Wednesday, July 23, 2008 
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Each year we honor influential people in the major industry sectors that sustain San Diego's economy. These individuals are profiled in a special print publication and online.
North Island Credit Union: Ethical business performance and organizational excellence
Search top business lists, company facts, contact information and industry specifics in the county's most comprehensive business community directory, updated online daily.
The Daily Transcript's Source Sales Tools are fresh, daily e-mails of sales leads which get you to potential customers faster than your competition. The lists provide exact, reliable information ready for your marketing, sales and advertising efforts.
The business and consumer services industries will turn their calendars over to a new year but not without leaving behind the concerns of the past 12 months.
Many of the future challenges the health care, insurance, accounting and retail industries will face have been ongoing business trends from years past. 2007 brought natural disasters, changes in industry standards and proposals for reform, which will affect the coming year.
Following a year in which the county has endured wildfires and a sharp drop in residential building, officials are predicting that 2008 will be one of transition and change for the construction industry.
Some contractors may scale back and limit development if growth stays at the same sluggish rate; others may try to save their business by diversifying into commercial and public projects, an area where continued growth is expected.
By most accounts U.S. markets fared surprisingly well during 2007 considering the amount of bad news.
Slowing economic growth, a deepening housing correction, rising foreclosures, rapidly depreciating mortgage investments and shaky credit markets were just a few of the issues that loomed over investors.
The same fundamentals that spooked investors in 2007 will continue in 2008, experts anticipate.
The subprime mortgage collapse seems to have affected the commercial as well as the residential markets.
The office, industrial and even the retail commercial space markets have been slower than normal in San Diego County. Though it could be some time before they rebound, commercial real estate experts remain optimistic for the long term.
San Diego's reputation as a hotbed of life sciences and technology looks to grow in 2008, as one of the world's biggest biotech conference comes to the city, and experts predict three cutting-edge technology sectors will take off.