San Diego Business Journal articles from March 2004

San Diego Business Journal archives from March 2004

MP3.com sell-off a blast from the past: auction a flashback to dot-com boom's free-spending era.
March 1, 2004... The Herman Miller Aeron chair is a unique piece of office furniture that sells in the $800 range. It symbolizes the days of dot-com exuberance. More than 100 of them will go on sale later this month as Vivendi Universal Net USA Group...

Making a masterpiece out of glass: artist turns decorative windows into growing $7 million business.(Entrepreneurs Manufacturing)
March 1, 2004... How does a one-time stained glass artist transform himself into being a multimillion-dollar wholesale window manufacturer? "Everything you see here started from one window," Masterpiece Leaded Windows, Corp. CEO and founder Joel DeBus said...

Jack in the Box planning more upscale dining: 'brand reinvention' will be new focus of 2 San Diego units.
March 1, 2004... Jack in the Box Inc. appears to be making good on its promise to transform itself from a conventional, regional, quick serve restaurant chain into a "national restaurant company, built around brand reinvention and a flexible growth plan," as...

Report: Hispanic jobs double nationwide, but not in state: California is considered too expensive for some.(Labor)
March 1, 2004... The number of Hispanics added to the employment rolls nationally in 2003 was double the number added in 2002, according to a national study by the Pew Hispanic Center released Feb. 23. However, report data suggests that the national...

BRE commercial joining forces with Grubb & Ellis.
March 1, 2004... By joining forces with Grubb & Ellis Co., San Diego-based BRE Commercial will get to enjoy the best of both worlds--local ownership as well as involvement in a national firm--and a familiar company will return to San Diego County. As of...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2004... A story in the Feb. 23 issue of the San Diego Business Journal regarding the price Compass Group PLC is paying for San Diego-based Creative Host Services Inc. was incorrect. The correct price the Compass Group PLC is paying for San...

Fate of new Wal-Mart in hands of San Marcos voters: city's second store would be built in residential neighborhood.(Retail)
March 1, 2004... Wal-Mart opened one of its most successful new stores ever in San Marcos this year. Based in part on its success, the world's largest retailer is looking to open a second store in the North County city just eight miles away; but it won't...

Local courts considering ways to balance the budget: reducing hours or days of operations one option.(Law)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Because of the state's budget crisis, several measures are being considered to balance the 2004-05 budget of the San Diego Superior Court system. Among them are reducing the hours or days of court operations; mandatory time off for...

17200 reform bill.(Law)(Assembly Bill 2369)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... 17200 Reform Bill: It hasn't worked in the past, but there's another Unfair Competition Law--often called 17200--reform bill working its way through the California Assembly. Assemblyman Lou Correa, D-Santa Aria, introduced Assembly Bill...

New publication hits road to reach college students: 78 Magazine targets students at 3 North County colleges.(MASS MEDIA INDUSTRY)
March 1, 2004... A trio of former journalism grads who launched a magazine with a few thousand dollars in cash and the idea that marketers would welcome an opportunity to reach the combined student population of three North County colleges have proved to...

Exempt or non-exempt? That is the question.(OVERTIME COMPENSATION)
March 1, 2004... Must employers compensate salaried employees for overtime? In many circumstances, yes. Employees who don't fall into an exempt category, and many do not, are entitled to receive overtime pay whether or not they were hired on a salary or hourly...

After '90s upheaval, local thrifts are doing better: mortgage originators jumped from $536 billion to $806 billion last year.(Finance)
March 1, 2004... The darkest days for the savings and loan industry are long gone, and the lenders that survived the upheaval of the early 1990s are doing better than ever. According to a recent report from the Office of Thrift Supervision, the nation's...

Four years and counting.(Finance)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Four Years And Counting: ICE Santee-based Cuyamaca Bank reported its fourth consecutive year of record profits last year with net income of $712,000, up 42 percent from the prior year. Total assets grew 15 percent to $103.8 million while...

Giving back.(Finance)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Giving Back: Bank of America, now based in Charlotte, N.C., said it gave $1.8 million in 2003 to more than 90 nonprofit community groups in San Diego County. Among the nonprofit agencies receiving support from BofA's funding were North...

Training session.(Finance)(Association of Mortgage Brokers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Training Session: The California Association of Mortgage Brokers is holding a loan officer training session open to all loan originators in the area on Saturday, March 13, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Marriott Mission Valley Hotel. The seminar...

