The following 17 companies, with Wireless Facilities Inc. which is profiled in the main feature, are leading an economic seachange for San Diego. As a group, the 18 Billion Dollar Babies have a market capitalization — the closing price of their stock on Feb. 22 multiplied by shares outstanding — of $49.1 billion and employ more than 11,600. Most are young, many less than five years old. The gray beards — Callaway and Titan — are the largest employers and superb innovators. Club-king Callaway is now out to rule the golf ball world while Titan is a textbook example of a defense company converting to private industry. These are good times.

— Timothy J. McClain, Editor