Q2 2011
(April/May/June)
Q2 EDC Highlights
Every quarter EDC provides highlights from our economic development
program and jobs development strategy. We welcome you to get involved!
Economic Development Highlights
Three Wins Bringing Jobs to Region
EDC Welcomes
New CEO
GrupoTec Inc., based in Valencia, Spain
has established its US Headquarters in the
San Diego region. Servicing solar photo
voltaic sites throughout the country,
including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Boston, Texas and
Hawaii, the company will be looking to initially employ approximately
20 design engineers in San Diego. EDC is thrilled to be able to welcome
GrupoTec to the region and see its growth plans reflect San Diego's
growing international business reputation!
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences has confirmed
exploration of expansion efforts into San Diego and
allocated funding to develop its plan. ATSU has
established an office in downtown San Diego. Thanks
to Cushman & Wakefield for donating the space for a
small project team to continue the site search and
planning for the university campus and initiate a robust campaign to
raise funds. ATSU is committed to bring a comprehensive health
sciences university campus to the region.
Audio innovator Altec Lansing LLC announced the
opening of its new office in San Diego, as part of the
company's continued commitment to create
innovative products that deliver a high quality audio
experience to customers. According to George
Stelling, President and COO, they are forecasting to
hire 22 new staff immediately with the goal of 60
more jobs in the coming months, including 20
engineers.
"In San Diego we know Altec Lansing can continue to innovate
aggressively in both products and software by tapping deep talent pools
in the wireless and networking industries," said Stelling. "As music
migrates to the cloud and as consumers readily adopt Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,
and other connected solutions for audio, we feel that our San Diego
footprint will play a critical role in future growth in both our audio
solutions and technology licensing businesses."
http://www.alteclansing.com/ae/us/press-room/scat/pressroom/
Cali-Baja Bi-National Mega-Region
Important Milestone Reached
In May, six economic development agencies
including EDC celebrated an important
milestone with the signing of the Marketing
"Rules of Engagement" Memorandum of
Understanding, signaling the beginning of
formal marketing efforts together under
the Cali Baja brand. The event was held at
Bill Geppert
President & CEO
San Diego
Regional EDC
Bill led the board twice
as its chairman and is
very familiar with the
organization's current
structure," said EDC
Chair Debbie Reed,
CEO, Sempra Energy.
"We are grateful to him
for stepping into an
interim role as our
Search Committee
identifies a permanent
CEO." She added that
Bill is the ideal person
to ensure that EDC's
momentum on job
creation is enhanced
while the search goes
forward for a new CEO.
Since retiring from Cox
Communications five
months ago, Bill's focus
has been to give
back to the community
including spearheading
a regional visioning
initiative, which has an
economic development
task force.
Bill is looking forward to
working with the
economic development
partners across the
region and with EDC's
team to improve
the business climate
to foster job growth.
Project Summary
SDSU's VizCenter and highlighted plans to create an online asset map of
the region's competitive strengths. With the marketing MOU in place,
Cali Baja partners participated in the MEXPORT Trade Show in Otay
Mesa and the Second International Aerospace Forum in Tijuana. During
the quarter, EDC organized a tour of an algae farm and meetings with
Imperial Valley Community College for our BIOCOM colleagues. EDC,
BIOCOM and CleanTECH San Diego among others are partners an algae
industry workforce development program.
www.calibaja.org
Regional Jobs-Development Strategy
Chairman's Council Sets Course to Spur Export-Sector Job
Growth
In June, EDC's Executive Committee adopted the Chairman's Council's
concept for a regional jobs development strategy. With a goal to
produce 220,000 jobs by 2020, the strategy spearheads aggressive
programs to spur 19,000 new technology-sector jobs, which have high
multipliers adding additional jobs to the economy.
EDC will organize efforts specifically in the defense and software
sectors, in conjunction with the related sector organizations, while
coordinating programs with many other organizations supporting with
high-yield industries.
The Chairman's Council contracted with National University System
Institute for Policy Research for an analysis of regional economic
drivers to inform the job-development strategy, and sought counsel
from industry leaders to help create the outline.
Access to Global Markets Made Easier
Direct Flights from Europe and Mexico
British Airlines direct service from San Diego
to London offers convenient daily access to
European markets. BA and American Airlines
have combined mileage programs making
upgrades easier than ever. Business travel
between San Diego and Mexico City and Guadalajara just go easier as
well. Volaris is offering daily direct flights providing access to two
major markets in Mexico.