San Diego Trust Bank is using Pacific American Securities LLC.(Small Change)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Small Change: San Diego Trust Bank is using Pacific American Securities LLC, a local investment firm with offices in University City and New York, for investment brokerage services....

Comerica Bank opened a mortgage banking office.(Small Change)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Comerica Bank opened a mortgage banking office here headed by Paul Giordano....

Downtown Partnership.(Small Change)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Paul Rodeno, CEO of Security Business Bank, was appointed to the Downtown Partnership's beard of directors....

Scripps Investments & Loans.(Small Change)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... La Jolla-based Scripps Investments & Loans, a privately held trust deed lender, said it has financed more than $83 million in a variety of projects in the Coachella Valley....

Commercial Capital Bancorp, based in Irvine with an office in La Jolla.(Small Change)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Commercial Capital Bancorp, based in Irvine with an office in La Jolla, said it is the third largest originator of multi-family loans in the state....

Point Loma Credit Union.(Small Change)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Point Loma Credit Union opened a new office in Oceanside, the fourth in the last few months....

Local staffers at Wells Fargo Bank teamed up with Habitat for Humanity and a couple of former Padres, Tim Flannery and Randy Jones.(Small Change)
March 1, 2004... Local staffers at Wells Fargo Bank teamed up with Habitat for Humanity and a couple of former Padres, Tim Flannery and Randy Jones, on Feb. 21 to help build 12 attached homes in Escundido. Send any local finance news to Mike Allen via fax...

'Offshoring' becoming a new siren call: tech firms see lucrative option in sending some higher-skilled work to overseas countries.(Technology)
March 1, 2004... In the late 1990s, San Diego-based Dataskill, a supply chain management software firm, found it was losing potential business because competitors were offering to do the same work at much lower prices. The reason the competition was winning...

H1-B visa cap may hinder biotech hiring.(Technology)
March 1, 2004... San Diego's biotech industry may be booming, but some industry insiders worry that this year's cap on H1-B visa application, which many firms use to hire hard-to-find chemist and other research talent from abroad, could hurt drug research and...

Genetronics moves to new stage of its cancer therapy: biotechs may get tax break with proposed bill.(Biotech)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... San Diego-based Genetronics Biomedical Corp. recently announced it cleared all the hurdles with federal regulators to run two late-stage studies comparing the use of its electroporation therapy to standard surgery for recurrent carcinomas of...

Tax credits to biotechs.(Biotech)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Tax Credits To Biotechs: Assemblywoman Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, introduced a bill Feb. 18 that would provide tax credits to California biotechnology companies. Under AB 2230--drafted by the San Diego-based life sciences trade group...

Expansion finally taking shape at Harrah's Rincon Resort: $165 million project adds 400 rooms, parking garage, VIP lounge, full-service spa.(Indian Gaming)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort is a construction zone. The fact is about as subtle as the pair of 250-foot-high construction cranes that stick up above San Diego's backcountry. You can't ignore the construction from the inside, either....

Caesars casino pact due soon.(Indian Gaming)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Caesars Casino Pact Due Soon: Caesars Entertainment, Inc. announced in mid-February that it expects to sign final development and management agreements with the Pauma-Yuima Band of Luiseno Mission Indians--and it plans to do it "soon." The...

Patent suit.(Biotech)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Patent Suit: San Diego-based Quidel Corp. said Feb. 23 it filed a lawsuit alleging patent infringement against Inverness Medical Innovations Inc. and Applied Biotech Inc. related to fundamental technology. The suit filed Feb. 20 in the...

S&P downgrades city's bond rating.(Week in review: top business news: February 20-26, 2004)(Standard & Poor's Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... S&P Downgrades City's Bond Rating: Standard & Poor's lowered its credit rating on all of San Diego's general obligation bonds to AA- from AA, and on lease revenue bonds to A+ from AA- last week. S&P's downgrade follows last month's change by...

Sempra earnings up in 2003.(Week in review: top business news: February 20-26, 2004)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Sempra Earnings Up in 2003: Sempra Energy reported 2003 net income of $649 million, or $3.03 per share, up 6 percent from its 2002 earnings. Revenues for the year were $7.9 billion, up from $6 billion in 2002, making Sempra the largest public...

CCDC sued over closed sessions.(Week in review: top business news: February 20-26, 2004)(Centre City Development Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... CCDC Sued Over Closed Sessions: Retired businessman and local activist Mel Shapiro filed a lawsuit against the Centre City Development Corp. alleging that the board of directors for San Diego's planning and redevelopment agency for Downtown met...

