Daily Business Report-Sept. 25, 2014
Above: the Viejas Hotel adjacent to the Viejas Casino. The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians received permission to build a second hotel on the site.
Viejas Casino Gets Thumbs Up
For New Hotel Tower and Gaming
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a deal with the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians Wednesday to allow the tribe to build a second hotel tower and an additional gaming area at the Viejas Casino in Alpine.
The agreement clears the way for a six-story, 128-room hotel tower that will feature a 16,500-square-foot gaming area to replace the roughly 20,000 square feet of gaming that was removed two years ago during construction of a hotel on the Viejas Reservation, adjacent to the casino, according to the county.
“I want to particularly recognize and applaud the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians for their efforts and dedication to work with the county and the community of Alpine to mitigate impacts from developments of the reservation,” board Chairwoman Dianne Jacob said.
The tribe will be required to make a one-time $150,000 payment to the county to offset impacts to off-reservation lands. Jacob said the funds will go toward a safety analysis of Willows Road, on which the casino sits, and a yet- to-be-determined project in the Alpine community.
The new version of the Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement includes mitigating measures for groundwater resources, like using low-water landscaping in areas not irrigated by water reclaimed by wastewater treatment facilities, along with directives regarding light pollution, air quality and fire protection.
— City News Service
Fairway Corporate Center Sold for $23.6 Million
CARLSBAD — Fairway Corporate Center, a two-building, Class A office project at 5540 and 5541 Fermi Court has been purchased by Los Angeles-based Regent Properties for $23.6 million. The seller was Fermit Court LP, the entity for Greene Properties. It was Regent’s seventh building purchase in the area.
The entire project consists of 115,414 square feet and is 70 percent leased. TaylorMade-adidas Golf occupies 5540 Fermi Court in its entirety and serves as its corporate headquarters. 5541 Fermi Court is also occupied by TaylorMade as well as Hartford Life. Built in 1999, Fairway Corporate Center is located in Carlsbad Research Center, a master-planned business community that is home to manufacturing and technology companies.
Cassidy Turley was the broker in the sale.
National Manufacturing Day Event
San Diego Regional EDC will host an Oct. 3 breakfast program as part of the observance of National Manufacturing Day. The program aims to change perceptions about the evolving industry by inviting the public to check out some of the manufacturing companies in the region. Throughout the day, the public can sign up to tour San Diego companies.
The kickoff breakfast will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the San Diego Central Library. Speakers will include Congressman Scott Peters and Mayor Kevin Faulconer. Panelists talking about opportunities and challenges facing the industry include Bob Cassidy (ViaSat), Kevin Graney (General Dynamics NASSCO), Dave Klimkiewicz (Sector 9), Carlos Nunez (CareFusion), and Guillermo Romero (3D Robotics).
For tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/san-diego-manufacturing-day-breakfast-tickets-11095108769.
Rubio’s to Redesign 60 California Restaurants
Rubio’s Restaurants says it will redesign 60 of its California-based restaurant by the end of 2015 and will redesign more restaurants in 2016 to reflect the chain’s evolution and culinary expression.
Greg Semos, senior vice president of real estate, said the 60 restaurants will be redesigned in the manner of the test restaurant in Carmel Mountain Ranch. “Not only did sales improved noticeably there,” he said, “but hundreds of guests were surveyed and provided us with overwhelmingly positive feedback related to the design, décor, color scheme and overall ambiance.”
The restaurant redesigns draw inspiration from the sea and feature elements and aesthetics reminiscent of the beach. Hues of cobalt, green, indigo and sand sparkle throughout the restaurant and patio with shimmering blue tiles that guide guests to Rubio’s signature salsa bar. Descriptive wall panels that depict Rubio’s history greet guests as they enter. Artwork showing the brand’s recipes and key ingredients are spread throughout the restaurant. Modern pendant lighting illuminates natural wood found throughout the restaurant and community seating while multi-colored chairs evoke thoughts of coral and sea shapes.
