Daily Business Report-Oct. 12, 2016
A SpaceX capsule descends toward a landing on Mars. (Image from SpaceX presentation)
SoCal Aerospace Companies
Could Power Obama’s Mars Vision
Times of San Diego
Southern California aerospace companies are poised to be major beneficiaries of President Obama’s vision for public-private colonization of Mars in the next decades.
In an op-ed published on CNN.com Tuesday, Obama outlined a vision for what he called the “Mars generation.”
“We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America’s story in space: sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth,” he wrote, “with the ultimate ambition to one day remain there for an extended time.”
Companies like General Atomics in San Diego, which makes compact nuclear reactors that could power settlements, and SpaceX in Los Angeles, which builds rocket boosters, would be among the key private companies involved.
Obama said his administration’s encouragement of private investment in space technology is paying off with significant new business for American companies
“Just five years ago, U.S. companies were shut out of the global commercial launch market. Today, thanks to groundwork laid by the men and women of NASA, they own more than a third of it,” he wrote. “More than 1,000 companies across nearly all 50 states are working on private space initiatives.”
He noted that within the next two years, both SpaceX and Boeing will begin flying astronauts to the International Space Station on private rockets.
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Louis Kahn: The Power of Architecture
A retrospective of the world-renowned architect’s work
The San Diego Museum of Art welcomes “Louis Kahn: The Power of Architecture,” the first retrospective of the American architect’s work in two decades.
On view Nov. 5 through Jan. 31, 2017, the exhibition presents over 200 objects related to Louis Kahn’s selected buildings and projects in the form of architectural models, plans, original drawings, photographs, films and more.
The late Louis Kahn is regarded as one of the leading architects of the 20th century. With complex spatial compositions and a mastery of light, Kahn created buildings of dignified beauty and powerful universal symbolism, believing buildings should be monumental and spiritually inspiring. Among his most famous architectural works are the Salk Institute in La Jolla; the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas; and the National Assembly Building in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Kahn was an esteemed lecturer and professor at Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania for many years; however, he did not experience his international breakthrough as an architect until he was nearly 60 years old, as his early work in the 1940s and ’50s was devoted to residential building and urban planning.
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Interior Designers Group Sponsors
Self-Guided Tours of Six Homes
The American Society of Interior Designers is sponsoring an Oct. 22 self-guided tour of six homes representing a broad range of styles, tastes and lifestyles and to show how professional interior design can transform people’s lives and lifestyles.
“Design Excursion,” Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will feature remodeled residences located in central San Diego and North County.
Homes on the tour range from a historic 1930s bungalow in Kensington to a Downtown San Diego condo given a “modern glam” aesthetic to a Carlsbad home updated and transformed for aging in place.
The tour will also include the personal residence of the new ASID San Diego Chapter President Lena Brion, who created a timeless look for her 1980s tract home in Vista.
“This tour shows how designers can create beautiful interiors while working within the budgets, lifestyles, and tastes of homeowners,” said Lu Costigan, industry partner and co-chair of the event.
Tour sites are located in the San Diego communities of Downtown and Kensington and the North County communities of Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista.
Tickets, priced at $25, are available at ASIDSanDiego.org. Tickets will also be available at all tour sites the day of the tour and addresses will be posted on the ASID San Diego website the day of the tour. Information is available at (858) 566-3345.
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Election Officials Mail 1 Million
Ballots for Nov. 8 General Election
By City News Service
County elections officials sent out around 1 million mail ballots, which could begin arriving at the homes of registered voters around the San Diego region as soon as Tuesday.
Considering the length of the ballot — which fills the front and back of two cards — voters are asked to return them as soon as they can.
“If you know how you want to vote, grab that mail ballot when you get it, vote it and send it back in right away,” said Registrar of Voters Michael Vu. “The sooner we get the ballot back, the sooner we can start processing it so it will be counted right when the polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8.”
Because it’s so big this year, the postage to mail each ballot is 67 cents, according to Vu.
Registered voters have until Nov. 1 to request a mail ballot.
Those who don’t want to wait until election day or vote by mail can cast ballots in person at the Registrar of Voters Office, 5600 Overland Ave., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Weekend voting will take place Nov. 5-6.
Elections officials are hoping that voters take advantage of the alternative methods in order to cut back on lines at polling places on Nov. 8.
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Personnel Announcements
Sundt Construction Promotes John Messick
Sundt Construction Inc., has promoted longtime employee John Messick to vice president and San Diego regional director, replacing former Sundt executive Jon Wald, who retired earlier this month after 26 years with the company. As San Diego regional director, Messick is responsible for advancing Sundt’s strategic growth throughout San Diego.
Messick, a 27-year industry veteran, enters his new leadership role with more than 25 years of experience working with Sundt.
Messick was recognized as Project Manager of the Year by the American Subcontractors Association, he is a LEED-accredited professional with the U.S. Green Building Council, certified Designated Design-Build Professional with the Design-Build Institute of America and is a certified Constructor with the American Institute of Constructors.
Jon Wald joined Sundt in 1990 and has since managed several of the company’s Building Division offices.
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Westcore Properties Hires Construction Manager
Westcore Properties has hired San Diego construction professional Ryan Childs in the role of construction manager. Childs will support the firm’s focus on acquiring and transforming properties to achieve the highest and best use.
Childs is to work with Westcore’s acquisitions team to evaluate future development and existing buildings, assessing properties and providing estimated budgets. He will also assemble design and building teams to transform acquired properties, and he will oversee construction.
Previously, Childs has held preconstruction/estimating and project management roles at Pacific Building Group, ETC Building & Design and Bycor. He is certified by the Design-Build Institute of America.
Childs serves as president of the board for the newly-formed Cardiff-By-The-Sea Foundation, which devotes time and funds to beautification and education projects for the community.
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Tim Book Joins Pacific Building Group
General contracting firm Pacific Building Group has named Tim Book as director of operations. Book has managed many multi-million-dollar construction projects including attractions for Legoland and Disney California Adventure, San Diego County Operations Center and sports facilities for his alma mater, San Diego State University.
Book will supervise all project management staff to ensure overall project success, and serve as project executive on complex projects.
In addition to managing major projects for Southern California theme parks, the County of San Diego and San Diego State University, Book worked on the 12-story Atmosphere Affordable Housing project in Downtown San Diego, the multi-building Kearny Mesa campus for National University, various projects for Qualcomm, the South Bay Water Reclamation Plan O&M facility and many others.
Before joining Pacific Building Group, Book held the position of senior project manager at Suffolk Construction.
