San Diego Business Journal articles from March 2005

San Diego Business Journal archives from March 2005

Full penalty could have wiped out Titan: despite $28m fine, defense firm reports Brisk 2004 figures.(Technology)
March 7, 2005... The record $28.5 million fine Titan Corp. agreed to pay the federal government in connection with admitted violations of bribery laws could have been much worse. Had the federal government imposed the ultimate sentence, prohibiting the San...

Port seeks terminal solution: new facility for cruise ships could cost as much as $60m.(docking facilities for cruise ships)
March 7, 2005... If the San Diego Unified Port District succeeds in attracting private financing for a packaged development project that includes a new cruise ship terminal, it could be the second such deal in the country. According to the port's maritime...

S.D. housing slowdown won't last, some say: experts cautious about calling slower sales a growing trend.
March 7, 2005... The relative slowdown in San Diego County's residential real estate market that began in the fall has prompted many economists to temper their expectations for continued huge increases in home prices during the next 12 months. But not all...

Museum needs funds to finish its construction.
March 7, 2005... When the final steel beam is hoisted to the top of the 35-story, 450-foot skeleton of a condominium tower on Island Avenue in Downtown San Diego this week, the Pinnacle Museum Tower will be nearly complete. Residents of the sold-out project,...

Some media pros step away from spotlight: news anchors, reporters make switch to public relations positions.(Media)
March 7, 2005... You may have read their names in the paper, heard their voices on the radio or seen their faces on television, and then all of a sudden they are gone. The disappearance of San Diego media professionals from the limelight isn't the result...

Museum fund still $8m down as deadline looms.
March 7, 2005... The San Diego Children's Museum in Downtowns Marina District is nearing the end of its capital campaign of its quest to raise nearly $22 million in funding needed to complete the rebuilding and expansion of the museum. The museum, also...

Workers' diet, exercise can reduce firms' costs: network: unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity cost state as much as $26.4b yearly.(Entrepreneurs)
March 7, 2005... Ken Germano, the president of the American Council on Exercise, advocates a seemingly simple solution to curb the nation's rising health-care costs--eat right and exercise daily. "If everybody walked 30 minutes to 60 minutes a day at a...

La Jolla's Legacy Bank still searching for leader.(Finance)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... It's been nearly a year since Legacy Bank and Doug Sawyer, its former CEO and president, parted ways. The La Jolla-based lender that opened in December 2002 still has yet to find a replacement. Since Sawyer resigned in April, the bank has...

Changes to Community Reinvestment Act would ease reporting rules for some smaller banks.(Finance)(reporting requirements for smaller banks)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... CRA Changes Proposed: The Federal Reserve Board is seeking comment on changes to the federal Community Reinvestment Act that would relax some of the reporting requirements for "intermediate small banks," or those with assets between $250...

RB community prefers controlled growth: Rancho Bernardo Community Bank.(Finance)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... RB Community Prefers Controlled Growth: Rancho Bernardo Community Bank had another nice year last year, with net profits rising 53 percent to $1,528,000, and total assets expanding 13 percent to $107.5 million. Its loan portfolio rose by 20...

Discovery Bank profits soar.(Finance)
March 7, 2005... Discovery Bank Profits Soar: San Marcos-based Discovery Bank reported net income of $675,521 for 2004, up 55 percent from 2003. Total assets, loans and deposits all rose by double digits to $99 million, $80 million, and $79.6 million at...

Bank of Escondido nearly doubles.(Finance)(assets)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Bank Of Escondido Nearly Doubles: Total assets at the Bank of Escondido nearly doubled to $50.9 million, up from $26.8 million at the end of 2003. Loans did even better, rising by 258 percent to $33.2 million, and deposits jumped 139 percent to...

Small change.(Finance)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Small Change: 1st Pacific Bank of California opened its fourth regional office in Rancho Bernardo, managed by Larry Prosi... San Diego National Bank held its grand opening for its Vista office, its 19th... Security Business Bank of San Diego...

Federal government alleges fraud at book distributor.
March 7, 2005... The U.S. Attorney's Office and the Securities and Exchange Commission announced separate charges against a former executive of Advanced Marketing Services Inc., the San Diego-based book distributor, for alleged fraudulent schemes to inflate...

S.D.'s Chicken of the Sea intensifies ad campaign.(Media & Marketing)(Chicken of the Sea International)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Chicken of the Sea is no chicken when it comes to spending money on marketing. The San Diego-based company launched phase two of its aggressive marketing, business and brand strategy, with costs for the campaign totaling $20 million. ...

