Daily Business Report-March 29, 2018
State Treasurer John Chiang, right, meets with Mark Cafferty, president and CEO of San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, at Wednesday’s introduction of the California Business Incentives Gateway. (Photo: John Wark, California State Treasurer’s Office)
State Treasurer John Chiang Introduces
Business Incentives Gateway Platform
California State Treasurer John Chiang on Wednesday introduced CBIG.ca.gov — the California Business Incentives Gateway — an online platform that connects business owners and entrepreneurs to incentives such as tax credits, loans and bond financing to help them grow and create jobs.
“Instead of connecting people with products or services, we will be connecting local mom-and-pops and multinational corporations to economic incentives, permitting assistance, and employee training that can help them grow and prosper,” said Chiang.
The Treasurer provided his in-depth look at CBIG at the University Club atop Symphony Towers. The launch event is part of a multi-city tour across the state to engage with local businesses, demonstrate CBIG’s easy-to-use interface and show local businesses that they should make the platform an important part of their business planning.
“The majority of companies in San Diego, as is true of most of the state, are small businesses. For the first time, these businesses will have easy access to the hundreds of incentives offered by counties, cities and municipalities in the San Diego region as well as state and federal incentives that, up until now, have been a challenge for small businesses to know about,” Chiang said.
CBIG features such incentives as: sales tax exclusions; training grants; fee waivers; permit assistance; reduced utility rates; and employee recruitment.
Chiang said CBIG makes it simple for local, state and federal government agencies to post an incentive. Its user interface makes searching and applying for incentives akin to state-of-the-art online shopping experiences. Businesses can search by location or industry to find the most advantageous opportunities.
Currently, a San Diego business owner can access more than a dozen incentives provided by the city of San Diego and state and federal agencies.
Already, 84 federal, state, and local government agencies are offering nearly 340 incentives on CBIG. Another 50 public agencies — associated with hundreds of additional economic incentives — have registered and are in various stages of listing their offerings on the new online platform.
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Feds Extend Funding for Nuclear Fusion Project,
General Atomics Breathes Sigh of Relief
After months of doubt, the federal government has agreed to boost 2018 funding for the U.S. share of the world’s largest and most ambitious nuclear fusion project. That means what may be the endeavor’s most important piece — a massive magnet being assembled by San Diego-based General Atomics — will continue this year without interruption.
A small portion of the enormous omnibus spending bill passed by Congress and signed into law last week by President Donald Trump included $122 million for the U.S. contribution to the ITER Project, short for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor.
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Otay Mesa’s Empire Centre Sells for $13.675 Million
The 132,661-square-foot Empire Centre in Otay Mesa has sold for $13.675 million. National investor TA Realty of Newport Beach acquired the two-building, multi-tenant warehouse/distribution facility from Kavenish LTD. The Class A project was approximately 95 percent leased at time of sale.
Empire Centre consists of two Class A distribution/warehouse buildings located at 7880 and 7920 Airway Road. The property features a variety of bay sizes, 24-foot clear height, grade and dock-high loading doors, sprinkler systems, and a concrete truck court.
Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller.
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Change of Command Ceremony Friday
for Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One
Capt. Matthew McGonigle will relieve Capt. Jordy Harrison as commander of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One during a change of command ceremony at Naval Base San Diego on Friday. Vice Adm. Rich Brown, commander, Naval Surface Forces, will be the guest speaker for the event.
Harrison, a native of Columbia, Md., has served as commander since Sept. 2016. During his tenure, he oversaw the training, maintenance, manning and certification of 21 crews and 11 ships. Harrison’s next assignment is with commander of Naval Surface Force Pacific.
McGonigle is a native of Tunersville, N.J. and his previous sea duty assignments include duty aboard tank landing ships, frigates and destroyers. He served as communications officer, combat information center officer and as the electronics repair officer aboard USS Bristol County; ordnance officer on USS Lewis B. Puller; chief engineer on USS Wadsworth; executive officer on USS Preble; chief of staff for Destroyer Squadron One; and commanding officer on USS Pinckney.
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CSUSM to Celebrate Prestigious
All-Steinway School Designation
California State University San Marcos will join a select group of colleges and universities in the world when it receives the designation of All-Steinway School in a ceremony on Monday, April 9. The All-Steinway celebration begins at 6 p.m. and includes a presentation of the designation by Steinway representative Robert Snyder and a performance on the University’s new Steinway D Concert Grand piano by Dr. Ching-Ming Cheng, a CSUSM associate professor of music and a renowned classical pianist.
The April 9 celebration is free and open to the public, but tickets must be reserved in advance due to space limitations. Tickets can be reserved online.
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Local Universities Compete in NAIOP
San Diego’s 2018 University Challenge
NAIOP San Diego, the commercial real estate development association, will host its eighth annual University Challenge on April 25. Student teams from San Diego State University’s Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate, UC San Diego’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning and University of San Diego’s Burnham Moores Center for Real Estate will compete head-to-head in a real estate competition to present the highest and best use for a proposed mix-use redevelopment site in San Diego.