Open house set for Petco Park.(Week in review: top business news: February 20-26, 2004)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Open House Set For Petco Park: San Diegans can get a first look at newly completed Petco Park for a two-day open house on Saturday, March 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, March 7, from noon to 4 p.m. Military-only hours both days are from...

Bioscience seminar.(Law)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Bioscience Seminar: Catalyst Law Group, a boutique firm focused on life sciences, will present "From Lab Bench to Judicial Bench: Advice for Managing the Science-Legal Interface" at the American Chemical Society, San Diego Section meeting this...

Higgs, Fletcher & Mack.(What's Up)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... What's Up: Robert Gallagner Jr. has joined Higgs, Fletcher & Mack a partner in the litigation department. He was a founding member of Stutz, Gallagher, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz in 1982. Also, Higgs Fletcher recently named Alexis Gutierrez as a...

Pillsbury Winthrop.(What's Up)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Christopher Latham, of counsel in Pillsbury Winthrop's San Diego office, has been appointed a lawyer representative to the 9th Circuit Judicial Conference for 2004-06. The conference is attended by every circuit, district, magistrate and...

Townsend and Townsend and Crew.(What's Up)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Townsend and Townsend and Crew recently added partner Jonathan Jobe, who headed Pillsbury Winthrop's San Diego intellectual property group. Contact Rene'e Beasley Jones via fax at (858) 571-3628 or via e-mail at rbeasley@sdbj.com. Call her...

Mastering a plan for higher education, budget cuts: tidal wave II threatens state's 40-year-old promise of tuition-free education.(Special report: education)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Even though the state is having problems living up to its promises in the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, officials still believe its mission remains vital to California's economic future. The master plan promised a tuition-free...

Colleges and universities.
March 1, 2004... COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Ranked by fall 2003 total enrollment School Rank Address (last year) Web site 1 San Diego State University (1) 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego 92182...

Trustee urges fixed percentage for CSU fees: plan would have students pay 1/3 of education costs.(California State University)
March 1, 2004... Bill Hauck has a suggestion to help grapple with the cost of higher education during the state's lean times. His plan would also give students some certainty in fee schedules. The Legislature should allow state-funded schools to ask...

SDSU considers more degree programs: bioengineering, educational leadership may be on the horizon.(Education)(San Diego State University)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... San Diego State University has announced three new programs recently. They include a master's degree in homeland security, a dual Ph.D.-MBA in biotechnology, and a certificate in casino gaming. University officials also are exploring...

SDSU, Padres team up for new master's program.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... San Diego State and the San Diego Padres have teamed up to offer a master's program in sports business management at its College of Business Administration beginning in the winter of 2005. SDSU said it is the first time a major league...

Can charter schools change the way schools operate?: 'laboratories for innovation' raise flexibility, accountability issues.
March 1, 2004... Suppose you came across a business that had grown by 14 percent a year for more than 10 years and produced a product as good or better than its competitors at a substantially lower cost per "unit," while at the same time maintaining higher...

Fullerton business school hinges on March ballot.(Proposition 55 )
March 1, 2004... California State University, Fullerton has a lot riding on Proposition 55. Nearly $50 million, to be exact. The proposition on the March 2 state ballot calls for a $12.3 billion bond to fund buildings for California elementary schools and...

The spirit of business.
March 1, 2004... Not long ago, exploring spirituality in the workplace was a slippery slope for most professionals. Meditating, a moment of silence, or even a whispered prayer were taboo and heaven forbid (pun intended) a corporate executive should display...

Ten years of career achievement.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Awards, the University of San Diego's highest honor for alumni, will mark its tenth anniversary in style with a black-tie affair scheduled For Saturday, April 3 at USD. The awards program celebrates...

Harbaugh welcomed at BusinessLink USD reception.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Jim Harbaugh played 15 seasons in the NFL, including two with the Chargers. Now the former AFC Player of the Year has joined a new team. Harbaugh is the new head Football coach at the University of San Diego, taking over a Torero team that...

Conference to focus on women in leadership.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Twenty years ago, conventional wisdom held that as more women entered the workforce and as gender altitudes changed, the wage and promotion gap between men and women would narrow. But a Congressional study conducted last November found that...

College of Arts & Sciences.(University Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... USD was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter last August, and the College is in the process of inducting the first group of Phi Beta Kappa members this spring. Professor Jonathan Spence, Sterling Professor of History at Yale, will be giving a...