Local agency set to host meeting for international partnership of PR firms.(Media & Marketing)(Gable-Cook-Schmid PR conference)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Agency Welcomes International Colleagues: From March 10-12, local public relations agency Gable-Cook-Schmid PR will welcome 25 public relations practitioners from across the world as the agency hosts the spring meeting for IPREX, an...

More biz for PR firm.(Media & Marketing)(The Windows Factory public relations contract)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... More Biz For PR Firm: The Windows Factory of San Diego, a manufacturer of windows and doors selling directly to homeowners, has selected the McRae Agency, a San Diego-based full-service public relations firm, to handle PR for the company. ...

PR promotions.(Media & Marketing)(Formula PR)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... PR Promotions: Formula, a San Diego-based public relations agency, has promoted Michelle Metter to vice president of the business technology and travel divisions. In her new position, Metter will develop new business in the business technology...

Poole to lead V-Enable.(V-Enable Inc. people)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Samuel L. Poole has replaced Fernando Corona as president and chief executive at V-Enable, Inc., the company announced Feb. 24. Corona left the company several weeks ago at the request of the board, said Jim Benedict, the company's vice...

Loss of MS drug idle local plant.(Biotech)(multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri sales stopped)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... A Biogen Idec Inc. spokesman said it's too early to tell if the company's voluntary withdrawal of its multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri will have an effect on the firm's production plant in Oceanside. Tysabri was slated as the first drug to...

CryoCor hires Edward Brennan as its chief operating officer.(Biotech)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... New Chief: Local medical device company CryoCor Inc., which developed a cooling system for treating cardiac arrhythmias, has hired .Edward Brennan as its chief operating officer. In this newly created role, Brennan will be responsible for...

Idun looks toward the future with Pfizer.(Technology)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Yet another privately held San Diego-based biotechnology company agreed to be gobbled up by a big pharmaceutical company. Idun Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s announced agreement to be acquired by New York-based Pfizer Inc. on Feb. 24 is the third...

Rockets fire from a new unmanned helicopter.(High-Tech)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... It was a big deal when the Predator, the San Diego-built aircraft that leaves its pilot on the ground, first successfully test-fired a missile in 2001. Now another San Diego company is saying, "Me too." San Diego-based Science...

LG Mobile Phones rank tops in domestic market.(High-Tech)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... LG Is Ubiquitous: LG Mobile Phones sold 16 million CDMA handsets in the United States during 2000, making it the top domestic distributor of phones using that communications technology. The company said it had 27 percent of all U.S. CDMA sales...

Satellites go everywhere.(High-Tech)(Tachyon Networks Inc)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Satellites Go Everywhere: Tachyon Networks Inc., a privately held, San Diego-based company that offers satellite broadband service to North America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, is expanding its coverage area. Coming soon: Service...

JMAR Technologies, Inc.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... San Diego-based JMAR Technologies, Inc. announced it has received patent No. 6,845,145 for advanced X-ray lithography stepper technology. The company trades on the Nasdaq as JMAR.

Local company specializes in speedy delivery.(Tourism)
March 7, 2005... As full-service restaurants strive for greater speed in delivering orders--and fast-food restaurants move into the more lucrative territory of higher priced salad and sandwich fare--the lines are getting blurry on where one category stops and...

Stone Brewing selling beer like hotcakes.(Tourism)
March 7, 2005... Local Specialty Brewer Delivers On A Tall Order: Statistics show that Americans are guzzling more American-made specialty, or "craft," brews and fewer imports. And a San Marcos specialty brewer, Stone Brewing Co., is at the head of that trend....

Chairmen's RoundTable names new members for board of directors.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... The Chairmen's RoundTable, a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides business advice and mentorship free of charge, has appointed new members to its 2005 board of directors. Heading up the board as chairman is Tom Dorosewicz, current...

Series at USD focuses on mitigating disasters.(Law)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... We are a nation on the edge, at least when it comes to land development and the legalities of disaster-prone and environmentally sensitive areas. That's why the University of San Diego School of Law and the Land Use Law Center of Pace...

Shea Stokes & Carter names new shareholders.(Law)
March 7, 2005... New Shareholders: Shea Stokes & Carter ALC has named three new shareholders in its San Diego office. They are Peter B. Maretz, a graduate of Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, who focuses on employment construction and insurance...

Pentagon money earmarked for San Diego lab.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... The Defense Department recently announced plans to pay for big-ticket research equipment at 108 universities and academic institutions--including UC San Diego and the Scripps Research Institute. Those who receive the money will use the gear...

