Daily Business Report: Monday, Dec. 5, 2022
NASA to provide live coverage
of Artemis I spacecraft return to Earth
NASA’s uncrewed Artemis I spacecraft is expected to splashdown off the coast of San Diego at 9:40 p.m. PST on Sunday, Dec. 11. A ground system recovery team from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, working with the U.S. Navy, will recover the spacecraft. NASA will provide live coverage on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app.
Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration to the Moon and Mars.
Orion began its return trek toward Earth, completing a burn Dec. 1, to exit a lunar orbit thousands of miles beyond the Moon, where engineers have been testing systems to improve understanding of the spacecraft before future missions with astronauts.
NASA will host a STEM event in collaboration with the San Diego Air and Space Museum at 9 a.m. PST on Dec. 11, for students and families to learn about Orion and the science, technology, engineering, and math that ensures the success of the agency’s missions. Participants will be able to, participate in STEM hands on activities, and hear from NASA experts and Department of Education Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten.
Photo: NASA’s uncrewed Orion spacecraft reached a maximum distance of nearly 270,000 miles from Earth during the Artemis I flight test before beginning its journey back toward Earth. Orion captured imagery of the Earth and Moon together.
California’s life science industry
generates $376 billion in economic output
Biocom California, the association representing the California life science industry, released a new report showingCalifornia’s life science industry provides more than 400,000 jobs in the state and generates $376 billion in total economic output. Biocom California’s 2022 Economic Impact Report Databook outlines these and other key findings about the state’s life science industry, including information on economic, demographic, investment and industry performance data. The full report analysis and regional fact sheets are available on the Biocom California website.
Falck San Diego announces $50,000
signing bonuses for newly hired paramedics
Falck, one of the world’s largest providers of emergency services, announced that it has begun offering $50,000 signing bonuses to newly hired paramedics in San Diego amid the nationwide shortage of EMS professionals. “The new paramedics will be reinforcements for our current EMS professionals, who are dedicated to serving San Diego with immediate and professional emergency medical services,” said Jeff Behm, managing director of Falck Mobile Health San Diego.
Falck is also offering a $10,000 bonus to employees who refer new full-time paramedics to work in San Diego. That bonus will be paid out over one year, while the $50,000 bonus for new paramedics will be paid in every regular paycheck over three years.
Ron Rochon to retire as managing
partner of The Miller Hull Partnership;
Colleague Rob Misel to succeed him
After 22 years at The Miller Hull Partnership and 14 years as managing partner, Ron Rochon is retiring, passing the leadership role to colleague and friend, Rob Misel. Despite almost 50 years as a practice, the transition of leadership marks only the third managing partner at Miller Hull, demonstrating the nurturing and consistent leadership style valued by the firm. Ron Rochon officially retires on Dec. 31, 2022. Rob Misel will begin his new leadership position on Jan. 1, 2023.
Since becoming Managing Partner in 2008, Rochon has led with optimism, transparency, and humor, enabling the firm to maintain its character despite more than doubling in size. “Ron has fostered a unique culture of taking our work seriously, but not ourselves. He has brought a great sense of humor to what is traditionally not a very humorous position,” says Sian Roberts, partner at Miller Hull.
Misel will step into the role after 21 years at Miller Hull with a repertoire of large-scale projects such as the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry, C Concourse Expansion at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and the Kitsap County Administration Building
The company has offices in San Diego and Seattle.
100% Norg Snow Goggles wins 2022 ISPO Award
100%, an independent sports brand based in San Diego, announce that the Norg Snow Goggle has won the 2022 ISPO AWARD for Design and Innovation. The Norg is the flagship model in the 2022-23 Snow Goggle Collection, which made its global debut last month. Norg is equipped with 100% proprietary 3DPlane Molded Lens Technology first introduced in 2019 with their revolutionary MX & MTB goggle, the Armega.
100% CEO and Co-founder Ludo Boinnard said, “When we began building our new collection of Snow Goggles over two years ago, we focused on the features that matter most to skiers and snowboarders. It was instantly clear that we would apply to Norg all our experience and innovative technologies such as our revolutionary 3DPlane Molded Lens Technology coupled with HiPER® Lens Filtration & Ultra HD Lens Clarity.
Airport celebrates a decade of nonstop
service to Tokyo with Japan Airlines
San Diego International Airport and Japan Airlines are celebrating 10 years of service to Asia. The airline’s first flight from San Diego to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport was on Dec. 2, 2012. JAL began service with four flights weekly and grew to offer daily service up until the COVID-19 pandemic, when flights were suspended in March 2020. JAL was the first airline to resume trans-Oceanic service restoring San Diego – Tokyo service in March 2021 with three flights weekly.
