|
to Trega to collaborate on diabetes and obesity drug development. Debbie Liebert, senior director of business development, wore an ethnic peasant dress, looked much better than the boss. (Are there Swiss peasants?) Ono Pharmaceuticals remains a major partner with Trega.
***
Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. has opened its Lusk manufacturing facility. The plant is being used to make Imagent, a new contrast agent for enhancement of ultrasound images that is in the final stages of trials. Alliance credits the city's Process 2000 initiative and the Economic Development Corp. for making the plant possible in San Diego.
***
Has San Diego’s high-tech job growth peaked? In the May issue of San Diego Dialogue Report, Millicent Cox, Dialogue's senior research economist, says San Diego’s recent pattern of job growth does not support the popular image of the region as a center for high-tech employment. Using state Employment Development Dept. data, Cox says by the fourth quarter of 1997, growth in sectors most closely related to high technology was declining, and at or below the national average. Kelly Cunningham, the Chamber's economist, will think about it.
***
Several thousand — but not nearly all — Metropolitan readers will receive the Zagat San Diego Restaurant Survey inserted in this edition. Fill them out, please, and submit them by July 14 and you'll receive a free copy of the Zagat San Diego Restaurant Guide upon publication. Didn’t get a survey? Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Marston & Marston at 591 Camino de la Reina, Suite 408, San Diego 92108. Restaurateurs may not participate.
***
The day the pager satellite died, Tuesday, May 19, is one the 1,400 employees at National Dispatch Center in Kearny Mesa won’t soon forget. NDC handles messaging for 1.25 million paging customers, handling about 8 million text messages a month. It was the customers who alerted NDC the system had failed. "They were sending messages out in the normal way, but unbeknownst to us, they weren’t going anywhere because the satellite was out," says John MacLeod, NDC's CEO. "The number of calls led us to believe that there was a problem we didn’t know about." It got worse as time went on as more people realized that people didn’t get their messages. "Normally, your pager traffic starts to drop around 4 p.m; then you’re only down to peak time on the West Coast," MacLeod says. "What happened is there were a lot more calls than normal. We asked employees to stay instead of going home and brought more people in." NDC operators — the ones who turn a caller's voice message into text on a customer's pager — found themselves explaining what was happening, a non-revenue generating function. Also, people who expected pages called in and had operators read them. (All messages were stored by NDC and eventually sent once the system resumed.) By the close of business Friday, May 22, MacLeod says his company was at about 80 to 90 percent normal.
As a service provider, NDC is big into backup systems. But when PanAmSat's Galaxy IV satellite failed, the company had no backup. And MacLeod, who launched men into space for NASA, says even with backup satellites — which he compares to keeping an extra car in the garage in case the one you drive to work doesn’t start — thousands of antennas that transmit pager signals have to be repositioned for the new bird. "This is the first time anything took the entire system down," he says. "It is not the kind of thing that is likely to occur." The lesson? "People don’t realize how much they depend on pagers."
***
As the North City runs out of office and industrial space, Kearny Mesa benefits. The latest evidence is Roel Construction's and KMA Architecture & Engineering's renovation of a circa-1963 196,000-square-foot tilt-up at 8650 Balboa Ave. used by Teledyne Ryan Electronics until 1996. The space will become a 142,727-square-foot single-story corporate headquarters and back office. All interior walls, ceilings, electrical and mechanical equipment will be demolished in phase one. Phase two involves the construction of two, two-story office/R&D buildings, one 44,000 square feet and the other 91,080 square feet. Trammell Crow Co. is the developer with Christopher Wood project manager. Wood and Eric Northbrook of Colliers Iliff Thorn are handling leasing.
***
The end of the Cold War certainly wreaked havoc on San Diego’s private-defense industry. But it hardly ran it out of town. Cubic Corp., for example, still has the right stuff. In recent weeks, the U.S. Army awarded Cubic Defense Systems a $31.6-million contract to go to full production of a laser-training system in which the weapons of soldiers, marines and vehicles are outfitted with lasers that record battle action during realistic training sessions. With options, the total value of the contract could hit $130 million. Up to 200,000 pieces of equipment are involved. Elsewhere, the Marine Corps has awarded Cubic Applications Inc. a $47-million contract to provide support services for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Staffing Training Program Center.
***
The first weekend of June marks the grand opening of the 42,000-square-foot Sport Chalet at Mission Valley Center. The specialty sporting goods retailer is the final piece of the Mission Valley Center renovation that began with the November 1995 opening of the AMC 20 Theaters.
