Daily Business Report-July 8, 2020
Matson’s newest ship was christened ‘Matsonia’ and launched into San Diego Bay at the NASSCO shipyard on July 2. It is the fifth ship to carry the iconic name in Matson’s 138-year history. (Photo courtest of NASSCO)
Matson Inc. and NASSCO christen
2nd of two Kanaloa Class vessels
Matson Inc., a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, and General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard christened the second of two Kanaloa Class vessels, the largest combination container / roll-on, roll-off ships ever built in the United States.
The christening ceremony was at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego on July 2.
The new vessel was christened “Matsonia,” an iconic name in Matson’s long history, dating to the construction of Matson’s first ship of that name in 1912. Three more ships were given the name in subsequent years; this vessel will be the fifth.
The new Matsonia is the second of two new ships being built for Honolulu-based Matson by NASSCO at a total cost of approximately $500 million for the pair, and the fourth of four new vessels that Matson will put into service during 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Named in honor of the ocean deity revered in the native Hawaiian culture, Matson’s two “Kanaloa Class” vessels constructed at the NASSCO shipyard are built on a 3,500 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units vessel platform.
At 870 feet long, 114 feet wide (beam), with a deep draft of 38 feet and weighing in at over 50,000 metric tons, Matsonia will join Lurline as Matson’s largest ships and the largest con-ro vessels ever constructed in the U.S. They are also among Matson’s fastest vessels, with a top speed of 23 knots, helping ensure on-time deliveries in Hawaii from Matson’s three West Coast terminals in Seattle, Oakland and Long Beach.
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LPC West and Cerberus acquire Oceanside
land for modern industrial development
LPC West, the West Coast arm of national real estate firm Lincoln Property Company, along with an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management L.P., have acquired nearly 30 acres in Oceanside with plans to develop a modern industrial campus.
The property is one of the last large entitled industrial sites in San Diego County. The site is located within Ocean Ranch, a more than 400-acre development that has emerged as a corporate hub for several Fortune 500 companies.
“This is one of the last large entitled industrial sites in San Diego County at a time when the demand for industrial space is continuing to grow,” said Scott Moffatt, senior vice president of LPC West’s San Diego office. “Together with Cerberus, we plan to build highly efficient industrial buildings that will meet the needs of tenants looking for quality industrial space in the San Diego region. We are thrilled to partner with Cerberus to bring our shared vision to life.”
“With Oceanside’s strategic location, the area has become an attractive region in Southern California for leading companies,” said Tom Wagner, head of North American real estate at Cerberus.
The LPC West San Diego office has had significant growth over the past 12 months, both in acquiring properties and new development. The firm now owns and manages nearly 1.5 million square feet of commercial property in the San Diego region with an additional 450,000 square feet currently under development.
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Cubic wins $99 million Navy contract
to build virtual training platform
GovCon Wire
Cubic has won a potential five-year, $99.1 million contract to develop a virtual environment system for the U.S. Navy’s surface training immersive gaming and simulation activities.
The company’s defense applications business will help the service branch maintain, update and modify surface ship trainers and related courseware designed to ensure fleet operational readiness, the Department of Defense said.
The Navy will deploy the system as part of its Surface Training Advanced Virtual Environment Program and will obligate funds upon issuance of individual orders.
Six offers were submitted to the Naval Air Warfare Center for the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, which runs through July 2025.
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City of Oceanside launches Hire Local initiative
Partnership with MiraCosta College helps city residents
The City of Oceanside announced the launch of its Hire Local initiative, designed to stimulate economic vitality for local residents and businesses through a combination of Incentives, Development, Education, and Access (IDEA).
Through this initiative, the city is working to bridge the gap between in-demand jobs and resident readiness to accelerate professional and business growth and create an economic multiplier for the city.
“With the unprecedented social and economic challenges experienced this year, we feel there’s an opportunity and obligation to align city resources and to do so with a sense of urgency to make sure our residents can access these valuable certificate programs before the grant expires,” said Economic Development Manager Michelle Geller.
The city identified a federal grant awarded to Mira Costa college that provides free tuition for a wide range of certificate programs. The city conducted a needs assessment with local businesses and discovered a set of high-demand jobs that have been hard to fill because talent is not ready on day one and on the job training slows productivity.