Qualcomm Inc.
March 7, 2005... Qualcomm Inc. and Ericsson are participating in trials of CDMA in Johannesburg, South Africa. Contact Brad Graves at his new e-mail address, bradg@sdbj.com, or call him at (858) 277-6359, Ext. 3115.

Captiva Software.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... IBM will resell Captiva Software's input management software and solutions. Captiva trades on the Nasdaq as CPTV. Contact Brad Graves at his new e-mail address, bradg@sdbj.com, or call him at (858) 277-6359, Ext. 3115.

Gamma Scientific.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Gamma Scientific, a San Diego company that manufactures precision light-measurement instruments, has opened an East Coast office in suburban Boston. Contact Brad Graves at his new e-mail address, bradg@sdbj.com, or call him at (858)...

Construction key topic of discussion in growing area.(Business in the North County)
March 7, 2005... The back of the drought has been broken! It may have taken six years for the effects of the drought to be felt across the county, but it only took 10 days to make us all forget those years. The slogan heard across the county right now is,...

Defusing disputes: National Conflict Resolution Center seeks solutions to variety of problems and issues.(Special report: law)
March 7, 2005... If living creatures are hard-wired to fight or flight when threatened, 21st century bipeds are learning to calm down and compromise. A major player in this growing trend is the San Diego-based National Conflict Resolution Center. Formerly...

EPIC approach taken to finding energy solutions: energy policy initiative center set to open in San Diego by the fall.(Special report: law)
March 7, 2005... If biotech is a booming industry in San Diego, solar-tech might not be far behind as a leading industry in the region. That's the take of Robert Fellmeth, director of the University of San Diego Center for Public Interest Law, a law school...

Law firms: ranked by number of lawyers in local offices as of Jan. 1, 2005.
March 7, 2005... LAW FIRMS Ranked by number of lawyers in local offices as of Jan. 1, 2005 Rank Company Telephone (last Address Fax year) Web site ...

Port firm inks deal for Aussie Oranges.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Harborside Refrigerated Services has secured a deal with Riversun Export, a Renmark, Australia, exporter, to handle 35,000 tons of navel oranges annually for the next three years at the Port of San Diego. Ed Plant, the president and owner...

San Diego public stocks.(Marketplace)
March 7, 2005... Index Watch Net Index 3/1/05 2/27/05 Change %Change San Diego Business Journal Index 1242.95 1197.24 45.71 3.82% Dow Jones Industrial...

Web connect directory.
March 7, 2005... Advertising Agencies/Marketing Communications Square One Advertising, Inc. www.squareoneadv.com erin@squareoneadv.com 868.715.4714 Whitelaw Marketing www.whitelawmarketing.com info@whitelawmarketing.com ...

Condo contentment.(Top business news: February 25-March 3, 2005)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Condo Contentment: A survey on condominium conversions in San Diego County, conducted by San Diego-based MarketPointe Realty Advisors, found that the vast majority of conversion owners, 82 percent, thought their converted condo was a good value...

Representation flap on C street.(Top business news: February 25-March 3, 2005)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Representation Flap On C Street: Is former San Diego County District Attorney Paul Pfingst still a player in the behind-closed-doors machinations at City Hall? Was he ever a player in the first place? No one's talking. San Diego City...

New leadership at Leap: Leap Wireless International Inc.(Top business news: February 25-March 3, 2005)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... New Leadership At Leap: Leap Wireless International Inc., the San Diego-based provider of fiat-rate wireless services mainly to midmarket cities, said former Chief Executive Officer William Freeman resigned from his position and the board "to...

A Kumeyaay welcome.(Top business news: February 25-March 3, 2005)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... A Kumeyaay Welcome: San Diego County's Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, in conjunction with three other American Indian tribes and non-tribal partners, officially opened a $43 million hotel March 3 in Washington, D.C. The Residence Inn Capitol...

Center sells.(Top business news: February 25-March 3, 2005)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Center Sells: One of the largest retail complexes on Miramar Road sold for $44.3 million in a deal announced March 2. The Metroplex Retail Center at 7340 and 7480 Miramar Road, a two-building complex comprising 210,926 square feet of retail...

Barrio Logan gets new mixed-use development.(Real Estate)
March 7, 2005... A new urban infill project is being built in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of Downtown San Diego. The $1.5 million BarrioHaus, a mixed-use development at the corner of National and 16th avenues, is three-quarters completed and is being touted...