***
As Mission Valley continues its residential and retail spurt, Mission Valley West is under construction off Interstate 8 at Camino Del Rio North and Mission Center Road. When it opens in late fall, the 210,000-square-foot project will contain a mix of tenants that includes Borders Books and Music, the first Gateway Computers superstore in San Diego, Marshalls, Old Navy, Just For Feet and Golfsmith. Four restaurants are planned; these three have signed leases: Koo-Koo-Roo California Chicken, Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. and EatZi's Market & Bakery.
***
The $16 million Jim Scudder's Ontro Corp. netted in its IPO is sitting (digitally) in San Diego National Bank.
***
Ron Bird, senior v.p. at SDNB, has been named 1998 Father of the Year by the Father's Day Council, to be conveyed at noon June 17 at the Bahia Hotel. The luncheon benefits the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Daughter is Leslie Bird-Voss, who develops university curricula in child development.
***
Being Alive - San Diego, the city's largest provider of services to people with AIDS and HIV, has opened a Women, Children and Family Center at 3060 Fifth Ave. to serve families impacted by the epidemic. To support the venture, Being Alive is hosting its first fund raising dinner and concert, "Sing to the Animals" on June 26 at the Zoofari venue at the San Diego Zoo. Set to entertain are the California Ballet Co. and the San Diego Men's Chorus. A special African-themed dinner will be served, with festivities beginning at 5:30 p.m. Dinner tickets start at $55. Call Ed Seebol at Being Alive — 291-1400 — for details.
***
Only 5,082 San Diego attorneys are encouraged to enter Lawyers Have Heart, the third annual 5K run and walk June 18, starting at 6:30 p.m. on the Downtown waterfront. The $20 entry fee benefits the American Heart Assn. Sponsors include the Center for Executive Health at Scripps Memorial Hospital, Westside Athletic Club, Lexis-Nexis, Knox Attorney Services, Karl Strauss, Copy Graphix and the San Diego Metropolitan Magazine.
***
San Diego County will grow a bunch in the next two decades. Those wanting to visualize what it will look like can pick up a poster-size future land development map produced by Sandag. The agency also has maps on traffic, existing land use, general ownership and San Diego/Tijuana planned land use. The maps cost between $5 and $12. Call 595-5347 for more information.
***
Speaking of maps, Interpreters Unlimited is donating to the four high schools in the Poway Unified School District large color maps that highlight the languages of the world and in which countries they are spoken. As to language trivia, Interpreters reports that the country with the most spoken languages, 817, is Papua New Guinea. The United States has 213. The fewest: North Korea and Cuba with one each.
***
Looking to better focus its real estate efforts, Burnham has formed two specialized groups, Burnham Retail Group and Burnham Life Sciences Group. Retail is headed by Rick Puttkammer, and its 13 members are housed in Burnham's expanded La Jolla office. Life Sciences, also located in La Jolla, is run by Brent Jacobs and Steve Bollert.
***
Following the departure of Mark Drozda, Oxford & Drozda has renamed itself The Oxford Group. Bill Oxford, agency founder, says the company will increase its emphasis on technology marketing.
***
A calming presence with years of experience as a negotiator and advocate, La Jolla attorney Lawrence M. Kahn, president of Negotiated Solutions, has represented telecommunications and composite material companies, tenant groups and numerous consumers and individuals in contract negotiations and disputes since leaving his longtime practice in Washington, D.C., five years ago for family health reasons. He's fast. Paul Bouzan of The Executive Group gives him high marks. And he's available for new projects.
***
Cabrillo Federal Credit Union has won Credit Union of the Year honors from the National Association For Federal Credit Unions. Headed by CEO Robin Lentz, the $56-million institution garnered the award by increasing assets 16.17 percent; boosting return on average assets from 0.69 percent to 1.12 percent; upping outstanding loans 26.13 percent, increasing reserves 16 percent; and pushing the loan-approval ratio from 85 percent to 97.6 percent. Membership grew 7 percent.
***
For assisting 116,000 San Diegans with credit issues, Consumer Credit Counselors of San Diego & Imperial Counties earned the 1997 Education Pace Award from the National Foundation for Consumer Credit.
