Your Daily Business Report: Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022
General Atomics opposes new Chinese
agricultural project in Grand Forks, N.D.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., the San Diego manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems, is calling on the U.S. government to halt a new Chinese agricultural project near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.
A Chinese agricultural conglomerate plans to develop a large-scale corn milling plant on 370 acres in Grand Forks, 15 miles from the air base and many established U.S. defense industry operations. Grand Forks has many U.S. defense technology companies, including General Atomics, which uses local airspace to conduct significant test and evaluation efforts related to unmanned aircraft, radar systems, and other advanced military technologies.
The proposed agricultural project represents a major vulnerability for maintaining the necessary secrecy and integrity of classified weapons, communications frequencies, satellite connectivity and many other technologies vital to global security, according to General Atomics.
“Chinese business efforts are inextricably linked with Chinese government efforts,” said company spokesman C. Mark Brinkley. “We can’t ignore the opportunity for sophisticated military espionage to co-locate itself within a Chinese business of such scale and scope. Given the proximity to critical national airspace and sensitive military operations on and around Grand Forks Air Force Base, American leaders should be very, very concerned. I know I am. So, we’ve got to act.”
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or another similar authority must stop the corn mill project, Brinkley said, in view of the security risks it poses.
Top Photo: General Atomics’ Torrey Pines campus (Courtesy General Atomics)
California student debt relief: By the numbers
CalMatters
The number of Californians who are eligible for student debt relief under a plan President Joe Biden announced last month is 3.5 million, according to estimates put out by the White House. Students making less than $125,000 (or joint-filers earning less than $250,000) could qualify for as much as $10,000 in debt relief. Those who received a Pell Grant, a federal program for lower-income college students, could see more — as much as $20,000 — of their debt cleared.
According to the White House estimate, 2.3 million Californians would qualify for that additional level relief — about two-thirds of the total. (State legislative leaders vow to make sure that relief isn’t taxed.) All told, about 9 percent of the state population qualifies for some degree of debt reduction. That’s actually on the low end compared to other states. In Pennsylvania, Georgia and Ohio — which just so happen to be swing states with competitive Senate races this year — the figure sits at about 14 percent.
Navy and Port of San Diego sign
electrification agreement
To further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality and public health on and around the San Diego Bay Working Waterfront, Navy Region Southwest and the Port of San Diego have formed a first-of-its-kind partnership that gives the U.S. Navy access to participate in California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) market. The groundbreaking federal/state initiative will provide millions of dollars for further electrification efforts for both Naval Base San Diego and the Port of San Diego.
Navy and Port officials, joined by state and local partners, formalized the collaboration by signing an Intergovernmental Support Agreement and celebrated this first-of-its kind partnership and its multiple environmental and public health benefits for local communities, the region, and the state.
New book, ‘Fassionola,’ reveals lost history of mysterious cocktail ingredient
Today, little is known about “Passionola,” a passionfruit-flavored cocktail syrup once popular from the 1930s through the 1960s. In a new book from Classic San Diego Books, authors Gregorio Pantoja and Martin S. Lindsay uncover its origins and lost history.
It is a detective work, a culinary and cultural history, a biographical review, and a cookbook all centered around cocktails’ most mysterious ingredient — Passionola — now known generically as “fassionola.”
Developed by a German immigrant druggist and his wife in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, the brand was coined “Passiflora,” then “Passionola” — a passionfruit product originally intended for soda fountains and parlors. After the end of Prohibition, Don the Beachcomber used it in many of his original tropical cocktails.
Thirty years and several scandals later, it was rebranded “Fassionola.”
“Fassionola: The Torrid Story of Cocktails’ Most Mysterious Ingredient” is a full-color, 240-page book featuring new research and over 60 cocktail recipes to be published by Classic San Diego Books.
Ron and Alexis Fowler donate $6.5 million to USD
Ron Fowler, Chairman and CEO of Liquid Investments, Inc. and the former Executive Chairman and co-owner of the San Diego Padres, and his wife Alexis, have made another generous donation to the University of San Diego. Through a series of gifts that now total $6.5 million, the Fowlers’ support will make the University an epicenter for social innovation and entrepreneurship focused on preparing the next generation of changemakers.
The impactful gifts will fund an endowment for The Knauss School of Business’ Fowler Business Concept Challenge, where scholarships are awarded to students whose nascent entrepreneurial ideas have the potential to make a positive impact on the world. The donation will also endow the Kroc School of Peace Studies’ Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge, where students from universities all over the world design and pitch social ventures that seek to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges through innovative solutions.
CaseyGerry promotes Adam Levine to partner
CaseyGerry, San Diego’s oldest plaintiffs’ law firm, has promoted Adam B. Levine to partner. A key member of the firm’s serious personal injury team, Levine focuses his practice on product defect, premises, auto and aviation cases.
He began working for CaseyGerry in 2013 as a law clerk.
Prior to joining CaseyGerry, Levine worked as a federal judicial extern at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California for the Honorable Irma E. Gonzalez, as well as working for the law offices of Levine & Miller.
Prior to that, Levine worked in the field of architecture for 11 years, during which time he became a licensed architect in California.
Levine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in architecture from University of California, Berkeley, a master’s degree in architecture and real estate development from Woodbury University, and a J.D., summa cum laude, from California Western School of Law (CWSL), where he graduated first in his class.
Naval Base San Diego invites public
to celebrate centennial on the waterfront
Naval Base San Diego is hosting an open base event Saturday, Sept. 24 in celebration of its centennial. The event is free and the public can tour ships, see a car show and enjoy a concert and fair-like atmosphere with food, info and merchandise booths and rides. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the south-end of the base, west of Harbor Drive, in National City.
