Daily Business Report: Monday, Feb. 6, 2023
Fairmont Hotels signs deal with Manchester Financial
Group to develop 36-story glass tower hotel Downtown
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, part of world leading hospitality group Accor, and Manchester Financial Group announced the signing of definitive agreements for the development and management of a Fairmont hotel in Downtown San Diego.
Scheduled to open in 2027, Fairmont Manchester San Diego will occupy a prime location on the North Embarcadero of the San Diego Bay, directly across from the USS Midway Aircraft Museum, adjacent to the Cruise Ship Terminal, and within walking distance of the San Diego Convention Center and the famed Gaslamp Quarter. The hotel is part of a landmark development transforming San Diego’s downtown waterfront with over five acres of green space and more than 1.7 million square feet of best-in-class offices, retail, restaurants, public art and entertainment.
The elegant 36-story glass tower will feature 1,160 rooms, including 69 suites and Fairmont Gold, the brand’s distinctive hotel-within-a-hotel experience boasting VIP service, exclusive lounge and private reception desk. High-end amenities will include luxury spa and fitness facilities, rooftop pool, and more than 120,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, including two 20,000 square-foot ballrooms.
The hotel will welcome both guests and locals to six dining venues, including a 160-seat signature restaurant, coastal Baja cuisine, noodle shop, rooftop poolside grill, gourmet café, and lobby bar, each offering both indoor and outdoor seating.
Working in close collaboration with Accor’s Luxury Design & Technical Services team, Gensler will serve as both architect and interior designer for the development.
Top Photo: Rendering of Fairmont Manchester San Diego hotel. (Courtesy Accor)
Former prosecutor to expose ‘Online
Romance Scams’ at free webinar on Feb. 8
San Diego County Credit Union will host “Online Romance Scams,” a complimentary educational webinar presented by former San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood on Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 1 to 2 p.m. The online webinar format allows the community to attend virtually from anywhere. It is part of SDCCU’s Financial Wellness Wednesdays, launched in partnership with the San Diego County Library System in support of Live Well San Diego.
Online dating has become increasingly popular among single people searching for love. Unfortunately, this popularity has also piqued the interest of scam artists who exploit people’s vulnerabilities. Greenwood will cover current romance scams and strategies to protect yourself. Virtual seats are limited, and registration is required. To register, visit sdccu.com/fww.
With over 25 years of experience and having prosecuted over 600 felony cases of elder and dependent adult abuse, Greenwood is a renowned, award-winning prosecutor. He’s been head of the Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit since 1996 and is currently co-chair of the California District Attorney Elder Abuse Committee.
College of Continuing Education
is San Diego’s best kept secret
San Diego is home to the best kept secret located in the hearts of Barrio Logan, Point Loma, and Southeastern San Diego. Inside these campuses, students are learning how to weld military ships, training toward six-figure cyber security careers, and becoming licensed in critical health care professions. The secret is California’s second largest provider of free workforce training — San Diego College of Continuing Education.
The opportunities are available at any of the seven campuses within the City of San Diego and online.
Seventy certificate programs at the College of Continuing Education are specifically developed for adult students who are low-income, veterans, first-generation, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and formally justice impacted. Students of all ages and backgrounds enroll into automotive, business and accounting, child development, clothing and textiles, digital media and programming, healthcare, hospitality and culinary arts, information technology, and skilled and technical trades.
Registration is open now. Visit SDCCE.EDU.
SDSU incubator receives national
recognition for entrepreneurship
San Diego State University’s Zahn Innovation Platform (ZIP) Launchpad is one of six university entrepreneurship programs honored by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship this month at its annual conference.
ZIP Launchpad received the Model University Accelerator/Incubator Award, part of the 2023 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Awards from USASBE, an inclusive community of educators, researchers and entrepreneurs advancing entrepreneurship education through teaching, scholarship and practice.
SDSU’s on-campus incubator, ZIP Launchpad supports students, staff and researchers from all majors and departments in launching startup companies. Once accepted into the free extracurricular program, entrepreneurs receive a range of support including legal advice, non-dilutive funding, mentorship, entrepreneurial workshops and rapid prototyping services.
USD’s Melissa Gibbons to receive
‘Outstanding Engineering Educator’ award
University of San Diego Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor ç has been named the San Diego County Engineering Council’s 2023 “Outstanding Engineering Educator.” Gibbons joins five other awardees and will receive her award during the 72nd annual San Diego Engineers Week Festival Awards Ceremony and Reception at the Marina Village Conference Center on Feb. 19.
Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering Dean Chell Roberts, will be a featured speaker at the event.
“San Diego is home to multiple colleges and universities filled with fantastic, dedicated and innovative engineering educators, so it is truly an honor to be recognized by a countywide organization like the SDCEC,” says Gibbons. “It is a recognition of not only my own efforts, but also the support and guidance of my colleagues in the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering at USD.”
Gibbons was nominated for the award by Frank Jacobitz, PhD, chair of the mechanical engineering department at USD.
State awards San Diego County
Water Authority $3 million grant
SAN DIEGO –The California Department of Water Resources awarded a $3 million grant to the San Diego Water Authority to provide direct installation of high-efficiency toilets and smart irrigation controllers to underrepresented communities. Combined, these efforts are estimated to provide 1,323 acre-feet in water savings per year and transform up to 333,420 acres to more water efficient landscapes.
