by The Editors on September 4, 2008
Carlsbad’s electric motorcycle company Aptera isn’t just messing around with all that “C” round money. They’re aiming right for the top, especially with their new hire of Paul Wilbur as president and chief executive officer.
Wilbur is an automotive industry veteran who brings 26 years of extensive automotive experience, ranging from product planning and finance to marketing and product development for leading car companies such as Ford and Chrysler. Most recently, Wilbur was the president and CEO of Detroit-based American Specialty Cars, a tier-1 supplier of open air and convertible roof systems and Saleen, a leading manufacturer of high performance specialty cars and trucks.
But the big question being asked in automotive circles is what has happened to former CEO and founder Steve Fambro? According to the Up To Speed blog in the LA Times: “Fambro will become chief technical officer, since “it is a much better role for him to concentrate on vehicle development.”
Right. And Up To Speed points out that the same thing that happened to Tesla Motors‘ founder Martin Eberhard. He was moved to a position called “president of technology.” Then four months later he left the company entirely.
Hmm. . . .
[Link: Up To Speed]
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by The Editors on September 3, 2008
Joe Berry, the chief information officer of US Airways is leaving the company this month to become the senior vice president and chief information officer at Applied Biomedical/Invitrogen according to a story in USA Today.
Beery is just one of three “longtime executives” who are leaving the Tempe-based airline. It’s probably not a bad time to get out of the airline industry and move to Carlsbad, actually. Welcome, Mr. Berry. We hope you’ll leave the US Air stock mojo back with the old company.
[Link: USA Today]
by The Editors on August 29, 2008
We’re not the biggest fans of the yellow City of Carlsbad “Notice of Project Application” signs. We don’t hate them as much as the carlsGOOD? artists, but let’s just say we often like things left they way they are. That’s why we were a little bummed to see a new sign up on the east side of Garfield St. just north of Juniper Ave.
The proposed SDP/CD” is for “the demolition of a single-family residence and to develop the site with 3 apartment units with underground garage and associated landscaping. Project Applicant: Blue Motif Architecture.
It wasn’t until we checked out Blue Motif Architecture that we began to breathe a little easier. The company has designed and developed some quality, modern, ecologically sensitive, and architecturally significant buildings in San Diego recently. The Sombrilla Condominiums in Oceanside (if only they were in a better neighborhood) and several San Diego Organic To Go locations are just a few of them. The 3-unit condo complex shown above is slated for future construction in Oceanside, but it shows the kind of buildings they specialize in.
Blue Motif’s motto is: “We believe that every project presents a new opportunity to create space to be remembered.” And that makes us feel much better about what they’re planning to build in Carlsbadistan. We just hope they’re not dissuaded by all the modern beach projects that sit unsold and empty.
by The Editors on August 26, 2008
We’re marking our calendar. On October 16, 2008 Invitrogen (our favorite Carlsbad-based life sciences company) is holding a special meeting of its shareholders to vote on the company’s proposed acquisition of Applied Biosystems Inc.
The special meeting of shareholders will be held on October 16, 2008, at 9 a.m., PT at Invitrogen’s headquarters, 5781 Van Allen Way, Carlsbad, Calif. 92008. Invitrogen shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 5, 2008 will be entitled to vote at the special meeting.
We’re thinking me might go, just for fun. How many times have you voted on a $6.4 billion deal?
[Link: BusinessWire]
by The Editors on August 23, 2008
Nexus Properties just paid $20.5 million for the 12.7 acre lot at 5600 Avenida Encinas, which has been home to the San Diego International Floral Trade Center since 1990, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
For 18 years, the 154,000-square-foot former computer manufacturing building has been a fragrant flea market where florists from El Centro to San Bernardino come to buy bundles of fresh roses, tulips and other plants for their shops. . . . About 30 local growers and vendors operate out of the center, which was the brainchild of the late Paul Ecke Jr. of the poinsettia-growing Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas.
With 26.3 percent of the Carlsbad office space currently empty, seems like an odd time to be developing more office space. Then again, it’s a block to the beach.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on August 22, 2008
Today the State Lands Commission voted 3-0 “to approve a lease of state property for a desalination plant in Carlsbad,” according to a story on KPBS.org.
Scott Maloni of Poseidon Resources says the company is looking forward to turning seawater into freshwater. “Well we’re done with the permitting process, the five-year process comes to a close. We’ll spend the rest of the year closing construction financing and we expect to break ground the first half of next year.”