Potential issues to be addressed may include financing, transit-oriented possibilities, sustainable development, traffic patterns, community impact and feasibility.
University Challenge entries will be judged by San Diego real estate luminaries Nelson Ackerly of Kilroy Realty, Ben Badiee of Badiee Development, Dennis Cruzan of CRUZAN, Dan Feldman of Sunroad Enterprises, Kevin Heinly of Gensler, Kelly Moden of Murfey Company, Mike Paris of U.S. Bank, Nick Psyllos of HFF, Adam Robinson of RAF Pacifica Group, Steve Scott of Cisterra, Marco Sessa of Sudberry Properties and Chris Wood of Ryan Companies.
The event will be at 4:15 p.m. at Paseo Del Mar, 12265 Camino Real, San Diego 92130. Cost is $20 for members, $40 for nonmembers and $10 for students. Attendees may register and pay online. Click here.
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Former U.S. Attorney General to Keynote
Lawyers Club’s Annual Dinner June 7
Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch will be the keynote speaker at the Lawyers Club of San Diego’s annual Dinner June 7, where she will receive the Lawyers Club Icon Award. The Icon Award is in recognition of “exceptional achievement by individuals furthering the advancement of women in the law and in society,” and to honor those who share Lawyers Club’s values of justice, inclusion and progress.
Lynch was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Attorney General in 2015. She was the first African-American female Attorney General and only the second woman to be confirmed to the post. Prior to her appointment, Lynch served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as in private practice.
The annual dinner will be at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, 333 W. Harbor Drive, Downtown San Diego. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., and the dinner and program are set for 6:30-8 p.m. Tickets are now on sale for both Lawyers Club members and the general public.
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San Diego Zoo Unveils 27-Foot Bronze Lion
Visitors to Balboa Park got a monumental surprise Sunday when the San Diego Zoo unveiled a more than 27-foot-tall bronze lion at the Zoo’s entrance. Crowds cheered and “roared” as zoo officials welcomed the newly created statue that was designed in honor of Rex, the lion that inspired the creation of the Zoo in 1916. Rex was funded through a generous donation from brothers Craigar and Mark Grosvenor, philanthropists and longtime San Diego Zoo supporters.
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Personnel Announcements
Raul Carmona Joins Colliers International
Raul Carmona has joined Colliers International San Diego Region as a vice president specializing in industrial property sales and leasing in Otay Mesa, Tijuana, Mexicali and Baja California. He will be based in Colliers International’s UTC office.
Originally from Tijuana, Carmona holds more than 30 years of cross-border manufacturing plant management and property brokerage experience. He served as the director of economic development for the city of Tijuana and was most recently affiliated with Vesta Industrial Real Estate. He is actively involved with the Western Maquiladora Trade Association and American Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
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Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek Law Firm
Announces New Leadership Roles
The San Diego-based law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek has announced that Reginald “Reg” Vitek has assumed the role of chairman of the firm; Gregory A. Vega is now the firm’s litigation department chair; and Sandra Joan Morris is the firm’s new leader of the Family Law Practice.
Robert Caplan will continue in his role as president of the firm, Brian Seltzer will continue as the firm’s chief operating officer and David Dorne will continue as chair of the firm’s Business Department.
The new leadership roles are related to the retirement of Gerald McMahon, who leaves the firm after 54 years.
Vitek practices in the area of complex business litigation. He also has considerable experience in defense of professional liability claims against lawyers and is certified by the State Bar of California as a Legal Malpractice Specialist.
Vega’s practice focuses on business litigation, white-collar criminal defense, cross-border international transactions and advising corporate clients in regulated industries. He is the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California and a founding member of the newly-established national Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration.
Morris is recognized as a preeminent family law attorney throughout the U.S. She has extensive experience in a broad range of family law issues, both as a counselor and litigator, as well as extensive training and experience in mediation, collaborative law, arbitration and settlement negotiation. She is a past national president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
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Gubernatorial Appointments
Cali Brown Named Deputy First Dog
Cali Brown, 2 months, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy First Dog in the Office of Gov. Jerry Brown. Born on Jan. 26, 2018 in Herald, Calif., to Standard Poodle mother Bailey and Border Collie father Murphy. Cali, a Bordoodle, is without a doubt the pick of her 13-puppy litter. Cali has spent the past two months learning the ropes from a family of ranch dogs and has already shown promise in her engagement with horses, donkeys, goats, sheep and chickens. As Deputy First Dog and the newest member of the Brown family, Cali will assist First Dog Colusa Brown in herding staff at the State Capitol and will lend a paw around the family ranch in Colusa County. She will begin intensive on-the-job training with the First Dog effective immediately. This position does not require Senate confirmation – though the Deputy First Dog will gladly appear almost anywhere there are treats – and the compensation is per diem belly rubs. Cali is a Doggocrat.