***
If you've seen any of the Bumble Bee Seafood ads that say things like "Bee Better," "Bee Healthy," "Bee Loved" or "Bee a Mom," you’re viewing the work of San Diego’s Phillips-Ramsey. The advertising agency created and launched Bumble Bee's first national-brand marketing campaign in 10 years. The $8-million campaign urges consumers to think quality, rather than just price, when shopping for tuna.
***
Simple Net, a provider of Web hosting and storage services, has moved into 13,638 square feet of office space in the Home Savings Tower on Broadway Downtown. Under contract with Sentre Partners, the building's property manager, Johnson & Johnson General Contracting, with Carl Haines running the show, made the space look pretty.
***
Thanks to an agreement with Baja Cellular, the calls of border-crossing GTE Wireless customers now are seamlessly switched between San Diego and Tijuana cell sites. In addition, the call is billed based on where it originates and no roaming fees are charged. GTE says it’s the only wireless provider in San Diego to offer this service.
***
The San Diego office of Re:sources Connection, a temporary employment subsidiary of Deloitte & Touche, is the first of Re:sources' 15 offices in the nation to add information technology professionals to its array of professionals. David Cohn, a 17-year veteran of the financial management industry, has been brought in to run the IT side of Re:sources' business in San Diego. He joins the company from Nichols Parish & Associates where he was director of operations.
***
Elsewhere on the employee services front, PDQ Personnel Services Inc., the largest Los Angeles-based staffing service firm, has opened an office in San Diego. It’s at 4130 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 207. Eliane Combs, v.p. and managing partner with PDQ, is overseeing the operation.
***
In another sign of the success Scripps is having with its Project Scripps plan for addressing San Diego’s health care needs, more than 1,000 doctors county wide have applied for membership in and made a financial commitment to ScrippsHealth Physicians. SHP is a physician-owned organization that will work with Scripps to care for patients.
***
When Bay City Electric Works received Kohler Power Systems' highest honor as distributor of the year, it earned more than a plaque. Tom Claycomb, president of 66-year-old Bay City, says Kohler treated his entire company to a cocktail party, awards banquet and overnight stay at the Westin Horton Plaza Hotel.
***
Recipients of the Traveler Aid Society's Help on the Move Award are Four Seasons Resort Aviara, Ramada Inn San Diego North, Dana Inn & Marina, San Diego Convention Center Corp., San Diego Police Department's Central Division, Seaport Village, Chula Vista Marina & RV Resort and Cloud 9 Shuttle. Honored as Travelers Aid Volunteer of the Year at the May 8 luncheon was Mary Terry.
***
The San Diego Manufacturing Extension Center has a new address: 9663 Tierra Grande St., Suite 204, San Diego, CA, 92126-4570.
***
When restaurateur and Metropolitan food editor Terryl Gavre in 1991 decorated her Café 222, she designed and built coffee cup chandeliers. Well, the customers liked the light fixtures so much they started buying them off Gavre's ceiling. When several years later she noticed "knock offs" on the market, Gavre teamed with Mad House Designs to create a for-sale version from which she gets a percentage. That version of the coffee cup chandelier has just won Best of Show honors from Gourmet Retailer Magazine and will be featured in this month's issue.
***
Kelsey-Jenney College, the oldest college in San Diego, has moved its corporate offices to its Downtown campus at 201 A St.
***
Nomura Asset Capital Corp., the U.S. subsidiary of Nomura Investment Co., has purchased 35 percent of San Diego-based Hardage Suite Hotels for $81.5 million and is providing $405.5 million in construction acquisition and permanent loan financing for an aggressive expansion of Woodfin Suite Hotels. Hardage plans to build one new Woodfin Suite a month over the next five years. The hotel building effort began last month, breaking ground May 14 on a Woodfin Suites at 10044 Pacific Mesa Blvd. in Sorrento Mesa and the following day on a Woodfin in Emerville in the San Francisco Bay area.
***
The Natural History Museum in Balboa Park has won city approval to double its floor space as part of an $14.4-million expansion that will provide 140,000 square feet of space for exhibits. The work should be finished in the year 2000.
***
The newest store on the Downtown art scene is The Paperie, which opened during ArtWalk last month at the corner of State and G streets. The store specializes in hand-crafted and imported papers.
***
Coldwell Banker Commercial Associates has expanded with the opening of a new office in Mission Valley. The office is owned by Bruce Sanders, who after 16 years of running his own company bought the rights to join Coldwell last year and opened his first Coldwell office in Rancho Bernardo.
