A TOUR OF SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce’s held the Fourth Annual Eco Bus Tour.
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS
business WWW.CARLSBAD.ORG
Journal
Biz leaders make 2013 predictions
Industry: golf
1. What were some of the most significant developments that affected your business in 2012? A c c o rd ing to the National G o l f Foundation, more rounds of golf were played this year in the U n i t e d KING States compared to last year. That’s good for us because typically, the more golf
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— Peter MacLaggan, Poseidon Water LLC
An artist rendering of what the Carlsbad Desalination Project's facility will look like. A 30-year water purchase agreement between Poseidon Water LLC and the San Diego County Water Authority ensures that construction can proceed.
DesaL plant clears last hurdle By José A. López Editor | Carlsbad Business Journal
The San Diego County Water Authority’s board of directors approved a 30-year contract to buy all of the water produced by proposed Carlsbad Desalination Project on Nov. 29, a decision that all-but-ensures that Poseidon Water LLC will be able to move forward with plans to create the largest seawater desalination plant in the western hemisphere. “This action taken by the county water authority was the last major milestone that needed to be approved,” said Peter M. MacLaggan senior vice president of project development for Poseidon Water LLC in an interview a day after the vote. “We now appear to have a clear path to the finish line after a 12-year process.” The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce has been a steadfast supporter of the project, which was gridlocked in the courts after numerous challenges from coastal environmental groups and a lengthy regulatory process. MacLaggan was in Sacramento, where Poseidon and the water authority were asking the California Pollution Control Financing Authority to authorize the sale of $840 million in taxexempt bonds, which along with $160 million in private equity would finance the construction of the desalination facility (which will be next to
(Chamber file photo)
Peter M. MacLaggan of Poseidon Water LLC points out where the company's desalination plant will be located the Encina Power Station) and a 10-mile pipeline from Carlsbad to San Marcos. He said Poseidon hopes to give its contracting team a notice to proceed with the project by the end of the year. Once the project starts, crews will clear out the old oil tanks on the property and finalize the pipeline design. Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2013 and take about two and a half years. The plant would be fully operational by 2016. It will produce 50 million
gallons of drinking water per day, enough to serve about 450,000 residents — or nearly 7 percent of the region’s needs. MacLaggan said being able to tap the sea for a portion of the region’s water supply will significantly alter the way the county views its water supply. “This is one very small step in the longer term, it’s a transition of how we look at our water,” he said. While in the past, the region has imported most of its water, recycling could be playing a larger role in the future. “We have that option and the technology allows us to pursue that an an alternative. This won’t be the last desalination plant you’re going to see in San Diego County.” In addition to the added supply of water, construction will also bring some 2,300 jobs to the region, including the construction workers and engineers that will work to build and design the project and the local suppliers of desalination equipment. Once operational, the facility will have a $50 million operating budget and provided jobs for about 400 people. “Right now when we all pay our water bills, the money mostly flows to Los Angeles County,” MacLaggan said. “We don’t get a lot of employment from that. This is an opportunity to put some of that infrastructure here and create some local jobs in the process.”
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Servant Leadership Winter Conference set for Feb. 5-7 Leaders will provide insight into transforming corporate culture and performance By Danielle Aguas
Marketing Specialist Servant Leadership Institute
5934 Priestly Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008
e now appear to have a clear path to the finish line after a 12-year process.
There’s a crisis in leadership today. Harvard Business Review recently stated that self-serving leadership has eroded our confidence in institutions around the world, so it’s no surprise that business leaders are searching for a better way to lead. “If there ever is a time for servant leadership, the time is now,” said Mark Larson, national talk show host and emcee for the Servant Leadership Winter Conference, which will be held from Feb. 5-7 at the Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa.
The conference’s theme — “uncharted territory” — reflects the aim of host Servant Leadership Institute (SLI) to guide people on a journey into the uncharted territory of servant leadership using practical tools and transformative modes of thinking to improve performance, increase leadership effectiveness, and provide sustainable results. Conference attendees will be able to interact with keynote speakers and presenters, including leadership experts and authors John Maxwell and Ken Blanchard, Art Barter, CEO of Vista-based Datron World Communications;
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Participants during a panel discussion at last year’s Servant Leadership Winter Conference.
save the date! • friday, march 8, 2013
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Taylormade Golf Company
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Within their respective industries, 2012 was a momentous one for Life Technologies, Taylormade Golf Co. and ViaSat Inc. all of them Carlsbad-based companies that are leaders in their respective fields. With that in mind, we asked representatives from each of them to recap the events that had the biggest impact on their companies and industries in 2012 and to play prognosticators and give us some insight into what may happen in the coming year. Below you will find responses from TaylorMade Golf CEO Mark King, ViaSat President and COO Rick Baldridge and representatives from Life Technologies. The responses have been edited.
DECEMBER 2012
an award-winning, monthly publication of the carlsbad chamber of commerce
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vol. 29, no. 12