Daily Business Report: Friday, Aug. 13, 2021
San Diego County’s agriculture values
top $1.8 billion in latest Crop Report
Agriculture values topped $1.8 billion for the first time since 2014 and just the third time in 30 years in the County of San Diego’s annual Crop Report that covers the 2020 growing season, overcoming decreases in many crop values and reported mixed effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The total value of all agriculture crops and commodities rose just 0.8 percent in the new Crop Report. But that was enough to push total values from $1,795,528,573 in 2019 to $1,810,326,411.
It was the fourth time in the past five Crop Reports that overall agriculture values increased, and the third time since 1990 that total values topped $1.8 billion in San Diego County. Values exceeded $1.8 billion in both 2013 and 2014.
The overall increase in 2020 was boosted by gains from the two largest groups of crops grown in the county — Nursery & Cut Flower Products, which account for 70 percent of all crop values; and Fruit & Nut Crops, which account for 19 percent of all crop values.
Nursery & Cut Flower Products increased 2 percent, from $1.25 billion to $1.27 billion. Fruit & Nut Crops increased 0.7 percent, from roughly $342 million to $344 million.
In novel test, General Atomics’ Avenger drone uses
Lockheed Martin pod to track and follow targets
For the first time ever, over the high desert of Southern California General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) used an Avenger Unmanned Aircraft System equipped with a Lockheed Martin Legion Pod to autonomously track and follow targets of interest. The industry-funded demonstration brings military aviators one step closer to gaining autonomous systems that support manned-unmanned teaming in joint all-domain operations.
During the July 2, 2021 flight, Legion Pod’s infrared search and track system, IRST21, detected multiple fast-moving aircraft operating in the area and fed target tracking information to the Avenger’s autonomy engine. The autonomy prioritized the targets informing Avenger maneuvers for target engagement.
“This flight demonstrates a critical sensor capability that enables unmanned combat air vehicles like the Avenger to operate autonomously in Joint All-Domain Operations,” said Dave Belvin, vice president of sensors and global sustainment at Lockheed Martin. “We designed Legion Pod to passively detect and track targets for tactical fighter pilots in radar-denied environments. This capability provides the data necessary to enable unmanned vehicles to track and engage hostile airborne targets without human intervention.”
Mainstay Medical becomes first biotech firm
to relocate to Downtown San Diego
Mainstay Medical, a Dublin, Ireland-based medical device company, has signed a 23,136- square-foot lease in the Little Italy neighborhood of Downtown San Diego. Mainstay Medical will become the first biotech firm to relocate to Downtown San Diego, according to the company.
Mainstay Medical will occupy space at 2171 India St., part of a project featuring a mix of office, retail and dining tenants. It plans to perform both office and light manufacturing out of this location.
“Mainstay Medical’s new U.S. headquarters in Little Italy was chosen for its European and urban feel, walkable amenities and close proximity to the airport and mass transit,” said Evan Knudson of CBRE. “While San Diego County has long been known for the strength of its biotech and life science industries, these firms have never before entered the Downtown San Diego submarket. Mainstay Medical will be the first of many biotech firms to enjoy all of the amenities that Downtown and Little Italy have to offer.”
Knudson and Michael Peterson of CBRE represented the landlord, H.G. Fenton Company.
Citadel Defense awarded $6 million federal
contract to build counter drone system
San Diego-based Citadel Defense has been awarded a sole source contract for $6 million from a classified U.S. Department of Defense customer to build and deploy an AI-powered counter drone system to autonomously detect, identify, track and defeat hostile drones.
The system will be deployed at sensitive government locations and effectively operated by non-specialist military personnel and first responders.
“Addressing feedback from front line operators and government experts, we’ve worked with strategic partners to develop a highly integrated and scalable solution that counters armed and surveillance UAS compromising national security missions,” said Christopher Williams, CEO of Citadel Defense. “With the incredible support and expertise of our partners, the first set of integrated systems will deploy at multiple locations over the next three months.”
Urban Elevator Service acquires San Diego’s
Guardian Elevator Mechanical Services
Urban Elevator Service, one of the largest independent elevator companies in the United States, announced its acquisition of San Diego-based Guardian Elevator Mechanical Services.
Guardian Elevator is a full-service elevator contractor specializing in installing, modernizing, repairing, and maintaining all types of vertical transportation equipment, and has been serving clients across metropolitan San Diego since 2005. Urban Elevator completed the acquisition through its subsidiary Urban Elevator Service CA.
