North Bay Business Journal

Construction FARROW Commercial Construction has completed renovations for a homeowners association of a well-known shared ownership resort in Scottsdale, AZ. FARROW’s portfolio includes the award-winning Hilton Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Hilton Atlanta the Hyatt House Sorrento Mesa, Stonebridge, Marriott Palm Beach Gardens, and Holiday Inn Baltimore among others. Some of FARROW’s current and recent vacation [...]

Sterling Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:STSA), parent company of Sonoma Bank and Sterling Savings Bank, and Newport Beach-based Commerce National Bank (OTCBB:CNBF) entered a definitive agreement for Sterling to acquire Commerce National for $15.10 per common share in cash, or $42.9 million including planned redemption of outstanding stock options and warrants. …

Sho-Ka-Wa Casino near Hopland said it plans to use the sbX software from International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT). That provides a game theme library, analytics and floor-management features. …

Sausalito’s Smart Meetings magazine, a resource for event-planning professionals, won the 2013 Maggie Award for Best Feature Article, “A Winning Combination” written by David Vranicar, within the Creative Trade & Consumer Print award division for publications with circulations of less than 50,000. …

The Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance added a 1961 Cooper T56 Mark ll Formula Junior owned by Steve McQueen to its showing of vintage automobiles once owned by Hollywood legends. …

Allen Wine Group, LLP, a Calistoga-based wine industry business advisory service and CPA firm, now offers bookkeeping services. …

Nine Marin County communities recently qualified for national “Green Power Community” recognition by the Environmental Protection Agency due to the countywide switch to renewable electric service from Marin Clean Energy. …

Rohnert Park-based sheet metal engineering and fabricator ASM Precision, Inc., purchased and installed a new AMADA EMLK 3610NT punch and laser combination machine. …

Zap Jonway Automobile (ZAAP), manufacturer of electric vehicles and other new energy vehicles with operations in Santa Rosa and China, is exhibiting at the 15th International Shanghai Automobile & Manufacturing Technology Exhibition. …

The city of Santa Rosa earned the highest achievement for its economic development programming — the Award of Excellence — from the California Association of Local Economic Development. …

Healdsburg’s SHED, a multifaceted market, café, coffee bar, fermentation bar and “modern Grange” event center is now open to the public. …

Marin Clean Energy unveiled a new, free energy savings tool available to homeowners in the Marin County and Richmond. … Novato City Council voted unanimously for the city become a customer of Marin Clean Energy ….

Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RH), based in Corte Madera, reported net revenues increased 25 percent for its 2012–2013 fiscal year. …

Town Center Corte Madera (shopttowncenter.com) recently completed a renovation of the center’s office building, whose lobby now has what’s possibly Marin County’s first indoor “living wall.” …

North Bay Leadership Council is gearing up for the third year of its Algebra Academy program this summer in San Rafael and Novato. …

AT&T expanded its high-speed 4G LTE cell phone network to include areas of the North Bay. …

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), whose Cardio and Vascular division is based in Santa Rosa, announced Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance and the first U.S. clinical uses of its new Affinity Fusion oxygenation system. …

North Bay Leadership Council is gearing up for the third year of its Algebra Academy Program this summer in San Rafael and Novato. …

Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) visited Quivira Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley to present the winery with his Sustainable North Coast certificate in recognition of Quivira’s work in restoring salmon habitat and healthy waterways. …

AT&T has expanded its high-speed 4G LTE network in the San Francisco Bay Area, bringing more customers the latest generation of wireless network technology. …

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance and the first U.S. clinical uses of its new Affinity Fusion oxygenation system. …

Novato’s LumiGrow, Inc. announced a so-called “Cash for Clunkers” program. Through the new program, commercial growers receive a $150 cash rebate for each high intensity discharge (HID) greenhouse light fixture they replace with a LumiGrow LED luminaire. …

Site preparation for new academic center at College of Marin in Kentfield has begun. …

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of one of the largest residential real estate services company in the Bay Area, raised $95,570 for Habitat for Humanity in Northern California. …

Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, in collaboration with the county Department of Health Services and the University of California Cooperative Extension, announced the launch of an online program to allow local gardeners to sell or donate their eligible produce. …

Petaluma-based Emma at Home (emmahome.com), retailer of modern home décor by Emma Gardner, has partnered with International Checkout to handle the retailer’s operational aspects of serving online customers outside the U.S. …

Green Key Commercial, based in Petaluma, received the Green Company Innovator award at the Infusionsoft Innovation Summit in San Francisco. …

REACH Air Medical Services of Santa Rosa earned the Diamond Certified rating for the third consecutive year. …

San Rafael-based 10,000 Degrees announced that two grant awards will help kick off the organization’s 14th year of providing the 10,000 Degrees Institute — a wrap-around approach to college success for low-income students. …

This month, Mollie Stone’s Markets will note the 25th anniversary of its Sausalito location. …

Sonoma County BEST (Building Economic Success Together) kicked off the “100 in 100″ effort on March 18. …

Petaluma Educational Foundation has been seeing increased activity in its TEC initiative, short for “Transforming Education in the Classroom.” …

Riley Flanagan, an eighth-grade student at Sonoma Country Day School, hosted a wine dinner in Healdsburg to benefit the the Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County (4Cs). …

Santa Rosa-based Zap said it is adding compressed natural gas power to its line of alternative-energy vehicles. …

Viña Perez Cruz appointed Sebastopol-based Paul Hobbs Imports as its U.S. importer. …

DAOU Vineyards and Winery of Paso Robles has retained Napa-based Wine Spoken Here. …

Santa Rosa-based Food & Wine Trails announced six new “wine shore adventures” for 2013. …

Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) of Petaluma said its microinverters are available in Switzerland, the seventh European country for sales and installations. …

The Sutter Health network of doctors, hospitals and other health care service providers announced its financial performance for 2012. …

Adventist Health, which has a number of North Bay locations, will transition responsibility for its revenue-management services to Cerner Corp. …

Smart Meetings magazine, a Sausalito-based resource for meeting professionals, received five nominations for the 2013 Maggie Awards. …

Systema Software, a Larkspur-based provider of claims administration software and services to the insurance industry, and Instec, a provider of policy administration services and technology to the commercial property and casualty insurance industry, formed a strategic alliance to offer an integrated insurance platform. …

Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards of Windsor has been named the top wine in two categories of the 24th annual restaurant poll in the April issue of Wine & Spirits Magazine. …

Charles Schwab, a provider of full-service brokerage services, announced the opening of a new independent branch in Novato. …

Marin Energy Authority, the first community choice aggregation program in California and electricity supplier of choice to Marin County and Richmond residents, will deploy the P-ECOSYS consumer-engagement platform by San Francisco-based PlanetEcosystems. …

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to be the speaker for 86th annual commencement for the class of 2013 at College of Marin. …

Marin Energy Authority, the first community choice aggregation program in California and electricity supplier of choice to Marin County and Richmond residents, will deploy the P-ECOSYS consumer-engagement platform by San Francisco-based PlanetEcosystems. …

County of Marin can now fully fund retiree health benefits just like it does employee pensions by ensuring that funds are set aside for unfunded liabilities as well as current costs. …

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) announced that all new Agilent electronic test instruments sold after will be covered by a “bumper-to-bumper” three-year repair warranty. …

Meadowcroft Wines’ Thomas Henry brand received a World-Class Design award from HOW magazine in its 2013 International Design Awards issue. …

Vineyard & Winery Management and The Press Democrat are launching the North Coast Wine Challenge. …

CK Mondavi, a brand owned and operated for 70 years by C. Mondavi & Family, launched a mobile-device-optimized website to enhance the user experience for wine consumers using smartphones and tablets. …

American River Bank, a subsidiary of American River Bankshares [NASDAQ-GS: AMRB], with the American River Bankshares Foundation awarded $147,500 to nine nonprofit organizations in Northern California, including Legal Aid of Sonoma County. …

Redwood Trust, Inc. (NYSE:RWT) declared a first-quarter regular dividend of 28 cents per share, the first increase in six years. …

