San Marcos’ Project Next is one of the recipients of the 2023 North County Economic Development Awards.
The awards, presented by the San Diego North Economic Development Council, also went to:
- Kaiser Permanente for opening the new San Marcos Medical Center, generating 1,000 new jobs while earning LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council It is just the third hospital in California to attain the status.
- The city of Escondido and Fresh Brewed Tech for their AgTech Hackathon, an event to bring together entrepreneurs, technologists, farmers, economic developers and other stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to address local agriculture challenges.
- Genentech for their Oceanside Single-Use Technology project in Oceanside, which led to 150 permanent full-time jobs and numerous construction jobs during building of the cutting-edge facility.
- Argonaut for its five-facility expansion in Carlsbad. The firm forecasts a tripling of revenue in the next five years, while being on track to employ up to 300 people.
- M2 Ingredients, the owner of the Om Mushrooms brand of mushroom powder and supplements, for its $20 million facility construction in Vista. Once constructed, it will be the largest mushroom powder producer in the US, employing over 120 people.
- Gary Levitt, founder of Sea Breeze Properties, as the 2023 North County Steward; he was behind North City, a 200-acre urban village in the center of San Marcos and also has been selected to redesign the Carlsbad Village Transit Center.
Project Next (formerly San Marcos Promise) was honored for its new program, Xcelerate, which fills a gap for students who struggle academically yet excel in other areas. It offers students assistance with finding jobs, creating resumes and practicing pre-employment skills.
The organization’s officials called the award “not just a recognition, (but) an affirmation that we’re collectively advancing to the next level of impact in the lives of high school students.”
