.

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.