Daily Business Report-Feb. 15 2018
San Diego defense contractor General Atomics’ digital stations, like this advanced cockpit, support direct, real-time control of Predator/Gray Eagle-series aircraft. (Photo courtesy of General Atomics)
San Diego’s $25.2 Billion Defense Economy
Threatened by Uncertainty Over Federal Budget
Defense-related spending contributed $25.2 billion to San Diego’s regional economy in 2017, but uncertainty surrounding the federal defense budget poses a potential threat to the area’s network of defense contractors, according to a report released Wednesday by the San Diego Regional EDC.
“While fluctuations in defense spending can be reasonably expected from one year to the next, any significant reductions in the federal defense budget could potentially pose a serious threat to local contractors,” the report said.
“Because of this, it is imperative to the health and vitality of the regional economy to not only understand the needs and challenges encountered by local frms, but to also provide opportunities for commercialization and expansion into other, non-defense related markets.”
The report, “Mapping San Diego’s Defense Ecosystem,” said that more than $9 billion of the total spending came from defense contracts procured by private firms, making San Diego the second largest recipient of defense procurement dollars nationwide.
The report said there are more than 5,600 defense contractors connected to the region’s defense cluster. The overwhelming majority are small businesses in the manufacturing and professional, scientifc, and technical service sectors which, together, account for 81 percent of all defense-specific contractor employment.
Key findings of the report:
- San Diego is the second largest recipient of defense procurement dollars, contracting more than 5,600 firms and 62,000 employees.
- A strong network of suppliers and access to customers are key reasons that 71percent of firms have a favorable view of San Diego as a place to do business.
- Defense contractor jobs have grown 6.3 percent over the last three years, and are expected to grow another 9.3 percent over the next year.
- Skilled workers are in high demand but a majority of employers have difficulty finding qualified applicants.
- Most defense contractors already focus on their non-defense business, and 83 percent are interested in growing their commercial portfolio.
The full report is available online. Click here
_____________________
Salk and UC San Diego Scientists Receive
$1.5 Million to Study Firefighter Health
Salk Institute and University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers have been awarded a $1.5 million grant by the Department of Homeland Security for a three-year study to see whether restricting food intake to a 10-hour window can improve firefighters’ well-being.
“Firefighters seem invincible to us, but they are actually at high risk for many chronic diseases because of how shift work disrupts the body’s natural rhythms,” says Satchidananda Panda, a professor in Salk’s Regulatory Biology Laboratory and co–principal investigator of the new study. “We want to understand if we can counter some of the disruption with simple changes not only to what firefighters eat but also when they eat.”
Panda, whose laboratory studies the molecular bases of circadian timekeeping in mammals, previously found that restricting the access of lab mice to food for 8–10 hours a day resulted in slimmer, healthier animals compared to mice that ate the same number of calories around the clock. Preliminary studies in humans suggest similar health benefits of such “time-restricted eating,” which does not change the quality or quantity of food, just the time period in which it is consumed.
The study will be a close collaboration between Salk, UC San Diego and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, which has a robust wellness program.
_____________________
UC San Diego Bioengineering Student
Wins Winston Churchill Scholarship
Aswini Krishnan, a fourth-year bioengineering major at UC San Diego, has been awarded a Winston Churchill Scholarship, one of the most prestigious and competitive awards available to American students pursuing science, mathematics and engineering fields. The award provides one year of funding to pursue a master’s degree at Winston Churchill College at the University of Cambridge. Krishnan is the fourth UC San Diego student to receive the award since the program’s inception in 1963.
The UC San Diego senior is one of just 15 students from the U.S. selected for the prize, which recognizes undergraduates for their research talent and potential to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in science, math and engineering. The scholarship provides $50,000 to $60,000 to cover the cost of university tuition, a living stipend and travel expenses.
For her master’s program, Krishnan will pursue basic science research in biochemistry under the supervision of Nobel Prize-winning biologist Venki Ramakrishnan. Specifically, her work will focus on the study of ribosomal structures and translational mechanisms, which govern how cells produce proteins. Ultimately, she plans to become a physician-scientist, contributing to the medical field through both patient care and scientific research.
_____________________
BNBuilders Selected to Build New
Office Building in Rancho Bernardo
BNBuilders has been selected to construct Drawbridge Realty’s new Class A office building with surface parking and a parking structure on an adjacent site in Rancho Bernardo.
The project has two components: a new, three-story research and development office building with 4/1000 surface parking, and an adjacent parking structure to serve existing buildings. The 80,720-square-foot R&D building will be constructed with the concrete tilt-up method, and will feature a glass curtain wall to maximize views of the outdoors. On an adjacent property, BNBuilders will also construct a five-level 92,223-square-foot parking garage to accommodate 269 parking spaces.