Rubio’s will also be opening seven new locations by the end of 2015 and updating its name and logo to reflect its evolution. Wanting to represent its vast coastal cuisine menu, Rubio’s will now include Coastal Grill in its logo.
Known originally for its fish tacos, Rubio’s uses sustainable seafood in nearly all of its seafood dishes and continues to expand its menu with recipes ranging from sustainable shrimp to Atlantic salmon. It also offers fresh salads, grilled marinated chicken and steak, no fried pinto beans, handmade guacamole, a variety of proprietary salsas, and craft beer and sangria to complement meals.
Builder Fee Proposal Clears Council Panel
Nine months after a business-led referendum campaign blocked sharp hikes in the fees San Diego developers contribute to affordable housing, a City Council committee on Wednesday forwarded a much smaller set of fee increases to the full council for possible approval. Wednesday’s proposal, which supporters described as a hard-fought compromise between business leaders and housing advocates, would double the so-called “linkage” fees instead of increasing them by as much as five times, as the more ambitious proposal would have done.
Other elements of compromise in the new plan include exempting developers of manufacturing facilities, warehouses and nonprofit hospitals from paying any fees. Developers of research and science-related projects would still pay fees, but they would be exempt from the proposed increase.
Debate over the fees has focused on the need to reduce San Diego’s severe housing shortage, which has been estimated at 45,000 units, while not raising the fees so sharply that businesses flee to other cities or out of state.
The latest proposal, which was created jointly by the San Diego Housing Commission and a group of business leaders called the Jobs Coalition, would increase the linkage fees’ annual yield from $2.2 million to an estimated $3.7 million and allow construction of 37 affordable housing units per year instead of 22.
— U-T San Diego
BIO Creates New Award to Honor Women
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) announced the creation of the BIO Rosalind Franklin Award for Leadership in Industrial Biotechnology to be presented to an outstanding woman in the industrial biotechnology sector who has made significant contributions to the advancement of the biobased economy and biotech innovation. The inaugural award will be presented at this year’s Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotech & Bioenergy, to be held Dec. 7-9 in San Diego.
The award is meant to honor the unique achievements of Rosalind Franklin and her contributions to the field of biotechnology and to recognize the modern achievements of women currently excelling in the industrial biotech space. “A renowned chemist, Rosalind Franklin achieved milestones in her field including a significant contribution to the discovery of the structure of DNA.
At an early age, Franklin studied advanced levels of physics and chemistry, especially so for a woman at that time. In 1945, she earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Cambridge University. It was Rosalind Franklin who conceived and captured “Photograph 51” of the “B” form of DNA in 1952 while at King’s College in London. It is this photograph, acquired through 100 hours of X-ray exposure from a machine Franklin herself refined, that revealed the structure of DNA.
Those interested in submitting a nomination for this Award will be able to do so through Oct. 16 at www.bio.org.
Connect Announces Finalists for
Most Innovative New Product Awards
Connect has announced finalists for its 2014 Most Innovative New Product Awards. The awards, which honor products launched within the last year, will be presented on Dec. 4.
Click here for a list of the finalists.
Piggyback Technologies Launches
New Crowd Shipping Mobile App
Piggyback Technologies Inc., a crowd shipping mobile application that enables users to find available drivers that are willing to pick up and deliver personal or commercial goods, has officially launched its mobile application on Android this month. The CEO of a customs brokerage firm, John Renison founded Piggyback in 2012 when he observed a demand for crowd shipping. Piggyback offers same-day delivery of goods — even within the hour, and enables users to locate prescreened drivers to conduct deliveries during already established transit routes.
“The idea of Piggyback is meant for users to ‘piggyback’ on drivers to have goods delivered or picked up en route,” said Renison. “Whether it’s in-store pickup from online purchases to trade show and convention deliveries, Piggyback can transform a pit stop to a pickup/delivery convenience.”
Users can download the Piggyback app for free via the Android market. The app’s iOS launch is scheduled for October. Piggyback is currently accepting new drivers.