School of Business Administration.(University Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The School of Business Administration's Master of Science in Accountancy & Financial Management (MAFM) is underway offering accounting professionals certification under the State of California's new 150-hour rule. Course areas include...

School of Education.(University Highlights)(Educational Leadership Development Academy)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Educational Leadership Development Academy (ELDA) is beginning its fourth year and has 79 graduates and 40 students currently enrolled in the program. ELDA was created in cooperation with San Diego City Schools in response to the shortage...

School of Law.(University Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... This year the University of San Diego School of Law continues to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding. Last September, the celebration was inaugurated with a special event attended by hundreds of alumni and friends of the School of...

Hahn School of nursing and Health Science.(University Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The School has been ranked in the upper 10% of graduate nursing programs by US News and World Report... The Sixteenth Annual Janet Rodgers Lectureship will take place on Thursday, March 11 at 4 P.M. at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and...

American Airlines.(Member Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... American Airlines was voted the Best North American Airline with the World's Leading Economy Class at the World Travel Awards for 2003. The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences awarded American Airlines its prestigious Five Star Diamond...

Doubletree Hotel San Diego-Mission Valley.(Member Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Doubletree Hotel San Diego-Mission Valley has announced the completion of its newest ballroom--The Catalina Ballroom--now available for special events. The new Catalina Ballroom, formerly Club Max, is a perfect location for special events...

Gen-Probe.(Member Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Local molecular diagnostics leader Gen-Probe signed a license and collaboration agreement under which it will develop and market an innovative test to detect a new, highly specific genetic marker for prostate cancer called PCA3. The agreement...

Jasco Inc.(Member Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Contractors have begun work on a new Jasco Inc. applications laboratory building in Easton, Maryland. Jasco is an analytical instrument company offering Spectroscopy and Chromatography instrumentation for use in pharmaceutical, industrial, and...

Law Offices of Suzanne G. Brummett.(Member Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Suzanne Brummett, of the Law Offices of Suzanne G. Brummett and founder of the online immigration law practice AmericaVisaLaw, has developed a web based service called USVisaCampus.com, an immigration portal for international students, scholars...

Luce Forward.(Member Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Luce Forward has announced that Robed J. Bell has been elected to be the Managing Partner of the firm. Bell, who began his law career at Luce Forward, is a Partner in the Real Estate Practice Group. Throughout 2003, Luce Forward celebrated its...

Mission Federal Credit Union.(Member Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Mission Federal Credit Union recently received awards for their innovative Financial Education Program, their student-run branch in City Heights, as well as the Organization of the Year award from the American Society for Training and...

Sempra Energy.(Member Highlights)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Recently, Sempra Energy's subsidiary LNG Corporation announced a partnership with Shell to build and operate a liquefied natural gas receiving terminal in Baja California to help meet the region's growing energy demands. In addition, Sempra...

U.S. Bank.(Member Highlights)(San Diego Holiday Bowl)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The pageantry of the San Diego Holiday Bowl was expanded this year to include the Red Coat Reception sponsored by U.S. Bank. Team officials from Washington State and Texas, the Holiday Bowl Red Coats, local business leaders as well as U.S. Bank...

Wells Fargo.(Member Highlights)(Asian Business Association )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Wells Fargo has been named by the Asian Business Association as Corporate Member of the Year for 2003. This honor comes as Moody's Investors Service upgraded Wells Fargo & Company's (NYSE: WFC) bank subsidiaries, including Wells Fargo Bank...

Points of interest.(Calendar)
March 1, 2004... * KYOTO LAUREATE SYMPOSIUM MARCH 3-5, 2004 Symposium honors recipients of the Kyoto Prize presented by the Inamori Foundation in recognition of the pursuit of peace and betterment of society through a balance of technology and...

Qualcomm on hiring spree after solid quarter.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Qualcomm Inc. is looking for engineers--lots of them. The maker of wireless chip sets and wireless technology held a job recruiting fair Feb. 28 at its design center. "We've got plans in place to see between 2,000 and 3,000 people,"...

Merger creates San Diego's largest architectural firm.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... By combining their staffs, NTD Architects and the Stichler Group Inc. have created the largest architectural firm in San Diego. Combined, the local firms have more than 300 employees in four offices, now working under the name of NTD...

Pasta Pronto combines dash of Portugal with the savory taste of Italy.(What's on the Menu)(Restaurant Review)
March 1, 2004... Two of the best-kept secrets in the North County are a couple of wonderful bistros, both named Pasta Pronto, that feature fresh pasta, hot and cold sandwiches, and sensational desserts. The original restaurant is located in Del Mar, at 2673...

