North Bay Business Journal

Strong 2011 puts Exchange Bank closer to ‘primary objective’ of dividend

Santa Rosa-based Exchange Bank earned $12.2 million in net income over the course of 2011, a 19 percent increase from the prior year that the bank attributed to developments such as strong core earnings and a reduction in problem assets.

George Petersen Insurance completes move into new quarters

George Petersen Insurance Agency completed its move from one College Ave. location in Santa Rosa to another, at 175 West College Ave. last week, which was the result of the company absorbing NorthWest Insurance in 2010.

What will you leave for your organization?

Now is a good time. No matter where you are in your tenure as a leader, right now is the right time to begin shaping the legacy you wish to leave your organization. Your legacy is what continues in the hearts and minds of the people, in the systems and structures of the organization, in the culture and the stories that are told for years to come. It’s what stays alive after you are no longer there.

Blame, blame, blame … you

Déjà vu all over again? How often have you heard that phrase banging against your skull … and how often was it telling you … “I’ve been here before” … “Didn’t we already solve this problem?” … “Why does this subject keep coming up all the time?”

What if a bank CEO and Occupy Wall Street sat down over coffee?

Imagine for a moment if a bank CEO and an Occupy Wall Street leader sat down over a cup of coffee to talk.

Raydiance weighs Petaluma expansion

Raydiance, developer of next-generation laser technology, is considering a major expansion in Petaluma this year. Other items in this commercial real estate column: Santa Barbara-based multifamily property investment firm Nevins Adams Lewbel Schell, or NALS, purchased the 292-unit Rolling Oaks luxury apartment complex at 3700 Lyon Road in Fairfield for $52 million, or about $178,000 a dwelling. … Prima Fluer Botanicals of San Rafael signed a five-year lease for the 14,400-square-foot warehouse and offices at 23 Pimentel Ct. in Novato. … An affiliate of San Francisco-based industrial real estate investor Lowenberg Corp. purchased a 101,700-square-foot warehouse in American Canyon, Lowenberg’s ninth North Bay holding. … As part of planned projects around the Bay Area, San Ramon-based gym chain 24 Hour Fitness has been upgrading its North Bay facilities.

Feds create Coombsville, Fort Ross-Seaview appellations

Two new tightly focused American Viticultural Areas budded in the North Coast last week. Effective Jan. 13, the U.S. Trade & Tax Bureau established AVAs for Coombsville in southern Napa Valley and for Fort Ross-Seaview in western Sonoma County. … In other U.S. Trade & Tax Bureau news, the agency published a notice and requestion for comments in the Federal Register on Dec. 27 on proposed changes to the Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) form. … WineForce Consulting Partners is a relatively new North Coast wine marketing advisory. … St. Helena-based Wine Opinions (www.wineopinions.com) will be offering omnibus surveys of its wine trade and consumer panels, starting in February.

New Year’s resolutions require more than words

For most of us, this is the time of the year when hope springs eternal. We’re revved up for an exciting new year, determined to change all of the things that didn’t work last year so we can pound the ball out of the park in 2012.

On airport, business makes voice heard

Call it a tipping point or an epiphany, but business has found its voice on the critical public policy issues of the day.

2011 was better and 2012 can be better still

As the North Bay tiptoes into 2012, it should take a moment to pat itself on the back just a bit. In 2011, the region’s economy fared better than much of the state. The three North Bay counties of Marin, Napa and Sonoma have three of the 10 lowest unemployment rates in California, Nos. 1, 6 and 8. While statewide unemployment declined by a little over 1 percentage point, rates in November were down from 1.4 to nearly 2 percent in the North Bay.

Banking and finance: Circle Bank to educate Keiretsu-funded startups; 30% solar grant to end

Novato-based Circle Bank has partnered with Keiretsu Forum, said to be the world’s largest angel investor network, to provide financing advice to startup and early-stage companies in the North Bay and San Francisco. … Adam Capital, a Sonoma-based lender specializing in financing small-scale solar projects, is urging solar companies to act before the window closes on a 30 percent federal grant on solar projects at the end of this year. … Westamerica bank is making preparations to move its branch in Ignacio near its current location in the Pacheco Plaza shopping center early next year, said Robert Thorson, the bank’s chief financial officer. … Community First Credit Union signed up the greater number of new members in November than in any month in its 50-year history, beating a record set in October. … The U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting a free web seminar on Dec. 15 to help small business owners prepare for the end of the 2011 tax year. … Images in Motion, a Sonoma-based studio specializing in puppets for television, is filming a series of commercials for Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union to “explain the benefits of credit union services to customers on the Big Island.”

Ask Jen: Pros and cons of the independent contractor

We are a small company and have been searching for the past year for a specialized engineer to round out our development team with no success. We are considering using an independent contractor to fill the gap until we find the perfect candidate. What are the pros and cons of going this route?

What this season is really all about

To tell the truth, I really just wanted to cry. That was my reaction as I scanned the dining room at the Assisted Living facility into which my 93-year-old mother just moved. Not because it isn’t a terrific facility. It’s one of the nicest I have ever seen, visited or heard about, with a wonderful and genuinely caring staff. No, it’s not that at all.

Grape Market Insights: Bulk cabernet inventory reveals naked truth of shortages

Commodity traders watch feed prices and count pork bellies. As for me, I watch what is hanging on grape vines (not much right now) and I study our proprietary data, especially bulk-wine inventories. Those two data points, plus a good bottle of Sonoma County cabernet sauvignon, can reveal the future. Let’s talk 2012, and let’s talk North Coast cab.

Occupy Santa Rosa vs. Exchange Bank: The wrong target

This is the time of year when news organizations pick their “best photo of the year.” My choice is a photo of Exchange Bank CEO Bill Schrader meeting Occupy Santa Rosa protesters who recently descended on the bank’s branch in Roseland.

Building a Business: Delaying the tough call only makes it worse

Remember how Mom used to say: “You know better than that?”

It wasn’t that we were ignorant or unaware of what was supposed to be done. Quite the contrary. We knew well what we were supposed to do but we just didn’t want to do it. Why not?

$50 million Marin Commons renovation set for 2012 start

SAN RAFAEL — As the county of Marin prepares to take ownership of a 328,000-square-foot office building in north San Rafael in December, preparations are under way to start the estimated $53.1 million transformation of a large portion into the county’s Emergency Operations Facility in mid-2012.

50 new jobs is a great start heading to 2012

Several months ago I had the privilege of participating in a group tour of Agilent Technologies’ sprawling and visually stunning Fountaingrove campus. When the tour was done, I felt for the first time in 25 years of following Agilent that I understood — in a non-technical way, for sure — what the company does in Santa Rosa. (Coincidentally Agilent is a winner of one of our Healthiest Companies Awards and is profiled below.)

It all comes down to making the tough choices

It’s been interesting to re-examine some of the concepts we’ve discussed over the last four years. It’s truly fascinating, really, to be reminded about our timeless journey and our ongoing struggle to find the right balance to fulfill the lives we envision for ourselves.

Commercial real estate: Madera Vista apartments get $65 million investment

Denver-based Apartment Investment and Management Co. (NYSE: AIV) is betting about $65 million on the renovation of the 126-unit vacant apartment complex in Corte Madera, amounting to $516,000 a unit. Also: Rowland Plaza to be refi’ed not sold; San Rafael Corporate Center gets medical office rezoning; Deer Creek Village courts Friedman’s, Home Depot; Santa Rosa office short-sale lands big tenant.