Southeast San Diego community to include affordable housing.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Affordable Housing: The Olson Co., a Seal Beach-based home builder with an office in San Diego, broke ground on Legacy Walk, a residential community in Southcrest in southeast San Diego, in late February. The community will offer affordable...

Residential giant enters downtown market.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Residential Giant Enters Downtown Market: Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in San Diego announced last week that it will expand its presence into Downtown San Diego, a market where it had not previously operated. The company acquired the...

Phoenix heating up.(Real Estate)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Phoenix Heating Up: The San Diego-based real estate consultant and economic analysis firm London Group Realty Advisors, Inc. is looking east and has opened its first satellite office in Phoenix. It will be headed up by Shaun McCutcheon,...

Dress for success drive.(Real Estate)
March 7, 2005... Dress For Success Drive: The San Diego Building Owners & Managers Association is hosting a clothing drive through March to collect gently used business attire for the Dress for Success program--a nonprofit organization helping women in need...

Progress Report.(Real Estate)
March 7, 2005... SALES Property: 22690 Cactus Ave., 14300-40 Elsworth St. and 22620-40 Goldencrest Drive, Riverside. Seller: NNN Tech Fund III, LLC. Selling agents: Andrew Meyers, of Grubb & Ellis/BRE Commercial represented the buyer and seller....

Johnson & Jennings General Contracting.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Johnson & Jennings General Contracting has completed the renovation of the 25,000-square-foot exterior plaza outside the NBC Building at 225 Broadway in Downtown San Diego. The scope of the work performed included demolition of the pre-existing...

Roel Construction Co.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Roel Construction Co. was awarded tenant improvement construction for Wells Fargo Plaza at 410 B St. The project will consist of office improvements and common area upgrades to the lobby, floors and corridor. Construction is scheduled to begin...

Johnson & Jennings General Contracting has completed tenant improvement construction for the offices of Brinig & Co.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Johnson & Jennings General Contracting has completed tenant improvement construction for the offices of Brinig & Co. in the SBC building at 101 W. Broadway in Downtown San Diego. The project entailed a build-out of a 3,713-square-foot office...

Environmental Business Solutions.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Environmental Business Solutions, an SCS Engineering company, has completed phase one of the environmental site assessment services and subsurface assessment on three vacant parcels of land totaling approximately 20 acres. The property is at...

Barnhart, Inc.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Barnhart, Inc. completed modernizations to several schools in the La Mesa/Spring Valley School District. Major renovations included upgrades to electrical, Internet connectivity, cable TV, clock and fire alarm systems. Cost: Unavailable....

KMA Architecture & Engineering.(Construction Journal)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... KMA Architecture & Engineering, a San Diego-based company, has begun architectural designs for a 33,000-square-foot vehicle maintenance facility at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas. Cost: $10.9 million. Principal in charge: Don...

Calendar.(Business Events)
March 7, 2005... If you would like your business event that costs less than $75 to attend included in the calendar section, make sure your press release arrives at our offices at least 15 working days before the event. Send requests to: Stacey Bengtson...

Environmental Protection Agency honors utility.(For The Record)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... San Diego Gas & Electric Co. has been honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the Excellence in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Education 2005 Award. SDG&E was recognized for its contributions in reducing greenhouse...

Awards & recognition.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Broker of the Year)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Robert Vallera Jr., senior vice president and principal of GVA IPC, has been named the top producing broker for San Diego County in 2004. During 2004, Vallera closed 16 transactions involving 25 properties valued at $39 million. Vallera has...

Construction and design.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Susan E. Bueg joins as senior marketing coordinator)
March 7, 2005... Susan E. Bueg recently joined HDR's San Diego office as senior marketing coordinator. Buell will be responsible for coordinating proposals and presentations, facilitating marketing meetings, developing collateral materials, market research and...

Nonprofit.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Debbie Dorsee joins as executive director)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Debbie Dorsee has been named executive director of HomeAid San Diego, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building homes for San Diego's temporarily homeless residents. Dorsee will locate and manage commercial and residential projects to...

Health care and biotech.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Jennifer K. Crittenden joins as vice president)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Jennifer K. Crittenden has joined Anadys Pharmaceuticals as vice president of finance. Crittenden will assume responsibility for accounting operations, Securities and Exchange Commission reporting and tax compliance. Crittenden has more than 16...

High-tech and manufacturing.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... SmartDraw.com has expanded its senior management team, hiring Todd Savitt as director of business development and Andrew Resnick as chief financial officer. A 20-year industry veteran, Savitt is responsible for determining and analyzing new...