Total Active
Projects: 55
(30 Attraction/
25 Expansion)
Projects on
Watch: 20
Job Creation
(Active Projects Only)
Est. Job Creation:
1,625
Est. High-Wage
Jobs: 775
Definition of
Terms
Projects on Watch:
A combination of two project
types: (1) Projects that EDC
has actively worked that are
currently on hold; (2) Projects
suspected to become active
in the near future (30-60
days).
Welcome New
Members
of the Board
Bill Bold
QUALCOMM, Inc.
Julie Dubick
City of San Diego
Jerry Engen
Westfield
Kirk Kicklighter
Luce Forward
Kris Michell
Downtown Partnership
Industry Roundtables
San Diego Mayor meets with Sector Leaders
EDC arranged for molecular diagnostics executives to discuss the sector
depth and advancements developed in San Diego with Mayor Jerry
Sanders. Carl Hull, President and CEO of Gen-Probe, Bernd Brust,
President of Molecular Medicine for Life Technologies, and Dr. Drew
Senyei,Managing Director Enterprise Partners Venture Capital, were
joined by CEOs of bioTheranostics, Prometheus Laboratories, Pathway
Genomics and Ridge Diagnostics. Next up is a meeting with state and
federal representatives related to the limited number of facility
inspectors for the medical device and diagnostic facilities which slows
the approval of new or expanding facilities.
EDC also organized a session on San Diego's video game industry, which
is setting industry standards worldwide. Mayor Sanders met with John
Smedley, President, Sony Online Entertainment, and leaders from Trion
Worlds, Playdom at Disney Interactive Media Group, Sony Computer
Entertainment and John Paul the Great Catholic University, which
recently added video gaming to its curriculum. EDC and the Mayor's
office committed supporting a bid for the Electronics Entertainment
Expo (E3) conference; its contract with the LA convention center ends
in 2014.
Workforce Development
Scott Peters
Port of San Diego
Troy Zanders
DLA Piper
Thank you to
Directors
Ending Terms
Bob Bell
Luce Forward
Joel Reed
RA Capital Advisors
Doug Rein
DLA Piper
Welcome New
Investors
Supporting
Economic
Development
Making a Difference Today while Investing in our Future
AMN Healthcare
So far, 225 young people have gone to work this summer through the
region's Hire-A-Youth program! Thanks to Carefusion, Jack in the Box,
QUALCOMM, SAIC, Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch and many more
for hiring young people through the San Diego Workforce Partnership
program. Internships as short as three weeks can be arranged. Contact
EDC's Jennifer Storm at jh@sandiegobusiness.org or 619.615.2953.
Goodrich
Aerostructures
Gregory Canyon
Landmark
Aviation
Signature Flight
Support
Policy Program Refined Focus
Support for Alternative Energy Projects
US Bank
Walmart
Under the EDC/Chamber Partnership
and other collaborations, EDC provided
advocacy materials for electric vehicle
solar powered charging stations,
regional infrastructure projects
including the natural gas power plant
and desalination plant in Carlsbad, as
well as a multi-modal regional
transportation plan and zoning for
regional expansion of wind energy.
46th EDC Annual Dinner
Mike Milken's Remarks on San Diego Forecast Bright Future
In photo from left to right: EDC Chair
Debbie Reed, Sempra Energy; CoUnderwriter Rafael Pastor, Vistage
International; Julie Meier Wright, San
Diego Regional EDC; and Annual Dinner
Committee Chair Jim Zortman, Northrop
Grumman
June's Annual Dinner was another highly-entertaining event with more
than 700 business executives, community members and elected
regional leaders attending. The highlights of the evening were a
forecast on San Diego's economy by Mike Milken, EDC's accomplishments
outlined by Chair Debbie Reed, and a gracious acceptance speech of
the Herb Klein Civic Leadership Award by SDSU's Dr. Stephen Weber,
who retired in July.
Dinner Underwriters:
Gen-Probe Incorporated and Vistage International
Event Sponsors: Landmark Aviation, Signature Flight Support, Bank of
America, Walmart, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority for
British Airways, Veolia Transportation | Veolia Water, AMN Healthcare,
Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial, Goodrich Aerostructures and US Bank.
EDC Social Corner
Are you following us? We hope so.
www.sandiegobusiness.org
About San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation
EDC's mission is to attract high-wage technology-driven companies to the region
from around the world and assist those here with expansion plans, and to
advocate and champion foundational efforts to improve the region's
competitiveness.
For more information please contact:
Lauree Sahba
Chief Operations Officer
619-234-8484; ls@sandieogobusiness.org
San Diego Regional EDC | 530 B Street, Seventh Floor | 619-234-8484 | 619-234-1935 |
info@sandiegobusiness.org | www.sandiegobusiness.org
Copyright © 2011. All Rights Reserved.