Aqua Terra.(Jack's Rstaurant Tidbits)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Several new restaurants have opened in San Diego County. The Pala Mesa Resort in North County opened a new restaurant called Aqua Terra that is a true getaway in a private rural setting. For reservations, directions, and more information, call...

Pearl.(Jack's Rstaurant Tidbits)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The second new restaurant is also in the North County. Rancho Bernardo is now home to Pearl, the stylish $3" million restaurant created by Susan Lew, the owner of the acclaimed Emerald Chinese Seafood restaurant in San Diego. Pearl is in the...

Papanani's Deli.(Jack's Rstaurant Tidbits)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... On a more downhome note, Papanani's Deli at 1450 Harbor Island Drive now offers a patio barbeque on Saturdays and Sundays, weather permitting. Overlooking the marina at Harbor Island, this little deli offers hamburgers, hot dogs, Polish...

Southern California index watch.(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... Southern California Index Watch Index 2/13/04 2/20/04 %Change Dow 10,627.85 10,619.03 -0.1 Nasdaq 2,053.56 2,037.93 -0.8 S&P500 ...

Week's best performers (1).(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... Week's Best Performers (1) Company Ticker Close % Change Biogen IDEC, Inc. BIIB $56.87 30.6 Creative Host Services CHST 3.37 20.4 Gateway Inc. GTW ...

Week's worst performers (1).(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... Week's Worst Performerst (1) Company Ticker Close % Change Vista Med Technologies Inc. VMTI $2.33 -17.1 La Jolla Pharmaceuticals LJPC 3.27 -16.6 Nanogen Inc. ...

San Diego public stocks.(Marketplace)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO PUBLIC STOCKS Data as of 02/24/04 STOCK PRICE Price ...

Cubic Corp.(Proxy)
March 1, 2004... AMEX--CUB Cubic Corp. has two primary business segments, defense and transportation systems. The defense segment performs work under United States and foreign government contracts relating to electronic defense systems and equipment,...

San Diego technology 15.(Proxy)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... San Diego Technology 15 As of Feb. 20, 2004 52 week Company Ticker Close High Low Qualcomm, Inc. QCOM $59.40 $60.73 $29.58 Kyocera ...

San Diego biotech 15.(Proxy)(Illustration)
March 1, 2004... San Diego Biotech 15 As of Feb. 20, 2004 52 Week Company Ticker Close High Low IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corp. IDPH $56.87 $59.28 $27.80 Invitrogen Corp. ...

Sales.(Progress Report)(Public Notice)
March 1, 2004... Property: 7481-87 Mohawk St., La Mesa Seller: Saranac Partnership, LP Selling agents: Pete Scepanovic of Colliers International represented the seller and Rata Lancaster-Hannah of Melroy investments, Inc. represented the buyer. ...

Leases.(Progress Report)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Property: 1670 Brandywine Ave., Suite D, Chula Vista Lessor: Parma Family Limited Partnership Leasing agents: Chris Eddy of Voit Commercial represented the lessor and Erik Parker of BRE Commercial represented the lessee ...

Construction journal.(Real Estate)
March 1, 2004... Bilbro Construction Co. finished two tenant improvement projects at 855 Third Ave. in Chula Vista for Profil Institute and Clinical Research and Dr. Rios Pediatrics. Owner: Mountain West Real Estate. Architect: Bloc Studios Inc. ...

January's housing numbers locally appear to be skewed: luxury homes still doing strong across the board.(News & Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Monthly housing statistics usually don't shock me any more, but some numbers in the January Multiple Listing Service statistics from the San Diego Association of Realtors jumped out this time around. With prices increasing monthly in San...

Luxury home sales.(News & Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Luxury Home Sales: The good news is that high-priced homes are still selling well, both nationally and in San Diego. Coldwell Banker Previews International, the luxury home sales arm of New Jersey-based Coldwell Banker, reported a record...

Making his mark.(News & Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Making His Mark: Doug Wilson made his mark on Downtown San Diego in 19.89 with Symphony. Towers and in 2002 with Parkloft, but in the spring he will break ground on The Mark, a second Downtown condo project. The Douglas Wilson Cos. will...

Two for two.(News & Trends)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Two For Two: San Diego-based KMA Architecture & Engineering was hired by Intracorp San Diego to design Park Terrace, a $44 million mixed-use project in Downtown near Petco Park. Construction is expected to begin in the summer. The project...