Daily Business Report-July 2, 2020

Woman wears a VR headset from SkyLights, one of the firms in the Airport Innovation Lab class. (Photo courtesy of SkyLight)

4th group of innovators welcomed

into Airport Innovation Lab

Companies engaged in 16-week program

Airport-oriented solutions ranging from a smart waste bin to reusable to-go containers will have the opportunity to try out the concept at San Diego International Airport in the Airport Innovation Lab. The fourth group of innovators welcomed into the Lab’s 16-week program is comprised of four companies largely focused on reducing waste and enhancing the passenger experience.

The companies have been participating in a full-virtual program since mid-March and will test their solutions at the airport this the summer.

The Airport Innovation Lab occupies part of the former Commuter Terminal building and provides an opportunity for companies to test their solutions in a controlled environment before they are reviewed and approved to move into a passenger-facing environment. The four companies and their concepts are:

• SkyLights offers clean and safe-to-use VR headsets that provide an immersive entertainment solution for passengers in-flight and in the airport.
• ZeroWaste– no need to know what materials are trash and what is recycling, this smart waste bin, enabled with auto-sorting robotics, accepts waste and grinds it into small pellets and packages the raw sorted material.
• Encora– provides reusable food and beverage containers that utilize software and QR/RFID chips to assist users in depositing containers in a designated smart collection station for on-site cleaning and future use.
• Keko Inc.– provides reusable dishware in a smart and safe package with a contactless pick-up experience.

The companies work throughout the 16-week program to have the opportunity to win a contract from the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the airport’s owner and operator, and/or gain entrée to other airports and analogous businesses including other transportation hubs, convention centers, shopping malls and other large venues such as ballparks, theme parks and hotels.

_________________________________

Brixton Capital acquires San Antonio

property management firm UAG

Solana Beach-based Brixton Capital has acquired property management firm United Apartment Group (UAG), based in San Antonio, Texas, for an undisclosed price.

UAG’s property management portfolio includes approximately 30,000 apartment homes, primarily in the southwest and southeast U.S. The company’s current management team will remain in place.

“Through this acquisition, Brixton Capital will expand our fully integrated platform that includes capital raising, acquisitions and property management,” said Mark Selman, president of Brixton Capital. “We will increase our foothold in the necessity housing market, while current UAG clients will continue to enjoy the same high level of service and leadership.”

Brixton Capital was a longtime UAG customer before the acquisition and new partnership. It is led by a team of commercial real estate experts with an average of more than 25 years of experience.

Brixton currently owns and operates a portfolio valued in excess of $1 billion, representing over 10 million square feet of multifamily, retail, office, industrial and land investments across the United States and Europe.

_________________________________

NASSCO starts construction of fourth

Navy Expeditionary Sea Base

ExecutiveGov

General Dynamics’ National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) has started the assembly of the U.S. Navy’s fourth expeditionary sea base vessel. Expeditionary sea bases function as mobile sea bases and are built to support various missions including special operations and aviation mine countermeasure activities.

Expeditionary sea bases function as mobile sea bases and are built to support various missions including special operations and aviation mine countermeasure activities, the Naval Sea Systems Command said.

ESBs also feature workspaces, ordnance storage, lodging, operating spots for MH-53E helicopters and reconfigurable mission decks that can hold embarked force equipment. The vessels also house updated command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence capacities.

NASSCO received contracts to build ESBs 6 and 7, and the Navy may exercise an option for the assembly of ESB 8 and John Lewis-class replenishment oilers. The service branch commissioned all ESBs to operate as USS warships and conduct a broad range of operations.

_________________________________

City Council approves emergency rental

assistance program for low-income households

 Thousands of San Diego households with low income who have experienced financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be eligible for one-time emergency financial help to pay their rent through a new program the San Diego City Council approved Tuesday, which the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) will administer.

The City of San Diego’s COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program, proposed by Councilman Chris Ward, will provide up to $4,000 per household to help eligible families pay past-due and upcoming rent.

“Our rental assistance program cleared another hurdle today, and in a matter of weeks over $15 million will be directly available to thousands of renters struggling to navigate the financial challenges of the COVID pandemic,” Ward said. “The current $15.1 million is a start to what I hope is continued relief for residents, especially since this program gives us a mechanism to add funds as they become available.”

