Daily Business Report — Oct. 24, 2011
General Dynamics Receives $1 Billion Canadian Contract
The Canada division of General Dynamics, parent company of San Diego’s NASSCO, has been awarded a $1 billion contract by the Canadian government to upgrade the Canadian Army’s fleet of LAV III combat vehicles. The upgrade will modernize 550 vehicles and extending their life span to 2035.
The contract was awarded to General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada. It was announced by Rona Ambrose, minister of public works and government services and minister for status of women, and Julian Fantino, associate minister of national defense. The upgrades represent the latest armoured-vehicle technologies developed by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada’s engineers and its Canada-wide supplier base. Significant work will be performed at General Dynamics’ facilities in London, Ontario, and Edmonton, Alberta, as well as the company’s nationwide network of over 400 Canadian suppliers. All regions of Canada will benefit from this work, which is expected to be completed in 2017.
San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival
Michael Summers, a California native and graduate of San Diego State University, is the featured artist of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival to be held Nov. 16-20 at Embarcadero Marina park North, at the end of Kettner Boulevard, in Downtown. Summers’ playful and rich visual imagery and contemporary West Coast surrealism is a perfect match for this year’s festival, said Michelle Metter, the festival’s co-producer. An original piece of artwork by Summers will serve as the official poster for the eighth annual festival. The painting, titled “A Merry Gathering,” expresses the spontaneous joy and wonder of an intimate and carefully planned dinner party. The artwork helped shape the marketing campaign for this year’s festival, which is a throwback to 1960s America, alluding to the social mores of the time as depicted through a classic wine tasting.
Summers will be present during the Reserve & New Release Tasting and Grand Tasting event to sign copies of the poster and showcase his artwork. He will also serve as emcee at the Celebrity Chef Luncheon & AIWF Big Bottle Live Auction on Nov. 20, where the original piece of artwork will be auctioned off. Summers’ artwork may also be found at Exclusive Collections Fine Art Galleries in Fashion Valley mall, the Gaslamp Quarter or at ecgallery.com.
The festival is an international showcase of the world’s premier wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities and gourmet foods. The event benefits the American Institute of Wine & Food culinary arts scholarship program. More than 800 wines, 40 of San Diego’s dining restaurants, gourmet food companies and exhibitors participated in the 2010 festival. For more information visit worldofwineevents.com or call (619) 342-7337.
Borrego Solar Systems Adds Executives
Borrego Solar Systems Inc., a designer, installer and financier of grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, has hired Clark Thompson as vice president of operations and Ted Walsh as director of project development in the West. Thompson will help manage the company’s portfolio of large-scale projects for commercial, government, industrial and utility customers. Thompson brings 27 years of experience as a commercial electrical contractor. Before focusing strictly on solar power, Thompson spent 10 years as president and CEO of Neal Electric, a San Diego commercial electrical contractors. Walsh will help the company expand into new markets in emerging western regions, such as Arizona and Texas. Walsh comes from a vice president of sales position at SPG Solar, where he directed all commercial project development efforts for the company.
Barona Resort & Casino Adds VP of Finance
Barona Resort & Casino has hired Bruce Lowder as vice president of finance. Lowder has more than 30 years of financial and operation experience, including general manager and executive posts at casinos across the country. Lowder previously worked at a variety of casino properties including Riverboat Casino/Gateway Riverboat Cruises and Ameristar Casino Kansas City and Bullwhackers Casino in Colorado. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University.
Small Business Workshops
SCORE San Diego continues its series of small business workshops. For more information, call (619) 557-7272 or visit score-sandiego.org.
• Oct. 25 Introduction to Starting Your Own Business – 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at National University in Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad 92011; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).
• Oct. 26 Internet Marketing 304: Cost-Effective Internet Marketing Tools 9 a.m. to noon at National University in Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Avenue, San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $49, $59 at the door).
• Oct. 27 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).
• Oct. 28 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).
• Oct. 29 Business Basics 101 9 a.m. to noon at National University in Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad 92011; no charge please pre-register).
• Oct. 31 Financial Statements 9:30 a.m. to noon at National University in Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad 92011; 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 and the West Coast Craftsman. Contact: Manny Cruz (619) 287-1865.