Construction on the parking garage and the R&D building is expected in this quarter.
The property is being developed by Drawbridge Realty, a privately held real estate investment company headquartered in San Francisco, and designed by San Diego-based Pacific Cornerstone Architects (PCA).
_____________________
Burnham-Moores Center to Present
22nd Annual Real Estate Conference
The Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate will host its 22nd annual Real Estate Conference on March 1 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront in Downtown San Diego. Featured speakers are Hamid Moghadam, chairman and CEO of Prologis; Yehudi “Gaf” Gaffen, CEO of Gafcon Inc.; and Mitch Roschelle, partner and real estate advisory leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate will offer two breakout session options for conference attendees. The first will feature Jennifer Hernandez, partner with Holland & Knight. Her session is titled “CEQA and the California Housing Crisis: Moving Past CEQA Reform Gridlock.” The second will feature Norm Miller, Hahn Chair of Real Estate Finance at the Burnham-Moores Center at the University of San Diego School of Business. Miller’s session is titled “Blurred Lines, Disruptions and the Future of Real Estate.”
Conference hours are 7 a.m. to noon.
_____________________
Port’s Harbor Police Dive Team Travels
to Philippines to Train Local Divers
Members of the Port of San Diego Harbor Police dive team have returned from a training mission to Anilao Batangas, Philippines where they shared their expertise in underwater crime scene investigations with federal and local maritime law enforcement agencies. The training mission, from Jan. 12-27, 2018, was made possible through a partnership established by Harbor Police in 2015 with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
During the assignment, Harbor Police officers led underwater exercises involving skills such as how to tag and recover evidence and victim recovery. This was the Harbor Police dive team’s second visit to the Philippines. In July 2017, they led a workshop to develop the curriculum for this training effort.
“It was an honor to be asked by INL to participate in this mission to strengthen and develop training for underwater searches and disaster incidents in the Philippines,” said Lt. Jeff Geary, Harbor Police, who led a five-member team on the mission. “As a dive team, it was extremely rewarding to share best practices with our overseas counterparts.”
_____________________
Personnel Announcements
Environmental Law Group Hires Jana Mickova Will
Jana Mickova Will has joined Environmental Law Group LLP. Will has practiced law in San Diego for nearly 20 years.
Will’s practice is focused on land use, environmental, and public agency law. She has extensive expertise in land use litigation and appeal, environmental compliance, and entitlement approval.
While serving over a decade as a deputy city attorney for the city of San Diego in land use, Will successfully handled many high-profile development projects involving the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Coastal Act, Subdivision Map Act, Mitigation Fee Act, California Public Records Act, and the San Diego Land Development Code, attaining several published Court of Appeal decisions.
Will received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. She is fluent in Czech.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jana to the team,” said Suzanne Varco, managing partner of Environmental Law Group. “Her extensive experience in environmental law complements our existing services while expanding the expertise we can provide to our clients.”
_____________________
Thomas Clark Joins Taylor Design as Senior Project Manager
Taylor Design, an employee-owned architectural, interior design and strategies firm, has expanded its San Diego team with the addition of Thomas Clark as senior project manager. Clark brings extensive experience in the education market to his role at Taylor Design.
Clark joins the firm from Gafcon, where he was a project manager for Palomar Community College responsible for construction management and facilities support. He also served as design project manager for RQ Construction LLC., where he handled design-build for USMC facilities at Camp LeJeune, N.C. and a tactical operations facility at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., among others. Prior to that, Clark ran his own architectural consulting business specializing in design and planning services for various educational facilities.
Clark’s background also includes roles as executive director of facilities and planning with the San Marcos Unified School District, and senior project manager with San Diego Unified School District. Clark currently serves as a community planning board member for Rancho Peñasquitos and is former chair of the Palomar Community College Prop M Bond Oversight Committee.
_____________________
Peter Silva Reappointed to California Fish and Game Commission
Gov. Jerry Brown has reappointed Peter Silva, 65, of Jamul, to the California Fish and Game Commission, where he has served since 2016. Silva has been president and chief executive officer at Silva-Silva International since 2011. He was assistant administrator for water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2009 to 2011, senior policy adviser at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California from 2005 to 2009 and a member of the State Water Resources Control Board from 2000 to 2005.
Silva was deputy general manager at the Border Environment Cooperation Commission from 1997 to 2000 and served in several positions at the city of San Diego Utilities Department from 1987 to 1997, including deputy director for water utilities, assistant deputy director for the clean water program and civil engineer. He was a resident engineer at the International Boundary and Water Commission from 1983 to 1987. The position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Silva is a Democrat.