Workshop on New Business Tax Credit
The San Diego Regional EDC and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) are hosting an Oct. 13 free workshop on the new California Competes Tax Credit. Small, medium and large businesses are encouraged to attend the tax credit workshop presented by GO-Biz and receive instruction on how to apply for this new tax credit program.
The California Competes Program provides upwards of $151 million in tax credits during this fiscal year for businesses of all sizes that want to expand or relocate to California.
The workshop lasts from 1 to 2 p.m. at the San Diego City College Corporate Education Center auditorium, 1551 C St., San Diego.
Upper Deck Signs Trading Card Deal With
American Hockey League and Players’ Association
CARLSBAD — Upper Deck has agreed to deals with the American Hockey League and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association to become the league’s exclusive official and nationally distributed trading card licensee.
Already the exclusive trading card manufacturer of the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association, Upper Deck will now extend its reach to include AHL hockey cards exclusively as well. In addition, the deal allows Upper Deck to produce AHL trading card games, posters, stickers and figurines.
Upper Deck’s 2013-14 AHL Hockey box set contains a complete set of 100 prospects, including Tomas Jurco, Zach Boychuk, Oscar Klefbom, Mike Hoffman, Nathan Beaulieu, goaltenders Jake Allen, Martin Jones, Tom McCollum, Dustin Tokarski and many other of today’s top prospects. To make the set even more appealing, five Autographed Cards are included in every box.
The next set of 2014-15 Upper Deck AHL Hockey cards will be released in spring 2015 and will feature the next crop of top AHL players, along with more autographs, stickers and new collectible logo patches.
Personnel Moves
Anneke Stender Named TAG Executive V.P.
Anneke Stender has been named executive vice president of TAG, an accounting and software consultancy firm. Stender will oversee TAG’s
Corporate Accounting and Family CFO divisions, including managing a team of client relationship managers, new business development and implementing a strategic plan for the division’s growth into new industries and geographic areas.
Stender joined TAG in 2003 as the company’s corporate controller and was promoted to become a member of the executive management team. In 2007, she developed TAG Family CFO to help with the personal financial affairs of busy CEOs and high-net-worth families with complex accounting and reporting needs. Under her leadership, TAG Family CFO has grown in revenues each year by 25 percent with a high client retention rate, the company said.
Paul Lafrenz Joins Colliers International
Paul Lafrenz is joining Colliers International as senior vice president providing clients consultative brokerage services in the acquisition and disposition of investment and owner/user properties. Lafrenz has 33 years of commercial real estate industry experience from his tenure at CBRE focusing on office, medical, retail, industrial, and NNN investment properties.
He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He is a former U.S. Navy pilot.
Jennifer Skeen Joins Pathway Genomics
Jennifer Skeen has been appointed vice president of clinical operations at Pathway Genomics Corp., a San Diego company that offers genetic
testing services. Skeen has more than 20 years of experience in the molecular diagnostics and biotech industries in both U.S. and international markets. Most recently, Skeen was the laboratory director at Asuragen, where she was responsible for the overall operation and administration of a 70,000 square-foot laboratory. She holds a doctorate in molecular genetics and biochemistry from the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Storybook Ending for Girl Scouts’ Urban Campout
Patti Roscoe and Jim Tiffany recently co-chaired Girl Scouts San Diego’s Urban Campout: Adventures in Wonderland with Council President Todd Gloria, who served as honorary chair. Wells Fargo was the presenting sponsor for the Alice in Wonderland-themed event, at Girl Scouts’ Balboa Park property. Roscoe is dressed as the Chesire Cat, Gloria the Mad Hatter and Jim Tiffany was a Tea Party guest..
“Girl Scouting helps young women develop leadership skills so they can reach their full potential … whether that’s achieving their career goals or becoming leaders in the community,” said Gloria.
During Urban Campout, guests brought in $360,000 to help keep Girl Scouting available and affordable for all girls. Gifts included a $60,000 contribution from Roscoe and Tiffany to help fund a new cabin.