Rabobank, N.A., launched a program that automatically rewards customers for everyday banking. …

Redwood Credit Union, in partnership with the Sonoma County Office of Education and Santa Rosa City Schools, plans to offer eighth free 16-hour Financial Academy sessions for Sonoma County high school juniors and seniors on March 19–21. …

The application deadline for the Doyle Scholarship at Santa Rosa Junior College, restored for the 2013–14 academic year, is March 14. …

Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) said the 902-kilowatt photovoltaic project at Strain Ranches in Arbuckle was successfully commissioned. …

Medtronic, which has cardiovascular-device operations in Santa Rosa, received the CE (Conformité Européenne) mark to be able to market the Evera portfolio of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in the European Union. …

SenarioTek, a Santa Rosa-based designer and manufacturer of radio-frequency and microwave products, announced it has received ISO 9001:2008 certification from ABS Quality Evaluations. …

SpotOn, a San Rafael-based digital loyalty network for local merchants and consumers, announced a major milestone six months after officially launching its tablet-based incentive program in July. …

The herd of beef cattle at Petaluma’s Spring Hill Ranch is now certified by the Alexandria, Va.-based Animal Welfare Approved program. …

Working Solutions, a nonprofit microlender that recently opened an office in San Rafael, recently funded Marin County businesses. …

Three wines produced by students at Santa Rosa Junior College won medals in the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Shone Farm 2010 pinot noir won a gold medal, while its 2009 syrah and 2011 rosé won a silver and bronze, respectively, in the January competition. …

Keiretsu Forum, a large global private-equity angel investment network, and The Venture Greenhouse at Dominican University of California plan to hold the Green Technology Investment Showcase on April 3 from 1–4:30 p.m. at the early-stage green business accelerator in San Rafael. …

An abandoned elementary school on Main Street in the west Sonoma County’s Monte Rio community will be transformed into a destination where residents and visitors can enjoy a café, hiking trail, a skate park and a community farm. …

The Climate Change Business Journal, a business research publication which provides high-value strategic business intelligence to the climate change industry, honored Marin Clean Energy among 34 companies and organizations for business achievement on criteria such as revenue growth, smart grid and energy management, low-carbon and renewable power, energy-efficiency innovation, renewable-energy integration, climate change adaptation projects, NGO activity. …

A proposal by Homeward Bound of Marin to create 14 small rental homes for formerly homeless working families has received a $600,000 grant from the Marin Community Foundation. …

The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties announced its decision to award URJ Camp Newman a $1 million grant to support the redevelopment of the 65-year old camp located in Sonoma County. …

Farella Braun + Martel LLP celebrated its 50th anniversary with community service, including $500,000 in gifts and 5,000 hours of volunteering. …

The Department of Child Support Services of the county of Napa is one of the top 10 in the state for federal fiscal year 2012, according to the California Department of Child Support Services. …

A coalition of Napa County banks and nonprofit organizations are taking part in a new initiative called Bank on Napa Valley, a countywide program aimed at bringing more Napa families into the financial mainstream by providing access to everyday financial services. …

Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) announced the availability of the Enphase Microinverter System to the Australian solar market in February. …

Mollie Stone’s Markets announced the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at several of its Bay Area locations, starting with Sausalito on Feb. 7. …

Sunny Hills Services, a private nonprofit organization with more than 15 programs throughout the Bay Area serving vulnerable children, youth, and their families, was recently named a recipient of a $5,000 grant by Umpqua Bank, through the bank’s “Joy of Giving” campaign on Facebook. …

Redwood Credit Union recently provided $7,787 to assist the American Red Cross with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Members and employees contributed more than $3,500 to the fund over the past several weeks, making donations at all 18 RCU branches or via an option in their online banking. …

Santa Rosa’s Food & Wine Trails, the 28-year-old tour division of the HMS Travel Group, announced that Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, one of Italy’s most lauded wineries, will be the winery host on Food & Wine Magazine’s fourth-annual Wine Voyage. …

The Angel Resource Institute and Silicon Valley Bank released their third-quarter Halo Report, a nationwide survey of angel group investment activity with data from CB Insights. …

