The San Diego Business Journal Digital Edition
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
labusinessjournal.com LOSANGELESBUSINESS JOURNAL THE COMMUNITY OF BUSINESS TM sfvbj.com SAN FERNANDOVALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL LOS ANGELES • GLENDALE • SANTA CLARITA VALLEY • BURBANK • CONEJO VALLEY • SIMI VALLEY • SAN FERNANDO • CALABASAS • AGOURA HILLS • ANTELOPE VALLEY THE COMMUNITY OF BUSINESS TM sfvbj.com BUSINESS AN ERNANDO ALLEY JOURNAL SLOS ANGELES • GLENDALEF • SANTA CLARITA VALLEY • BURBANK • CONEJO VALLEY • SIMI VALLEY V• SAN FERNANDO • CALABASAS • AGOURA HILLS • ANTELOPE VALLEY THE COMMUNITY OF BUSINESS TM ocbj.com ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL THE COMMUNITY OF BUSINESS TM Thumbnails SDBJ User Guide Front Page Table of Contents sdbj.com SAN DIEGO BUSINESS JOURNAL DIGITAL EDITION THE COMMUNITY OF BUSINESSTM www.sdbj.com/digital WELCOME TO THE SAN DIEGO BUSINESS JOURNAL DIGITAL EDITION To read your copy of the Digital Edition INSTRUCTION Please select a reading preference FOR PC/MAC How to read SDBJ Digital Edition on iPad in iBooks: 1 TAP CENTER 2 TAP ‘OPEN WITH’ 3 TAP ‘iBOOKS’ Wait for gray bar with Wait for scroll down menu buttons to appear menu and tap the iBooks on top of the PDF. icon. Wait for PDF to load in iBOOKS. Thumbnails SDBJ User Guide Front Page Table of Content sdbj.com SAN DIEGO BUSINESS JOURNAL Volume 32, Number 15 THE COMMUNITY OF BUSINESSTM April 11-17, 2011 $2.00 Real Estate 3FOBUB4JNSJMPG +POFT-BOH-B4BMMF TBZTTPNFGFEFSBM BHFODJFTBSFTFFLJOH PRODUCTS OF OUR NPSFPGàDFTQBDFJO 4BO%JFHP Page 10 ENVIRONMENT Rubio’s “does a really good job Public Relations , agrees that the Housing MARKETING: Region’s of owning something,” said Daniel name Rubio’s goes with the phrase Famous Brands Include Khabie , founder and chief executive “fi sh taco.” “ ‘McDonald’s Fish Taco’ offi cer of Digitaria Interactive Inc. , a doesn’t have the same cachet.” Zoo, WD-40, Hotel Del San Diego-based digital marketing Rubio’s has done a good job of agency. In today’s marketplace, a articulating the fi sh taco story, says ®Ê#Z#3"%(3"7&4 person looking Khabie. The fi rm tells about founder ubio’s Inc. , the Carlsbad for fi sh tacos has Ralph Rubio discovering the offbeat eatery chain, may now be many options, dish while on a college trip to San owned by a private equity “but Rubio’s is Felipe, Mexico. The focus on the fi rm in Connecticut. As far top of mind.” fi sh taco, however, may have made it Ras local branding experts are con- Dick Daniels , harder for the business to diversify, cerned, however, the quick-service principal of Es- Khabie notes. 5IFNBSLFUGPS chain still has its bare feet in the Baja condido-based OFXIPNFTJT California sand. Dick Daniels ¨Brands page 27 JNQSPWJOH TBZT %JDL%BOJFMT #SPPLàFME)PNFT 4UFWF%PZMF 1IPUPTDPVSUFTZPG)PUFMEFM$PSPOBEP 8%$PBOE%FM.BS5IPSPVHICSFE$MVC Page 17 5IF)PUFMEFM$PSPOBEP %FM.BSSBDFUSBDL 3VCJPTàTIUBDPT $PNJD$POBOE8%MVCSJDBOUBSFBNPOHUIFSFHJPOTNPTUJDPOJD CSBOET'PSBDPNQMFUFMJTUPGUIFDPVOUZTNPTUGBNPVTQSPEVDUTBOEQMBDFT TFF1BHF The Lists: 3FTJEFOUJBM3FBM &TUBUF"HFODJFT 3FTJEFOUJBM1SPQFSUZ Cluster’s Founding Father Leads Firm Companies .BOBHFNFOU $PNQBOJFT Hale, 62, joins Biocept as Inside BIOTECH: Biocept Names executive chairman of the Look to Make David F. Hale Its Executive board, the fi rm announced April 5, but will be essentially Chairman, Seeks Financing serving as the head of the Most of Coast company because it doesn’t ®Ê#Z,&--:26*(-&: have a chief executive offi cer. David F. Hale , considered by many to be a Stephen Coutts left at the end PLANNING: $32M Hotel, founding father of San Diego’s mighty biotech- %BWJE')BMF of 2010 when Biocept shifted $15M Retail Center Among nology cluster, has taken the helm at Biocept , a to commercializing its non- cancer-focused diagnostic and laboratory ser- invasive cancer cell detection tests. Upgrades in Imperial Beach vices company that’s getting ready to launch its fi rst product in July. ¨Hale page 27 ®Ê#Z-06)*34) After years of economic setbacks, the City of Imperial Beach is making progress on projects that it hopes will someday help New Laundry Service Is Cleaning Up it snag visitors away from glitzier San Diego beach communities to the north. said the business obtained several contracts San Diego-based Pacifi ca Host Hotels , HIGH-TECH: Energy-Saving from three of the area’s biggest hospital systems: part of Pacifi ca Cos. , recently began con- Scripps Mercy Medical Group , Sharp Health- System Helps Emerald Win struction on the $32 million Seacoast Inn, Care , and the UC San Diego Health System . a 78-room, full-service hotel replacing a “We’ve done well in the RFPs (requests for Lucrative Hospital Contracts 1950s-era motel that once occupied a prime proposals or bid packages) that were sent to us,” oceanfront site. The project received $12 ®Ê#Z.