Oh, joy. A lagoon full of construction. We can hardly wait.
[Link: KPBS.org]
by The Editors on August 18, 2008
The Carlsbad-based Barbeques Galore, Inc., the world’s largest specialty retailer of barbecues and accessories, filed for Chapter 11 protection in US Bankruptcy court on August 15, 2008. The company operated 65 stores in the US and was in debt to the tune of $50 million, according to a story on Bloomberg.com.
Jeffrey Sears, chief executive officer of Barbeques Galore, said in a sworn statement that “the general collapse of the market from home sales” and the company’s inability to borrow from its bank lender or from Ironbridge forced it to seek bankruptcy protection.
Yep, take it off the grill. It’s definitely done.
[Link: Bloomberg.com]
by The Editors on August 16, 2008
When the doors of the new Carlsbad Apple Store at The Forum opened for customers the first time this morning at 10 AM Elizabeth Jean DeBoer, of the Oceanside Mac User Group was the first person in the store.
“I’ve been here since 4:20 AM,” she said from her comfortable chair before the doors opened. “I’m going to upgrade my iPhone to 3G and I waited until this store opened because I didn’t want to go to Fashion Valley.”
DeBoer entered the store through a gauntlet of more than 40 enthusiastically screaming, clapping, carousing Apple retail employees all outfitted in their matching orange and turquoise T-shirts with the words “I know people” screened on the front of them.
It was a bit of a madhouse actually as each person was welcomed into the store as if they were a high school football player entering the field of a state championship. It was just a continuation of the welcome everyone in line got at 9:50 when all the employees charged out of the front doors of the store and ran down the line of some 200 customers high-fiving them all and yelling the whole way.
The commotion was distracting regular mall shoppers as they tried to find parking. One attractive woman in big glasses leaned out her window or her black Porsche Cayenne to ask was was going on. When someone told her they were waiting for free T-shirts she couldn’t believe it. “All these people are standing in line for a free T-shirt,” she replied with a look of shock. “I thought all the iPods were 10 percent off or something.”
The Carlsbad store is the newest member of the Apple family of more than 200 retail stores worldwide. And while the Carlsbad store’s General Manager Audrey Todd wouldn’t say exactly how many employees her store has (or how many of them are from Carlsbad) she was happy to say that “Apple is always hiring.”
Stores hours are 8 AM to to 9 PM (Sundays 9 AM to 6 PM) and like all Apple retail store it features The Genius Bar, One To One weekly training, Personal Shopping, Workshops and Youth Programs.
For all the details, and more photos follow the jump (click them to view full size).
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by The Editors on August 16, 2008
A Superior Court judge has sided with the City of Encinitas in the battle over who is going to pay for all the upgrades that La Costa Avenue will need for the increase traffic that the proposed Ponto hotel and resort development will cause, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Judge Robert P. Dahlquist said the Ponto plan’s environmental impact report, required under the California Environmental Quality Act as a step before anything can be built, is inadequate and should be set aside. . . . . . . . “At this time, the city is very pleased with the ruling,” Encinitas City Attorney Glenn Sabine said yesterday.
Carlsbad’s City Attorney Ron Ball is hoping to convince the judge otherwise. Apparently, the City of Carlsbad would like to get out of as much of the $5.3 million improvement costs as possible.
The judge agreed with Encinitas that Carlsbad’s methodology for calculating how much developers would pay without addressing who would make up the difference “is inadequate as a matter of law and is not supported by substantial evidence,” the ruling says.
We’d have to say we agree with Judge Dahlquist. The Carlsbad City Council really doesn’t seem too skilled at math.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on August 16, 2008
Have a thing for small, shiny objects? Like rolling fresh cut diamonds through your hands all day? Well, there may be a way to get paid to do it all day. Find out at the Gemological Institute of America’s Jewerly Career Fair on September 12, 2008 at the GIA campus in Carlsbadistan.
When you attend GIA’s Jewelry Career Fair, you’ve come one step closer to creating the life you’ve imagined. Career Fair gives you the chance to explore everything the fine jewelry industry has to offer.
Hey, even if you’re just a small time jewel thief this may be the perfect place to learn more about the gemological indsutry.
[Link: GIA via Diamonds.net]
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