Approximately 3,500 households could receive emergency rental assistance through the program, if all households received the maximum of $4,000.

_________________________________

General Atomics completes month-long

UAS demonstration for the Army

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced the completion of a month-long demo event that showcased its Gray Eagle Extended Range UAS equipped with a suite of long-range sensors, Air Launched Effects and Scalable Command and Control.

The company collaborated with industry to equip the UAS with best-of-breed long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance payloads and Air Launched Effects. During the demo, the UAS showed a persistent stand-off survivability with stand-in capabilities with up to 40 hours of endurance that Army commanders can use to orchestrate forces in the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) environment.

“We set out on a mission to demonstrate survivability and capability to the U.S. Army through strong industry partnerships in a cost conscious and affordable way,” said David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI. “The goal was to take the Army’s concepts and put the power of industry innovation to work to make them a reality.”

_________________________________

Digital pathology to diagnosis patients debuts

at Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center

For more than a century, the simple light microscope has been the go-to device for pathologists across the United States, enabling them to examine magnified tissue samples on glass slides to diagnose cancer and other diseases.

Now, a new technology introduced at Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center is bringing the pathology lab into the digital age. The center recently became the first health care provider in San Diego County to diagnose a patient’s tissue sample not by peering through a conventional microscope eyepiece, but rather by looking at a high-resolution scan of the tissue on a large computer screen.

The new digital pathology system includes a network of high-definition digital slide scanners, clinical-grade computer monitors and a cloud storage platform, which together are designed to make the process of reviewing and sharing slide images for diagnosis more efficient – and in some cases, faster – than the current method using physical glass slides. The system also is adaptable to incorporate future advances, such as artificial intelligence, to complement pathologists’ diagnostic expertise.

Acquisition of the technology was made possible through a $1 million grant from the E. L. Wiegand Foundation. The new digital pathology program will be known as the E. L. Wiegand Digital Diagnostic Center.

“Now with this technology, we can share a digital file immediately and simultaneously to multiple people with a few quick taps of a computer keyboard,” said Thomas Buchholz, medical director. “This system will also enable us to confer quickly with our partners at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, which is acquiring similar technology.”

_________________________________

Bob Bolinger joins marketing and media

management firm CSB Impact as partner

CerasoliStafford Media Management announced that long-time media executive Bob Bolinger has joined the firm as a new partner. It also reported that the firm will change its name to CerasoliStaffordBolinger, doing business as CSB Impact (www.csbimpact.com).

Bolinger’s career includes executive management roles with major San Diego radio groups, including Entercom, iHeart Media and CBS Radio. His experience includes guiding major advertisers in many categories to build their businesses, including automotive, retail, entertainment, food and beverage, media, sports, banking and health care.

Bolinger also has been deeply involved in community leadership across his career, currently serving on numerous boards including YMCA of San Diego, the San Diego Food Bank, Sharp Health Care, and the SDCCU Holiday Bowl where he is President-Elect.

CSB Impact is a marketing and media management company with offices in San Diego and Indianapolis. The company, founded in 2003 by Bob Cerasoli and Mike Stafford, long-time local advertising and media executives, represents Mission Federal Credit Union, Scripps Health, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego Blood Bank, Fleet Science Center, Decapod and others in the San Diego market. The firm’s roster also includes regional and national clients.

_________________________________

Benjamin Petell promoted to VP of

non-gaming operations for Jamul Casino

Benjamin Petell has been promoted to vice president of non-gaming operations for Jamul Casino. Petell joined Jamul Casino approximately a year ago as its director of food and beverage/retail, overseeing retail and the casino’s seven restaurants. He has worked with the culinary team to reinvent the Jamul Casino restaurant concepts, menus, and operations.

In his new role, Petell will oversee retail, food and beverage, facilities, security, and environmental services.  His focus will be on creating alignment across all departments by emphasizing teamwork, communication, and consistency.

Petell has more than 15 years of experience managing large-scale resort amenities and food and beverage operations. Prior to joining Jamul Casino, he served as the director of beverage at Pechanga Resort Casino. He oversaw a 14-person leadership team and 300 team members for 15 bars, including several nightlife venues, and a theater.

He has also managed operations for a 1,087-room hotel, including beverage, valet, bell desk, concierge, restaurants, bars, and a pool. In this position, his efforts resulted in a six-figure increase in operating income.