Friday, Jan. 2
From Sacramento To B Street:
Former state Assemblywoman Shirley Horton, who was termed out of her seat in the 78th District last year, was named president of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, a business advocacy group. Horton, who served in the Assembly from 2002 to last year and before that was a longtime mayor of Chula Vista, replaces Barbara Warden, a former member of the San Diego City Council, starting Jan. 12, the organization said.
, Mike Allen
Monday, Jan. 5
New Skipper For Port:
Charles D. Wurster was named president and chief executive for the San Diego Unified Port District, its board of port commissioners announced. He replaces retired CEO Bruce Hollingsworth.
Wurster, 59, was a three-star admiral who served 37 years in the U.S. Coast Guard before retiring in May from his job as commander of the Coast Guard’s Pacific area, based in Alameda. Wurster was one of 80 people who applied for the position, which pays $200,000 annually.
, Mike Allen
Wednesday, Jan. 7
Biotech Funding Flows:
La Jolla biotech company Anaphore said it raised $25 million in a Series A financing round. 5AM Ventures, Versant Ventures and Apposite Capital led the round. Anaphore will use the proceeds to speed development of a new class of protein therapeutics, dubbed Atrimers, that address unmet medical needs in the areas of cancer and immune-mediated diseases.
, Heather Chambers
Thursday, Jan. 8
Hospital Of The Future:
Sharp Memorial Hospital debuted its latest expansion with a sneak peek into its Stephen Birch Healthcare Center in Kearny Mesa. The new facility features all-private patient rooms, a new and expanded emergency and trauma center, a new surgery center and advanced medical technologies.
The seven-story, 334-bed facility came with a price tag of $194 million. It was funded through a combination of borrowing, operating income and private donations, including a $10 million gift by the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation.
, Heather Chambers
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Snap-on To Leave Escondido:
A large tools manufacturer is closing its Escondido plant and laying off about 80 employees, some of whom will be rehired at other facilities.
Wisconsin-based public company Snap-on is combining the Escondido operations with those of a Los Angeles-area facility, said company spokesman Richard Secor.
“We announced to employees there in November that we would be consolidating that facility into our City of Industry facility,” he said. “There won’t be any layoffs until at least the end of January and the plant won’t be closed until the end of March.”
Secor said the company is assisting affected employees in the transition by locating job placement kiosks at the site and contacting suppliers to see if they have openings.
Snap-on acquired the Escondido location in the purchase of ATI Tools, which makes aircraft maintenance tools.
“This is really about having two locations within a hundred miles of each other with similar functions,” Secor said. “It’s really about consolidating those facilities to be more efficient.”
, Ned Randolph