The city then worked with the college to narrow the scope of eligible certificates for its Hire Local initiative to seven certificate programs that will help students be valuable contributors for hiring companies on day one.
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Realtors group to host online mayoral forum
featuring Barbara Bry and Todd Gloria
The Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors’ (PSAR) Government Affairs Committee is inviting all San Diego-area Realtors to participate in an online mayoral forum from 2 to 4 p.m., Friday, July 31, over the Zoom meeting platform with Barbara Bry and Todd Gloria, two candidates for the open seat for San Diego mayor in the November general election.
PSAR said the candidates will discuss their positions on real estate and homeownership. Questions for the candidates can be submitted to george@psar.org. Questions will be answered as time permits. There is no cost for participating in the forum, which is available only to local Realtors and PSAR members.
Gloria and Bry, both Democrats, were the two top vote-getters among a field of six candidates in the March 2020 primary election.
After serving two terms on the city council, Gloria has represented the 78th District in the California Assembly since 2016. Bry, who has lived in San Diego for 39 years, has represented District 1 on the City Council since 2016.
For more information, call PSAR at (619) 421-7811 or visit www.psar.org.
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Dine-in restaurants, other indoor
activities close in county
Indoor dining at restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries were closed Tuesday for at least three weeks, after the county remained on the state’s Monitoring List for three consecutive days due to the region’s high number of COVID-19 cases.
Outdoor/patio dining is still permitted until 10 p.m., but patrons must leave the premises by 11 p.m. Also, pickup, delivery and drive-thru can still occur.
State guidance requires that indoor activities be closed in the 23 counties in the state that have more than 100 COVID-19 cases per every 100,000 residents in a 14-day period, after being on California’s watchlist for three days.
In the past three days, the rate of COVID-19 cases in San Diego County using the state’s formula is now at 136.1.
“This metric has been abnormal for several days,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., county public health officer, adding that it coincides with more outbreaks in community settings, especially in restaurants and bars. “This supports the actions we are taking today and that are being imposed upon us.”
Indoor activities also will be restricted at movie theaters, family entertainment centers such as bowling alleys and batting cages, as well as museums, zoos and cardrooms.
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Cabrillo National Monument reopening in phases
Beginning Friday, Cabrillo National Monument will be open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in July. The tidepool area will be open on those days until 7:30 p.m.
The normal operating hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the tidepool area closing at 4:30 p.m., will still be in effect Mondays through Thursdays. The exclusive extended hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays will provide increased access for visitors to enjoy spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and San Diego during sunset.
Cabrillo National Monument is opening in phases. In the current phase, all outdoor areas, trails, and restrooms are open. Indoor areas, including exhibits, the Visitor Center, and the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, are temporarily closed to comply with guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities.
Junior Ranger books and badges, maps, and visitor information are available at an outdoor station located next to the Visitor Center. A ranger is on duty every day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to offer the Junior Ranger program.
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COVID disinfecting technology startup
secures $1 million in seed funding
HYGIENICA, the San Diego-based maker of disinfecting technology, has closed its Seed Round of financing of $1 million. This round was led by Impala Ventures, a global investment and advisory company, that has worked closely with the company since incubation.
The added investment will allow HYGIENICA to grow its team of engineering, sales and marketing professionals and continue to invest in new designs of its technology. HYGIENICA’s founding team have extensive experience with product design and engineering, honed at Apple, Amazon and HP and others coming from the ranks of commercial real estate and facilities operations.
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JetBlue to start nonstop service from
San Diego to New Jersey on Aug. 6
JetBlue will offer daily nonstop service from San Diego International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) beginning Aug. 6, 2020. JetBlue is the third airline to offer nonstop service to EWR, joining Alaska Airlines and United Airlines.
“This marks a new route for JetBlue out of San Diego International Airport and we welcome the addition,” said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President and CEO. “We know this is an important market and gateway destination for many people who are looking to travel to and from the Tri-state area. We encourage travelers to visit san.org/gosafely for up-to-date travel information.”
JetBlue is the only carrier that will offer nonstop service to two New York area airports, EWR and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), from San Diego. Other routes JetBlue serve from San Diego are Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL). Tickets are already on sale on jetblue.com.