General Atomics tests MQ-9A drone equipped
with low earth orbit satellite communication system
SAN DIEGO — On Dec. 22, 2022, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. and the Air National Guard, with joint support from the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force, flight tested an MQ-9A remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) equipped with a low earth orbit satellite communications command and control system. This groundbreaking capability provides global coverage and connectivity that will enable pole-to-pole operations for GA-ASI’s family of RPA – including models such as the MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian, MQ-9A Reaper, and Gray Eagle 25M.
County awards $29 million for
affordable, supportive housing units
SAN DIEGO — More than $29 million in affordable housing funds and 121 project-based vouchers have been awarded to nine developments by the County of San Diego’s Housing and Community Development Services (HCDS) More than 600 units of affordable and permanent supportive housing will be made available for low and extremely low-income people and their family.
“This is another great opportunity for us to expand housing for our neighbors most in need,” said David Estrella, director of County HCDS. “Each of these projects means the world to a struggling family or those with special needs who would otherwise be out on the street.”
Click here for list of developments.
ResMed hits record $1 billion in sales,
sees supply chain improvement
SAN DIEGO — For the first time in its history, San Diego medical device leader ResMed hit $1.03 billion in sales. With the industry-wide difficulty of sourcing wireless chips for medical devices beginning to ease, ResMed is now able to increase the production of its CPAP machines, masks, and ventilators that use these wireless chips to send data from its breathing devices to an internal cloud.
Qualcomm Snapdragon chips will
power Samsung’s Galaxy 23 phone
SAN DIEGO– Samsung’s new Galaxy S23 smartphone will be powered by none other than San Diego-based Qualcomm. The complee series of phones will include the Snapdragon8 Gen 2 mobile processer, a step up in speed from the previous S22 series processors. It will also include the first-ever 200-megapixel camera sensor, which improves photo quality when zoomed.
The Ken Blanchard Companies names
executive director of Blanchard Institute
SAN DIEGO – The Ken Blanchard Companies has appointed Terrell Fletcher as the executive director of Blancard Institute, a nonprofit organization. The Blanchard Institute provides access to training, research, and development programs that build resiliency and resourcefulness in young people around the world. They help students of all ages and experience levels develop the life and leadership skills they need to thrive. The Student Self Leadership course is offered free of charge to 14- to 18-year-olds to help them understand how to navigate the world, reach their potential, and succeed in life.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance board
of trustees adds 2 new board members
SAN DIEGO — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Board of Trustees has welcomed two new members to its ranks. Bryan Min and Jane Finley have joined the international organization’s board, sharing their expertise and professional knowledge while offering leadership insights, guidance, and support to the nonprofit’s vital wildlife conservation mission. Bryan Min is the founder and CEO of Epsilon Systems, founded in 1998 to provide innovative engineering solutions to government, commercial and non-profit businesses. Jane Finley is the senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente Heath Plan and Hospitals in San Diego.
Sempra recognized among World’s Most
Admired Companies by Fortune Magazine
SAN DIEGO — Sempral has been named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies for 2023 by Fortune Magazine, marking the 13th year the company is on the list. The list recognizes global businesses with strong corporate reputations. The company surpassed previous years’ rankings on both the full list and within the Electric and Gas Utilities category. Notably, Sempra ranked first in Global Competitiveness among its Electric and Gas Utility peers.
American Marketing Association San Diego
opens call for entries for 2022 Sandie Awards
SAN DIEGO – The American Marketing Association San Diego chapter announced its new annual marketing awards program – the Sandie Awards – recognizing the best marketing campaigns and projects created by or for an agency, consultancy, corporation, educational institution, nonprofit or college student in San Diego County. Entries for work completed in 2022 are being accepted here through March 31. The Sandie Awards or “Sandies” will recognize work across 17 marketing categories ranging from branding and integrated campaigns to social media and video. See the full award categories list here.
Ambrx Biopharma names Sandra Aung as
executive VP and head of clinical development
SAN DIEGO — Ambrx Biopharma Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company using its proprietary Engineered Precision Biologics (EPBs) platform to create antibody-drug conjugates, has appointed Sandra Aung as executive vice president, head of clinical development. Aung will assume all clinical development leadership responsibilities of Ambrx’s proprietary pipeline of several ADC product candidates. Aung brings over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry having led oncology-focused clinical development teams and projects in companies of different sizes.
Barron Team joins The Real Brokerage in San Diego
SAN DIEGO — The Real Brokerage Inc., the fastest-growing publicly traded real estate brokerage, announced that The Barron Team in San Diego, led by Emma Barron Lefkowitz and Brian Tague, has joined the company from Compass Inc. The team’s addition brings the company’s agent count to more than 9,000. Ranked in the top 1 percent of the 29,000 agents serving San Diego County, the 15-member team was Compass’ No. 1 producing team in the region for four consecutive years. The team closed more than 150 real estate transactions valued at more than $200 million in 2022. Since joining Real earlier this month, the team has signed seven new listings and has brought an additional eight transactions to escrow.