“We are excited to continue growing our business across Southern California, as we transform Urban Elevator into a truly ‘coast-to-coast’ operation,” said Rene Hertsberg, Urban Elevator’s co-CEO. “Guardian Elevator is well known in San Diego and we look forward to adding Doug Schweizer and the rest of the Guardian Elevator staff to our team.”
The acquisition expands Urban Elevator’s presence in California by adding San Diego as its second operation in the state.
City of San Marcos launches COVID-19
Nonprofit Community Grant Program
The City of San Marcos is debuting a $3 million COVID-19 Nonprofit Community Grant Program aimed at helping essential nonprofits that serve San Marcos residents who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Eligibility to Qualify:
• Be a tax-exempt charitable organization in good standing, as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Focus all or in part on benefiting the lives of San Marcos residents. Applicants will be required to indicate the number of San Marcos residents you intend to serve on the funding application and report participant zip codes, should funding be awarded.
Priority will be given to projects in which participants are economically disadvantaged per HUD’s Qualified Census Tract. However, recipients may also provide these services to other populations, households, or geographic areas disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
City of Carlsbad approves revisions
to its COVID-19 small business loan program
The Carlsbad City Council approved revisions and the extension of terms for its COVID-19 small business loan program, allowing more businesses to access financial assistance when they need it most and to further support loan recipients who have ongoing impacts from state and county health orders.
Carlsbad businesses can apply for one or both types of loans outlined in the city’s $5 million economic recovery and revitalization initiative including:
• Micro-loans — $5,000 to $10,000
• Small business recovery loans — $10,000 to $50,000
Sample Ballot pamphlets go out for recall election
Sample Ballot and Voter Information Pamphlets are on the way to San Diego County’s 1.96 million registered voters for the Sept. 14 California Gubernatorial Recall Election. The Registrar of Voters office says all voters should receive their pamphlets by Aug. 21.
The voter information pamphlet contains information about the recall election and how to cast your ballot. All voters will receive a mail ballot, but voters choosing to vote in person can find their closest voting location listed on the back of the voter information pamphlet. Voters can also see their pamphlet online.
Voters who want to be among the first to see their pamphlet every election can sign up to receive all future pamphlets electronically. Voters who take this option will no longer receive a paper copy of the pamphlet in the mail but will get an email notification when the pamphlet becomes available online.
To learn more about voting in the gubernatorial recall election, visit sdvote.com or call (858) 565-5800.
ArtsBusXpress receives $25,000 from The Parker Foundation
ArtsBusXpress (ABX), which provides on-site and virtual field trip experiences for San Diego County K-12 students to scores of local arts and science venues, has received a $25,000 grant from The Parker Foundation.
The grant will be used to acquire professional staff members, according to Ted Peña, president of the board of the nonprofit.
ABX has provided more than 200,000 students “a ride to the arts and sciences” since its inception. The program is available to more than 530,000 children in the 42 school districts in San Diego County. Many of the field trips are wholly or substantially underwritten by donations to ArtsBusXpress.
Longfellow K-8 Spanish Immersion School
breaks ground for new learning garden
Longfellow K-8 Spanish Immersion School has broken ground for a new learning garden, intended to be a learning resource for the students as well as for the community of Bay Park. The garden was made possible through the collaborative effort of the Legacy Team of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), San Diego Chapter, the ACE Mentor San Diego program, and the Garden Committee at Longfellow Elementary.
The goal of the Legacy Team’s Project is to use its resources to best assist the Garden Committee in their efforts to grow their student garden and best accommodate a space for learning and nourishment.
ASLA introduced the Legacy Project in 2008, which seeks to promote positive change in the host city of the annual national conference. The host chapter teams up with the local affiliate of the ACE Mentor Program to design a project to be installed after the meeting.
SDG&E urges public to call 811 to get
utilities marked before digging
With construction and landscaping activities causing hundreds of natural gas line breaks and emergencies each year in the region, San Diego Gas & Electric is urging the public to call the free 811 DigAlert service to get underground utilities marked before digging.
Underground utilities, including natural gas pipelines, underground electric lines, telephone cables and water lines, are located everywhere, including under streets, sidewalks and private property, sometimes just inches below the surface.
“Not calling 811 before digging puts you, your neighbors, emergency responders and many others at risk,” said Patrick Kinsella, SDG&E’s director of gas operations. “Doing the right thing and getting underground lines marked ahead of your project not only helps prevent injuries but also property damage, fires, costly repairs and fines.”
Anyone can submit a request to have underground utility lines marked by calling 811, visiting DigAlert.org or using the 811-app.