2K Sports, based in Novato, announced that the company has reached an agreement with Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, and Major League Baseball Advanced Media to release Major League Baseball 2K13, the next iteration of the popular MLB 2K franchise. …

Santa Rosa-based Liquid Image announced completed development of the Ego Mini, a wi-fi equipped high-definition video sport/DVR/IP camera nearly half the size of the company’s Ego model, which is currently the smallest camera of the same application. …

Calling, downloading apps and surfing the web on the Verizon Wireless network is now easier and faster for residents and travelers in Sonoma County thanks to new cell sites in Healdsburg, Petaluma and Santa Rosa. …

Geostellar, a startup that coordinates the process for a solar photovoltaic system installation, partnered with Real Goods Solar, which has Marin offices, in the rollout of an online marketplace in the Mid-Atlantic, New England and West Coast, including the San Francisco Bay Area. …

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund has agreed to administer a litigation fund to be used to help finance Drakes Bay Oyster Company’s lawsuit against the National Park Service. …

Ghilotti Bros., Inc. was recently recognized as award recipients in partnership with Caltrans and Liberty Mutual for the Lost Control Silver Safety Award for US Highway 101 Wilfred Avenue, Rohnert Park project. …

Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp., signed a $50 million loan agreement with HealthCare Royalty Partners to help fund the commercialization of Procysbi. …

Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc., a Petaluma-based health care company that designs, produces and markets anti-infective products and medical devices and drug candidates, was issued a U.S. patent for the use of Microcyn technology in the treatment of skin ulcers. …

Sterling Financial Corporation, owner of Santa Rosa-based Sonoma Bank, announced that its principal operating subsidiary, Sterling Savings Bank, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Seattle-area operations of Boston Private Bank & Trust Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc. …

Sunrise Management has more than doubled its Northern California presence with the recent addition of six multifamily properties to its portfolio, including Estancia Apartments in Santa Rosa. These six additions bring Sunrise’s regional portfolio total to well more than 1,200 units. Also added earlier was Santa Rosa complex Cedarwood Apartments. …

Oxbow Public Market is planning a week-long birthday party on Jan. 21–25 to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the public market in downtown Napa. …

American River Bankshares (NASDAQ-GS: AMRB), which operated in Sonoma County as North Coast Bank, approved and authorized a new stock-repurchase program for 2013. …

Napa County Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom program recently won a $250,000 grant to implement an innovative farm-to-school project with 20 elementary schools in Napa Valley Unified School District over the next two and a half years. …

Enphase Energy announced a company community giving milestone with GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit that brings the benefits of solar technology to communities that would not otherwise have access. …

Graton Community Sewer District has contracted with a San Leandro firm to install a cutting-edge wastewater disinfection system that will produce energy to power the town’s treatment plant, as well as meet or exceed state water quality standards. …

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced that its employees and retirees have raised nearly $350,000 to support nonprofit organizations and schools throughout the North Bay and North Coast regions. …

Orthopedic hand surgeons Kai-Uwe Mazur and Raymond Severt recently launched the Hand Center at Santa Rosa Orthopedics, a center that now offers state-of-the-art hand care. …

Winery Finder, the highly ranked social networking mobile app for Napa Valley and Sonoma County, has partnered with VinoVisit, the leader in real-time winery reservations, to provide visitors with a seamless way to explore wine country. …

Glassdoor, based in Sausalito, released a survey that reveals employees’ work-related resolutions for 2013, preferences for holiday perks from employers and expectations for holiday time off and bonuses. …

Superior Farms, the nation’s largest lamb producer, unveiled its first onsite large-scale wind turbine at the company’s Dixon processing facility. …

Praxis Capital of Santa Rosa launched a third real estate investment fund to purchase single-family homes in Northern California. …

The board of directors of Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) approved a cash dividend of 26 cents per share of common stock. …

PNI Sensor, a Santa Rosa-based geomagnetic sensor manufacturer, introduced SpacePoint Scout, a development module that offers video game application developers nine-axis motion tracking technology in one reasonably priced, integrated circuit board module. …