NBSD’s Morale Welfare and Recreation and the Navy Exchange sponsored the entertainment, which includes a concert with Kristian Bush, Cassadee Pope and The Destroyers, courtesy of Navy Band Southwest, a car show, food trucks and rides. MWR partnered with sponsor Verkada, a leader in cloud-based enterprise building security and management, to make this event a reality. MWR will also be hosting multiple events throughout the week to include a 5K the morning of the main event. A complete list of events can be found on the Navy Life Southwest Centennial website.
Access to the event site begins at 9:30am via Gate 9 located at the intersection of Harbor Dr. and 8th St. in National City.
LA Fitness opens in Civita
LA Fitness has opened a new 37,000-square-foot gym in Mission Valley’s Civita community at 2348 Russell Park Way. It is the third business to open in the master-planned community.
The upscale gym features a wide array of functional training equipment, a full weight room, Olympic power squat racks, cycling, an indoor pool, personal training, an infrared sauna, whirlpool and group fitness classes in Zumba, yoga, cycling, and kickboxing. The Kids Klub is available for childcare. The gym is open Monday through Thursday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Founded in Southern California in 1984 and known for innovative amenities and a highly-trained staff, LA Fitness provides fun and effective workout options to family members of all ages and interests.
Solange Jacobs appointed to San Diego
Commission on the Status of Women
Solange Jacobs, chief marketing officer for Arena Analytics, has been appointed to the City of San Diego’s Commission on the Status of Women. Jacobs, along with the other members of the commission, was appointed by Mayor Todd Gloria and confirmed to her position on Tuesday by the San Diego City Council.
Members of the commission serve two consecutive two year terms and are charged with a number of duties, including: finding new ways of promoting awareness of the changing life patterns, opportunities and responsibilities of women today; investigating problems and recommending programs which will provide women in the San Diego area a greater opportunity and ability to pursue alternative life styles without discrimination; advising the mayor and council of the needs and problems of the women in the San Diego area; and suggesting to the mayor and council methods through which any existing inequities in pay and job opportunities between men and women can be alleviated.
Museum of Illusions to open new museum in San Diego
Museum of Illusions, a chain of private museums worldwide, announced plans to open a new museum in San Diego, California in the third quarter of 2023.
The finalized lease agreement is bringing an almost 10,000-square-foot museum to San Diego’s bustling Gaslamp Quarter.
It will feature mentally-stimulating optical illusions, 3D holograms, brain-puzzling exhibits and interactive illusion rooms designed for visitors of all ages to enjoy.
“San Diego is renowned for its rich history, culture, diversity and world-class family attractions, and we could not be more excited to add the truly one-of-a-kind Museum of Illusions experience to this exciting market,” said Jonathan Benjamin, CEO of Museum of Illusions. “Each new location we’re opening through the continued global expansion of the Museum of Illusions brand stands out as unforgettable in its own unique ways, so I can’t wait for people to see what we have in store for San Diego.”
The new Museum of Illusions coming to San Diego will contribute to the brand’s plans of having 100 museums open around the world by the close of 2026.
Geek+’s Marie Peterson and Jing Jin named
winners of Women in Supply Chain awards
Geek+, the global leader in autonomous mobile robots, announced two of its executives have been named as winners of Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s 2022 Women in Supply Chain Awards. International Business Development and Marketing Vice President Marie Peterson, and Geek+ Americas’ Head of Solutions Jing Jin, are recognized as leaders in their field.
Marie Peterson joined Geek+ in 2019 and oversees the company’s international marketing and communications initiatives to support Geek+’s global growth. In her time with Geek+, Peterson has helped the company receive global recognition with over $300 million in orders. Jing Jin started her career as an engineer in warehouse optimization and holds a master of science degree in supply chain management. After joining Geek+, one of her key accomplishments was building and scaling a solutions design department from scratch.
Illumina to host upcoming Investor Day
Illumina Inc. will host its 2022 Investor Day on Monday, Oct. 3 starting at 8 a.m. in San Diego, CA. The event will feature presentations by members of Illumina’s executive team and conclude with a Q&A session. A live webcast of the event can be accessed through the Investor Info section of Illumina’s website at investor.illumina.com. A replay will be posted on Illumina’s website after the event and will be available for at least 30 days following.
BAE Systems delivers key components for
U.S. Air Force EC-37B Compass Call aircraft
BAE Systems has designed, tested, and delivered key components for the U.S. Air Force’s first EC-37B Compass Call aircraft. The delivery paves the way for developmental and operational flight testing of the Baseline 3 configuration of Compass Call in January 2023. Baseline 3 offers additional electronic warfare capabilities. Interim fielding is expected to follow the completion of testing by mid-2024.
Work on Compass Call is being conducted at BAE Systems’ state-of-the-art facilities in San Diego, Nashua, N.H.; and Hudson, N.H.
Compass Call is being redesigned from the current EC-130H airframe model to the enhanced flight performance of a commercial business jet airframe known as the EC-37B. It is the Department of Defense’s only long range, full-spectrum stand-off electronic warfare jamming platform.
RMS North America releases Complete
Campground Marketing Kit
RMS North America, a San Diego-based provider of cloud-based reservation and property management systems to the hospitality industry, has released its Complete Campground Marketing Toolkit. Campground owners and managers will now have access to email templates, a first-time camper guide, an industry report, and actionable insights on current marketing best practices within the comprehensive toolkit.
An estimated 61.3 million households will go camping in 2022, up from 42.9 million just three years ago, according to a recent survey. RMS’ Complete Campground Marketing Toolkit prepares campgrounds and other outdoor properties to capitalize on this influx of campers and maximize potential revenue by reaching and engaging with potential guests.
The full Campground Marketing Toolkit is free to download and can be accessed here.
