Daily Business Report-April 5, 2021
San Diego County wineries suffered a 19.6 percent decline in wine sales in 2020
San Diego County wineries realized about $37.1 million in gross sales in 2020, a 19.6 percent decline from an all-time-high of sales reached in 2019 ($46.2 million), according to the 2021 San Diego County Economic Impact of Wineries report. Simultaneously, the number of winerie rose to 150 in the region over the same time.
The report, produced by the San Diego County Vintners Association, also said wine industry jobs saw a slight increase with 720 wine industry jobs in 2020, an increase of 2.6 percent over 2019 and 17.7 percent higher than the 2018 gtotal.
San Diego County vineyards harvested 3,596 tons of wine grapes in 2019, generating a $5.58 million production value, with a sales price of $1,552 per ton, a record amount achieved in the region. The top five varietals grown, cultivated and/or sold in the region were Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.
“Even with challenges from the pandemic, we saw innovative sales strategies among local wineries such as curbside pickup and outside service reservations – demonstrating the innovation and resilience of our wineries in the face of unprecedented times,” says San Diego County Vintners Association President Ed Embly, owner of Hungry Hawk Vineyards in Escondido. “We continue to see the number of wineries grow in the county and a bright future for the industry in our region.”
Photo courtesy of Debbie Gioquindo
Student-driven BrightSide Produce receives national award
BrightSide Produce, a student-driven enterprise within the Fowler College of Business, has been recognized with a 2021 Innovations That Inspire award from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.
BrightSide Produce delivers fresh fruits and vegetables to stores located in underserved communities where residents experience a lack of access, availability and means to purchase healthy food.
“On behalf of myself, the students, and the partners who have contributed to BrightSide Produce’s activities and have supported its efforts, we are honored to be recognized for the work that has gone into the organization and the good it has done for the community,” said SDSU marketing professor Iana Castro, a renowned expert in the area of food retailing.
AACSB International, which sets the standards of excellence for more than 840 accredited business schools worldwide, honored BrightSide Produce for its work in “cultivating a position at the intersection of academia and practice.” Now in its sixth year, the Innovations That Inspire initiative has highlighted more than 160 business school efforts that exemplify forward-looking approaches to education, research, community engagement or outreach, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Bank of Southern California provides $229 million in Paycheck Protection Loans
Bank of Southern California N.A., a commercial bank headquartered in San Diego, reported that as of March 31, 2021, it has funded a total of $229 million in First Draw and Second Draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. These results, which reflect the most recent round of government-allocated PPP funding, provided 1,578 local small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with vital financing.
Bank of Southern California is continuing to receive and process PPP applications for eligible Southern California businesses in accordance with the programs extended deadline of May 31, 2021, made possible by the PPP Extension Act of 2021.
Study says 2 COVID-19 deaths a day could have been avoided in San Diego
Scripps Health data experts have teamed with Columbia University infectious disease modeling scientists to estimate how the number of coronavirus deaths and hospitalizations at Scripps might have been different had a 25-day reopening of businesses not occurred in San Diego County last summer.
The researchers concluded that 45 deaths, or nearly two deaths a day, could have been avoided at Scripps’ five hospital campuses alone had the pandemic restrictions remained in place. These findings mirror recent conclusions by some experts nationally that more lives could have been saved had restrictions been put in place earlier and for a longer period during the pandemic. The findings also validate efforts that help to minimize the spread of the virus, such as wearing masks, practicing social distancing and avoiding large gatherings.
County Library opens digital, audio bookshelves to local students
Thousands of local students in 19 schools and districts have a whole new world of digital and audio books to read and listen to, thanks to the County Library — and they won’t even need a library card.
The County Library has signed on to make its thousands of digital and audio books available to “Sora,” an app used by many school districts for its students and libraries. Because of that, students at the schools and districts — using just their students IDs — can check out the County Library’s wider collection of age-appropriate digital materials.
County Library Director Migell Acosta said the collaboration will give students a lot more to read, whether it’s to borrow educational materials or books for their own personal reading pleasure.
“This collaboration aims to promote literacy and education,” Acosta said, “by providing a wide range of resources to students who don’t have a library card yet but could greatly benefit from the San Diego County Library’s vast collection. We are excited to open up our digital collection to young residents who couldn’t previously take advantage of it.”
Meridian Communities starts pre-sales at Poway Commons
Pre-selling is underway and the first townhomes will be offered for sale in April at Meridian Communities’ Poway Commons, a mixed-use community in the Poway Town Center District. Model homes will open in June and homes will be available for occupancy in late summer.
The community will feature 97 market-rate townhomes and flats by Meridian Communities, 44 affordable apartments for seniors by Chelsea Investment Corporation, and 2.2 acres for future mixed-use. The company is building a civic pocket park in front of the adjacent Poway Library, which is planned to be complete by next spring. Poway Commons spans both the north and south sides of Poway Road, west of Tarascan Drive/Civic Center Drive.
Daniel Rossen joins ICW Group Insurance Companies
ICW Group Insurance Companies, a group of property and casualty carriers, has tapped industry veteran Daniel Rossen as vice president of commercial multi-peril insurance to lead the development and execution of these new lines of business.
Rossen brings more than 30 years of insurance industry experience to ICW Group and is charged with establishing all underwriting direction, appetite and strategy for the new commercial multi-peril unit. Rossen will leverage the company’s top expertise in many classes of business, A.M. Best “A” Rated status and its highly successful workers’ compensation business to build and promote the line, which is targeted for launch in 2021.
Prior to joining ICW Group, Rossen served as a vice president at The Hartford in Chicago leading the Maxum Special Property and E&S binding business. Rossen has a long history of experience leading the strategic direction and deployment of new product lines in the various positions he has held within the insurance sector.
Rossen has a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Cincinnati.
Cushman & Wakefield’s Matt Davis honored as Broker of Year for Commercial Land Sales
Matt Davis, a director with Cushman and Wakefield in San Diego, was recognized as the REALTORS Land Institute’s APEX 2020 National Broker of the Year for Commercial Land Sales. The award recognizes the applicant with the highest qualifying transaction volume in commercial land sales.
Davis was also recognized as an APEX 2020 Top 20 Producer. He received the awards from RLI CEO Aubrie Kobernus, MBA, RCE, as well as The Land Report’s Co-founder Eric O’Keefe on Wednesday, March 17, during RLI’s 2021 Virtual National Land Conference.
Davis is a founding member of Cushman & Wakefield’s Land Advisory Group, a national team of land specialists that work across disciplines to provide creative solutions to clients with land assets.
