North Bay Business Journal

Palm Drive names new interim CEO

SEBASTOPOL — The Palm Drive Healthcare District named current Chief Financial Officer Rick Reid as interim chief executive, replacing Charles Guenther, who himself was serving on a three-month interim basis.

Neighbors appeal Lucas project approval

SAN RAFAEL — An organization representing neighbors of a proposed 270,000-square-foot Lucasfilm digital movie production studio in Lucas Valley northwest of San Rafael has appealed the recent project approval by the Marin County Planning Commission.

Wilsons add Pezzi King to growing boutique vintner portfolio

DRY CREEK VALLEY — Ken and Diane Wilson have added a seventh winery to their growing portfolio with the announcement today of the acquisition of Dry Creek Valley zinfandel specialist Pezzi King Vineyards from Jim Rowe Sr. and his wife, Cynthia.

Napa-based Clean Power gets $850,000 grant for solar-grid studies

NAPA — Clean Power Research, which develops analytic tools for the renewable-energy industry, today said that the California Public Utilities Commission will give it an $852,260 to develop new simulations that will help predict how much cloud cover affects the performance of large solar-power arrays.

American AgCredit reports record 2011 earnings, dividend

SANTA ROSA — American AgCredit today reported net earnings last year increased 88 percent from 2010 to a new record for the Santa Rosa-based agricultural lending giant.

State tax agents checking licenses, permits in north Santa Rosa

OAKLAND — This month, the Board of Equalization’s Statewide Compliance and Outreach Program teams contacted businesses in the 95403 ZIP code area, which includes north Santa Rosa, the Wikiup-Larkfield-Mark West area and the Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport industrial parks, about a planned door-to-door check of licenses and permits.

January unemployment rises as North Bay job growth mostly slows

NORTH BAY — Unemployment rates in early 2012 remained near where they ended in 2011, although every county saw a drop from the previous year, according to state figures released this morning.

Summit State Bank receives national community bank award

SANTA ROSA – The Washington D.C.-based bank industry group, the American Bankers Association, has awarded Santa Rosa-based Summit State Bank (NASDAQ: SSBI) with its national Community Bank Award for Fundraising for Foundations and Local Groups.

2012 Forty Under 40 winners announced

NORTH BAY — The Business Journal announced the winners of its sixth-annual Forty Under 40 awards today. The winners, selected from more than 100 nominees by the Business Journal editorial staff, were chosen on the basis of their leadership in companies and organizations as well as their participation within the community across the North Bay.

BEST to poll 100 businesses on retention, expansion needs

SANTA ROSA — A public-private Sonoma County partnership aimed at spurring job growth plans to survey 100 local businesses in as many days on what they need to stay and thrive in the county.

Share your thoughts: Should North Bay local governments provide financial and other incentives to attract and retain businesses?

Airline traffic increases 5.4 percent in February to new record

SANTA ROSA — Airline travel in and out of Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport continued to climb upward in February, reaching an all-time high of 14,996 passengers, an increase of 5.4 percent from a year before, according to figures released this morning.

Brian Ling named to lead Sonoma County Alliance

SANTA ROSA — The Sonoma County Alliance said today it has selected Brian Ling, formerly chief executive of Reliance Trailer of Cotati, as its new executive director.

Impact Marin on March 14 to focus on fun and future of biotech

The growing impact of tourism and entertainment — including the coming America’s Cup — on Marin County’s economy and the developing biotech cluster in the region will be the focus of the Business Journal’s annual Impact Marin conference from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 14, in San Rafael.

While the pressures of the recession have strained economies across the Bay Area, Marin County has managed to outperform other regions on a number of metrics, including the strength of its housing market and an unemployment rate in the statistical area including Marin of 6.5 percent.

$180,000 gift to SSU creates Hugh Codding Entrepreneur-in-Residence

ROHNERT PARK — Sonoma State University’s School of Business and Economics will soon add an “entrepreneur-in-residence” to its program, a move funded by an $180,000 donation from Codding Enterprises and one that Dean William Silver said would help create an “entrepreneurship pipeline” linking students, the North Bay Innovation Hub and the regional economy.

Napa flight school to end operations after 40 years

NAPA — After more than 40 years in Napa, the International Air Service Company, better known as IASCO, will be suspending flight operations and moving its remaining 25 students to the company’s second facility in Redding on March 4, according to company President Robert Walters.

Sonoma Bank, Sterling cut staff 6%

SANTA ROSA — Sterling Financial Corp., the Spokane Wash.-based parent company of Sonoma Bank and Sterling Savings Bank, has cut 6 percent of staff across all levels of its 175-branch organization, according to a company spokeswoman.

North Bay foreclosures dip in January

NORTH BAY — The proportion of homes in foreclosure in the North Bay last month was below the state average in four of the six counties, with the number of properties at risk of going back to lenders falling throughout the region in recent months, according to a report released today from foreclosure data compiler RealtyTrac.

SMART OKs moving Rohnert Park station near State Farm site

SAN RAFAEL — Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit officials today gave final approval for the relocation of a proposed commuter rail station in Rohnert Park, embracing a more central site that proponents said could help spur future transit-oriented development in an area that includes the office complex State Farm Insurance vacated in 2010.

St. Joseph Health reports potential data breach

NORTH BAY — St. Joseph Health System has alerted more than 10,000 patients in Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Napa that their personal health information records may have been searchable on the Internet.

2012 SSU Economic Outlook Conference registration closes Friday

Registration for the Business Journal’s 2012 annual Sonoma State University Economic Outlook conference Feb. 23 will close Friday.