San Diego Source

When the San Diego Daily Transcript sought to tell the story of how the San Diego business community was affected by the events of Sept. 11, it went to the authorities: top executives at local companies.

Their stories are featured in these pages.

Transcript Editor in Chief Reo Carr says the newspaper endeavored to identify and interview a cross-section, or a representative sample, of the local business community. About two-dozen local executives agreed to share their thoughts.

The result is a patchwork of experiences and perceptions as executives reflect on their own businesses and on their industries. Intertwined in these responses are subtexts -- about politics, about patriotism, about life philosophies. One year later, San Diego businesses are still gauging the fallout of Sept. 11, 2001.

Major Gen. Jan Huly

Commander, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego

Major Gen. Jan Huly has been in command of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot for two and one half years.

Douglas Barnhart

CEO and construction manager, Douglas E. Barnhart Inc.

"A large part of our business is working with the Department of Defense in the Western U.S. and since Sept. 11, we've seen a number of changes related specifically to force protection," said Douglas Barnhart, chief executive officer of contractor and construction manager Douglas E. Barnhart Inc.

Garry O. Ridge

President, CEO of WD-40 Co.

WD-40 Co. does business in 160 countries. It has nine regional offices abroad.

Jay Diskin

IPC Commercial/TNC

"In the past year, my business hasn't been up or down, just steady. It is hard to say whether this flatness is due to 9/11, the stock market, a sluggish economy or a combination of these factors," said Jay Diskin of IPC Commercial/TNC. "And the response I've heard industrywide is that business isn't necessarily off, just flat or stagnant.

Larry Bradford

Owner, Larry Bradford & Associates

"As a sign contractor working under long-term contracts with the military and schools, 9/11 didn't hurt my business, and if anything, has produced a bit of a boon," said Larry Bradford, owner of Larry Bradford & Associates.

Lee Shellberg II

President/owner, New Century Construction

"9/11 wasn't a devastating blow to my business. It was more like a bruise on the cheek," said Lee Shellberg, president and owner of New Century Construction. "Because I'm a small business doing primarily government work, it hasn't impacted my overall bottom line significantly."

Paul E. Kreutz

Senior Business Partner, Gray Cary

"Attorneys and law firms focusing on the technology sector have experienced a significant decline in transactional work," said Paul Kreutz, a senior business partner with the law firm Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP.

Rev. George Walker Smith

Pastor emeritus of Christ United Presbyterian Church of San Diego

Rev. George Walker Smith watched as the nation's places of worship filled to the brim in the days following Sept. 11, 2001.

Richard Collato

President, YMCA of San Diego County

"The impact of the 9/11 attacks on the United States has certainly left a permanent mark and new degree of uncertainties in our society and throughout the world," said Richard Collato, president of the YMCA of San Diego County. In response to last year's terrorist attacks, the YMCA provided a haven for the community, particularly young people, by offering after-school programs and grief counseling, and stepping up community outreach. Programs were developed to help young people cope with confusion and fears about safety and the possibilities of going to war, topics that were virtually unnecessary for the YMCA to focus on before 9/11.

Robert Lankford, president, Lankford & Associates

"The impact of Sept. 11 on our business and on the real estate business in the country in general, was part of the overall weakening of corporate growth," said Rob Lankford, president of Lankford & Associates Inc.

William Scott

Senior vice president, Catellus Urban Development Group

"Clearly the events of Sept. 11 have deepened the trough of the sluggish economy and like many companies, we are feeling some impacts from this downturn," said Bill Scott, senior vice president of Catellus Urban Development Group.

Bob Taylor and Kurt Lustig

President and CEO, respectively, of Taylor Guitars

Following Sept. 11, 2001, Taylor Guitars of El Cajon joined the growing throng of companies forced to lay off workers.

Bob Lichter

CEO, Lichter Venture Group

The commercial real estate sector, particularly retail shopping centers, seems to have come through the last year with relatively little disruption, reports Bob Lichter, CEO of the Lichter Venture Group.

William Scott

Senior vice president, Catellus Urban Development Group

Terry Moore, ACI Commercial

"Our income property brokerage business is up about 50 percent this year and Sept. 11 is a contributing factor," said Terry Moore of ACI Commercial. "People buy income property for income purposes. Our clients buy property with 50 to 70 percent borrowed money. Interest rates are at the lowest level in two generations, making many more transactions feasible."

Doug Wilson

President and CEO, Douglas Wilson Cos.

Last year's terrorist attacks put pressure on business sectors that were already stressed by the weakening economy and the dot-com bust, according to Doug Wilson, president and CEO of the Douglas Wilson Cos.

Roger Hedgecock

Radio talk show host

Local talk show host Roger Hedgecock has found that talk radio is often the first place that people turn to when national tragedy strikes.

Monsignor Dennis Clark, Church of the Nativity

"In the aftermath of 9/11, as San Diegans were wrenched from their everyday routines by the images of New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, the churches of San Diego were faced with bewildered congregations in much need of comfort and answers," according to Monsignor Dennis Clark, pastor of the Church of the Nativity in Rancho Santa Fe.

Col. Regan Wright

USMC (Ret.), executive director of the USO of San Diego

Amid the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001, there has risen a strong sense of nationalism and a unifying force in communities. Such unification is evidenced by the support received and given over the past year by the United Service Organizations, or USO.

Rev. Roby Warren

Founding minister, The Celebration Church

The Celebration Church is a new Church of Religious Science in the Del Mar area. Its first board meeting was scheduled and held at 6 p.m. on 9/11 and was chaired by Rev. Roby Warren, its founding minister.

Tom Shepard

CEO of Tom Shepard Co.

The political fund-raising/government relations sector has faced challenges and has refocused since 9/11, reports Tom Shepard, CEO of Tom Shepard Co., which does political consulting, campaign strategy and government relations.

Gina Champion-Cain

Board president, Downtown San Diego Partnership

"As a real estate developer, I rely upon the capital markets to fund deals. Obviously, the financial institutions pulled back significantly after Sept. 11," said Gina Champion-Cain of American National Investments Inc. "But the truth of the matter is that these markets were changing substantially prior to that date. The status of the economy, and the change in market conditions due to the collapse of the stock market and the fall of the dot-coms really had more of a significant impact on my business than the terrorist attacks."

Deborah Hoffman

Vice president of donor relations, The San Diego Foundation

Folks in San Diego were in the giving spirit in the year after Sept. 11, 2001, but they didn't have as much money to give.

John Thornton

CEO of Mitek Systems and Thornton Winery

The software development sector and the tourist industry were both hard hit by the events of 9/11 and both have suffered in varying degrees all year, according to John Thornton, CEO of Mitek Systems and Thornton Winery in Temecula.

Karen Dow

Partner, Morrison & Foerster

The events of Sept. 11, 2001 have triggered a renewed focus by the United States on bioterrorism, according to Karen Dow, a law partner in the San Diego office of Morrison & Foerster.

Linden Blue

Vice chairman, General Atomics

The terrorism that brought the world to a standstill a year ago is keeping the global economy on its knees a year later.

John Hawkins

CEO, Cloud 9 Shuttle

One of the hardest hit industries since last year's terrorist attacks was travel and tourism. While may think first of the airlines or hotels, John Hawkins thinks first of ground transportation. As CEO of Cloud 9 Shuttle, his business has been deeply affected by the events of last year.