*,&"--&/ Gildred said. “We haven’t gotten all of them, but million in fi nancing from Wells Fargo and we’ve done well.” Since it opened for business in September, Em- $7 million in support from the city’s rede- The compelling factor helping to win contracts erald Textiles , an Otay Mesa industrial laundry, velopment agency. for supplying the hospitals with clean linens has been winning. Also, San Diego-based developer Sudberry Tom Gildred , the company’s chief executive, ¨Laundry page 26 ¨Imperial Beach page 26 A LUXURY SEDAN FOR THOSE WITH MONEY TO BURN America’s Best Warranty BUT THE GOOD SENSE NOT TO. 10-Year/100,00-Mile Think about it. Powertrain Limited Warranty Discover why at FrankHyundai.net EXCLUSIVELY AT FRANK HYUNDAI 3150 National City Blvd., National City Mile of Cars 866-386-9975 Thumbnails SDBJ User Guide Front Page Table of Content 1BHF www.sdbj.com 4"/%*&(0#64*/&44+063/"- "QSJM APRIL 11-17, 2011 VOLUME 32, NUMBER 15 ! "" # 1IPUPDPVSUFTZPG6NBNJ4VTUBJOBCMF4FBGPPE 1BHF%JNJOJTIJOHTVQQMJFTBOEHSPXJOHEFNBOEGPSCMVFàOUVOBJTDSFBUJOHBQSJNFTBMFT PQQPSUVOJUZGPS6NBNJ4VTUBJOBCMF4FBGPPE BMPDBMDPNQBOZUIBUGBSNTUIFàTIBOETFMMTB HPPEQPSUJPOUPXIPMFTBMFSTJO+BQBO ON THE COVER QUOTE OF THE WEEK LIFE SCIENCES — Biotech pioneer to lead company. MARKETING — The region’s most famous brands. ‘We see volumes in sales PLANNING — Imperial Beach looks to make most of increasing in 2011. We its coast. STARTUP — Laundry service has heavy-duty success. certainly have seen a lot of COMMENTARY price stability. My impression is that consumers are REAL ESTATE — Defining the new normal relative to understanding that real estate real estate ............................................................................. 39 % ( )"*$!+$,+ + is undervalued and in the long CONSTRUCTION term it is a good investment.’ $ % & $' SPECIAL REPORT — Residential developers set sights — Guy Asaro, president of McMillin Homes. on reconstructing business; for some builders, smaller, To read the story, please turn to Page 17. lower priced homes are better ......... Starts on page 17 DEFENSE INVESTMENTS & FINANCE TECHNOLOGY — Northrop Grumman receives Parents & Business Members contract for drone support .................................................3 TECHNOLOGY — Funding helps ecoATM answer the electronics recycling call .......................................................8 w e i n v i t e y o u t o ENERGY TRANSPORTATION — Toll road operators seek buyer to rescue venture from bankruptcy ................................ 10 Toast A Teacher CONSERVATION — Challenging projects are creative TRADING — San Diego Stock Chart .......................... 36 outlet for Astro Energy’s talents .........................................6 Celebrate excellence in education REAL ESTATE — County Operations Center earns THE LISTS by honoring Carlsbad’s teachers. LEED Gold certification ................................................. 21 REAL ESTATE — Residential Real Estate Agencies . 20 FEATURES REAL ESTATE — Residential Property Management Companies ......................................................................... 22 COLUMN — SDBJ Insider ................................................3 COLUMN — Numbers show changes, as reported in PEOPLE the Business in the North County column................... 13 REPORTING — News in Brief .........................................5 SPECIAL REPORT — Executive Profile: Paul Barnes ROUNDUP — Regional Report .................................... 25 of Shea Homes San Diego ............................................. 19 Agenda COLUMN — Fierce fundraising efforts help cancer Q&A — Executive Profile: Jeff Graham of the Centre fight, as reported in the Kudos/Giving column ........... 38 City Development Corp. ................................................ 37 “A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION & BUSINESS” GOVERNMENT PHARMACEUTICALS WORK FORCE — With future of enterprise zones in FINANCE — Ligand to achieve profitability for first FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2011 doubt, firm may pack up, leave .........................................8 time, executive reports ..........................................................3 INNOVATION LA COSTA RESORT AND SPA AT 6 P.M. REAL ESTATE BIOTECH — ViaCyte takes Kyoto laureate’s work to ach year, the business community comes together to recognize the best and RETAIL — Markets tailored to Hispanic tastes .............5 next level .................................................................................3 COMMERCIAL — Local office market receives vote of brightest academic programs. Toast a Teacher with the Carlsbad Chamber of SPORTS BIZ — Self-correcting golf ball is a game confidence ........................................................................... 10 ECommerce and its Partners in Education Foundation. To sponsor a school, purchase