Since then, service has grown to four flights weekly. Currently, Japan Airlines operates the San Diego – Tokyo (Narita) nonstop flights with Boeing 787 aircraft in a two-class configuration including lie-flat seating in JAL Business Class and award-winning JAL SKY WIDER seats in economy. The airline has served more than 850,000 passengers at San Diego International Airport.
Golden Door acquires Newland Sierra property
Golden Door announced its acquisition of a 1,988-acre San Marcos property that will be focused on environmental stewardship efforts in North County. Purchase of the rural site known as “Newland Sierra” ensures that the critical open space, wildlife and precious habitat areas of the property will be protected for generations to come. The property purchase was completed in November 2022. The Golden Door’s immediate goal is to begin the process of selecting a highly qualified land stewardship organization to help care for the critical open space, wildlife and habitat areas of this property consistent with Golden Door’s commitment to sustainability and climate action.
Guild Mortgage acquires Wisconsin mortgage company
San Diego-based Guild Mortgage has acquired Inlanta Mortgage Inc., a Wisconsin-based independent lender serving borrowers in 27 states. Mary Ann McGarry, Guild CEO, said the acquisition is part of the company’s plan to grow both in existing markets and by entering new ones with selective acquisitions. Financial terms were not disclosed.
New townhomes development opens in Spring Valley
KB Home announced the grand opening of Bluffs, a new townhome community located at Atamite and Graphite Streets in Spring Valley. The Bluffs sales office and model homes are open for walk-in visits and private in-person tours by appointment. Homebuyers also have the flexibility to arrange a live video tour with a sales counselor. Pricing begins from the low $600,000s. For more information on KB Home, call 888-KB-HOMES or visit kbhome.com.
City of San Diego launches website
for Office of Child and Youth Success
The City of San Diego’s Office of Child and Youth Success has launched a new website that lays out resources — from childcare to educational opportunities and more — for San Diego’s youngest residents and visitors. The website provides a central location for San Diegans to find information about supportive services and programming for youth ages 24 and younger. To learn more, visit sandiego.gov/child-youth-success.
La Jolla Music Society in partnership with LA’s Colburn School
As part of its ongoing mission to foster partnerships in the community and provide learning and performance opportunities to music students, La Jolla Music Society is partnering with the prestigious Colburn School in Los Angeles. As part of this partnership, exceptional young artists from the Colburn School’s Conservatory of Music will perform onstage at The Conrad in Musical Preludes prior to many concerts during the rest of LJMS’ Winter Season 2022–23.
Booz Allen, Sempra, SDG&E programs
strengthen regional talent pipeline
Local giants Booz Allen Hamilton, Sempro, SDG&E and other San Diego companies have prioritized increased STEM exposure for girls and underserved youth as a response to soaring demand for talent in tech and life sciences industries. With shared commitments to Inclusive Growth, each company has developed various volunteer initiatives, tech workshops, and women-led mentor programs for K-12 learners focused on developing talent for quality jobs in the region’s innovation cluster. Read more…
Escient Pharmaceuticals secures $120 million investment
San Diego biotech startup Escient Pharmaceuticals has raised $120 million to move forward with two small molecule therapies that treat a range of neurosensory-inflammatory disorders associated with chronic diseases. The 42-person company focuses on developing oral medications to avoid serious side effects and treat the neuro-immune ailments.
San Diego hires real estate adviser
to rethink downtown office needs
San Diego officials are turning to a familiar adviser as they evaluate how to better accommodate city employees who no longer need permanent desk space downtown Monday through Friday. The San Diego City Council unanimously approved a $725,000 consultant agreement with real estate investment management and services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. The firm, which last year took stock of the city’s existing portfolio of downtown space, will now help determine over the next 12 to 18 months how and where the city should house its downtown workforce. Read more…
Petco to take part in Morgan Stanley
Global Consumer & Retail Conference
Petco Health and Wellness Company Inc. will participate in a fireside chat at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference on Tuesday at 10:45 p.m. PST. The live audio webcast will be available via the company’s investor relations page at ir.petco.com. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the company’s website through Dec. 20, 2022.
Easy Ice buys Lakeside’s Cube Aire Refrigeration
Easy Ice, provider of full-service ice machine subscription solutions, has acquired Cube Aire Refrigeration, an ice machine leasing and service company that has operated out of Lakeside since 1957. This acquisition closes out a successful year for Easy Ice, during which the company expanded significantly. Easy Ice is co-headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., and Marquette, Mich.
The CONAM Group acquires Florida apartments
CONAM Multifamily Partners Fund III, a discretionary fund sponsored by San Diego-based CONAM Group, announced the purchase of Rockledge Flats, a Class A, 247-unit multi-family apartment community near Florida’s Space Coast in Rockledge, Fla. Completed in 2021, the 10-acre luxury apartment community consists primarily of two four-story elevator-served structures housing 247 units. A standalone, single-story building serves as the leasing office and amenity clubhouse and features a 24-hour fitness center, resident lounge with billiards table, and conference room.
