Business Bits: Carlsbad Company Named 'Best Place to Work' for 2013

– 3E Company, a Carlsbad-based information resource company, recently won the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Safety 2013 Attendee Choice Award in the "safety data sheet management" category. As one of the industry leaders in environmental health and safety compliance and information management services, the company's Online-SDS safety data sheet took home honors at the 2013 Attendee Choice Awards.

"3E is gratified to again receive independent, objective validation of our strong standing in the SDS arena from such trusted and highly respected third-party sources," Jeffrey Starr, vice president of marketing at 3E Company, said in a statement.

– ViaSat, Inc. was recently awarded a $21.7 million order from the U.S. Navy, for delivery of communications electronics, according to the San Diego Business Journal. The Carlsbad-based defense company will create Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS), which are used by all four branches of the armed forces for voice and data transfer, for the Department of Defense. The newspaper reports that 30 percent of the work will be done in Carlsbad, and is expected to take 2 years. This delivery order combines purchases not only for the United States (47 percent), but also for Australia (22 percent), Oman (16 percent) and Thailand (15 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program.

– MaintenanceNet, based out of Carlsbad, was one of the companies named in San Diego Business Journal's "Best Places to Work" awards program. The award "spotlights the top 100 San Diego area companies that have created successful business environments and outstanding corporate cultures for their employees," according to ConsumerElectronics.net. MaintenanceNet is a service annuity leader that helps businesses connect with successful sales opportunities through data mining, analytics, and marketing programs. 

– Emerson, a local technology company, has sold a 51 percent stake in its business to Platinum Equity, for approximately $300 million, according to Fortune. Emerson will retain the remaining 49 percent equity, and " increase its share repurchase by $600 million to offset associated earnings dilution," according to the magazine. Platinum Equity is a Beverly Hills-based acquisition, which famously purchased the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2010 from the Copley Family, before selling it again to San Diego area developer Doug Manchester. 

– Life Technologies Corporation, a Carlsbad-based biotech company specializing in genetic analysis and applied sciences, recently signed a five-year contract with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to provide research and food safety testing on E.Coli and salmonella, two of the most common foodborne contaminants. 

Nir Nimrodi, VP/GM for Food Safety and Animal Health at Life Technologies, told the Sacramento Bee: "We are excited to be entering this cooperative research and development agreement with the FDA as we have been working alongside them in one capacity or the other for over 10 years. The FDA will call on us, particularly when it comes to developing rapid detection kits.  This agreement allows them to have new rapid track and trace products for rapid identification of foodborne contaminants."