Law.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Keith Zakarin has joined Duane Morris as a partner in the firm's San Diego office.

Robert Mellott.(Executive Spotlight)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Robert Mellott has joined San Diego-based architectural firm Tucker Sadler as principal, chief financial officer and chief operating officer. Mellott brings more than 30 years of architecture and business experience to the firm. "Mellott has...

Real estate.(Key Hires And Promotions)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Charles McNary has rejoined Colliers International as senior vice president in the firm's Carlsbad office. A 32-year commercial real estate veteran, McNary specializes in the leasing and sale of industrial, research and development and...

The 3 Cs of business banking.(Business Banking)
March 7, 2005... No matter what size your business, you should feel it matters to your banker. There is much talk in the banking world about relationships, and with good reason. Your banking relationship can be vital to your success. Unfortunately, few business...

Firms can play match game at SBA Expo.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Matchmaking may not be a term often used in the business community, but it might soon become commonplace as the U.S. Small Business Administration hosts its SBA Expo '05, where it hopes to present a full day of business matchmaking. The...

Companies vying for technology award.(Trends)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Honoring Small Biz: Dell Inc., a provider of information technology and Internet infrastructure products and service, and the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation's largest small-business advocacy group, are teaming up for...

Spotlight: Clean Power Resources, Inc.(Small Business)
March 7, 2005... Clean Power Resources, Inc., a company that installs and sells solar electrical systems, increased its revenue by about 500 percent from 2003 to 2004. The Poway-based company, whose slogan is "If you just opened your utility bill, you...

'Retiring heroes' find it difficult to let go.(Small Business Help Line)
March 7, 2005... Question: My father owns a business and is looking to pass the business on to me, but is struggling with letting the business go into my hands. Is this normal? Answer:. There are many different departure styles from a closely held and/or...

Robert A. McNeely.(Executive Profile)(Biography)
March 7, 2005... When he was a youngster growing up in Los Angeles, Bob McNeely and his brother had the chance to spend a week with a family in Beverly Hills, an experience he called "mind changing." The differences in the neighborhood, homes and other...

Women's conference.(Trends)(small business women conferfences)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Women's Conference: SCORE, counselors to America's small business, is hosting its women's conference from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 16 at the San Diego Marriott Del Mar, 11966 El Camino Real. The seventh annual Women's Business Conference...

Let them say their non-peace.(Pacific Perspectives)
March 7, 2005... At Harvard, the university president--a former high-profile member of the Clinton administration--raises the possibility that genetic gender differences in part account for the performance disparity of men and women in math and science--and all...

Employers, employees overcoming 'bad' law.(Opinion)
March 7, 2005... The California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement has finally devised a proposal that helps both employers and employees overcome one of the most significant wage and hour hurdles to hit this state since the on again, off again status of...

City of San Diego vehicle needs some drying out.(On The Point)
March 7, 2005... San Diego's mayor and City Council, having driven the city vehicle into the lake, now want credit for having called the tow company! OK, congratulations for calling the tow company; now can we discuss how the vehicle got so wet? As we...

Qualcomm turns to the family plan: Paul Jacobs faces plenty of challenges as heir to his father's company.
March 14, 2005... Management succession has been a topic that has plagued many companies. Disney has been wringing its hands for years over who might follow Michael Eisner as chief executive. The employee owners of San Diego-based Science Applications...

Creative law: firms scramble for a piece of San Diego's intellectual property.(intellectual property market)
March 14, 2005... Headhunters are circling and law firms are in a feeding frenzy, caught up in a merry-go-round of merging and raiding, all to grab a piece of the increasingly lucrative intellectual property market in San Diego. "For me to do a case worth...

Old town's new look puts powers in the past: popular businesswoman relinquishes control of Bazaar del Mundo.
March 14, 2005... Diane Powers says she made up her mind three weeks ago to give up her nearly yearlong fight to overturn the state's decision to award the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park's concession to Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts. ...

Direct writers pen new chapter in Work-Comp saga.
March 14, 2005... Employers in San Diego trying to cut down on their workers' compensation costs may not be considering all available options. As alternatives to traditional workers' comp insurance arrangements, direct writers such as Agoura Hills-based...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
March 14, 2005... The number of countywide offices for law firms appearing on the Law Firms List in the March 7 issue of the San Diego Business Journal was incorrectly titled as the number of statewide offices. In the March 7 edition of the San Diego...