***
Last month's "ROA Roar" story incorrectly cited First National Bank's assets within the text, though the accompanying chart got them right at $412 million at year-end 1997. The Metropolitan regrets the error.
***
"Ben Haddad is a person of vision and a man of real-world accomplishments," assures Anne Evans, regarding the San Diego Chamber's new president. Too young for the job, he's way older than his predecessor.
***
Vesuvio, which years ago operated where Little Joe's is in the Gaslamp, moved to 3025 El Cajon Blvd, near the 805, and is better than ever under the ownership of Nicolo Munna and Lisa Babcock. It’s more upscale now.
***
Bank of America is seeking nominations for its fourth annual Enterprise Awards program. Call (619) 549-7435, the hotline.
***
Capital Bank of North County picked up "Four Stars" from Bauer Financial Reports and a "Premier Performer" from Findley's.
***
Dr. Juliet B. Schor, author of "The Overspent American," will address the City Club of San Diego at noon June 9 at the Princess Resort.
***
First National Bank and George's at the Cove are presenting the July 4 fireworks display over La Jolla Cove. Plan your parking strategy now.
***
Fallbrook National Bank has applied to the Office of the Comptroller of Currency to open a full-service, 5,700-square-foot branch in Vista on Melrose Avenue across from Rancho Buena Vista High. An August opening is expected.
***
Neighborhood National Bank has opened its mortgage loan division at 6915 Paradise Valley Road in Paradise Hills.
***
With the real estate market roaring, the Sales and Marketing Council of the Building Industry Association has decided the theme of the 1998 SAM Awards should be "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This." The 24th annual SAM awards honoring the county's home-building notables are set for Nov. 7 at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina.
***
The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and MGM Grand Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas have an agreement. When the $1-million Pacific Classic runs at Del Mar Aug. 15, MGM Grand customers will get access to varying levels of hospitality at Del Mar. In exchange, MGM will offer the race track's customers incentive packages for Las Vegas visits.
***
With United States Filter Corp. acquiring title sponsor rights, the Holiday Bowl will for the next four years be called the Culligan Holiday Bowl.
***
Nominations for appointments to the city's 23-member Review Board on Police Practices are being accepted until June 15. If chosen, expect to undergo a police background check. Call Scott Fulkerson — 236-6125 — for information.
***
The winner of the Most Innovative Product Award during the Inventor Showcase, an event for kindergarten through 12th grade students county wide, was Larissa Barnes, a fourth-grader from Benchley Weinberger Elementary in San Carlos. Barnes invented the "Lips Illuminator," a device designed to help the hearing impaired read lips at night. It’s worn around a person's neck and detects when they are about to speak. Barnes' difficulty in communicating with her hearing-impaired mother at night helped her conceive the product. As part of her prize, Barnes gets free help from the law firm of Eastman & Associates in filing a patent on the device.
***
You've grown to love them in San Diego as CB Commercial. Now the three commercial real estate offices here — in Downtown, UTC and Carlsbad — are changing their name to CB Richard Ellis. The name change is a worldwide event, with CB Commercial's 147 offices in North America linking with REI Ltd., a property-services firm that operated outside the United States as Richard Ellis.
***
From a field of 900 applications, Jackie Wheatley of the DoubleTree Hotel Del Mar was named Sanford's Ultimate Secretary by Sanford, the country's largest writing-instruments company. Wheatly was honored last month at the hotel. On April 22, or Secretaries' Day, she and a friend were flown to New York City and treated to deluxe accommodations, limousine service, luxury spa treatments, a Broadway show and $1,000 shopping money.
***
If you own a home in San Diego, you’re getting richer by the day. The California Association of Realtors and Transamerica Intellitech's MetroScan service report that the median price of a home here in April hit $209,580, up 5.7 percent from March and 17.2 percent from April 1997. Sales activity, perhaps reflecting a shrinking supply, was down 4.1 percent compared to March and 0.7 percent from April 1997.
***
The Better Business Bureau is seeking entries for its 1998 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. For a nomination form, call 637-6199.
***
Morris Slayen, who provided artists' work space in MBS Studios at Eighth and G, and office space in the Walsh Building on Seventh near F, is converting both to live-work lofts, 20 units in the former and six in the latter. He and wife Betty celebrated "our 150th birthday" May 30, her 75th, catching up to him. "She's a beautiful 75-year-old; there's nothing like her," says he.
|
