North Bay Business Journal

SANTA ROSA — Higher numbers of inbound flyers and an uptick in private aviation at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, together with record airline passenger volume in 2012, point towards a deeper recovery for activity at the North Bay’s only commercial airport.

SANTA ROSA — Sonoma County winegrape growers, vintners and tourism promoters are launching a coordinated multimedia campaign to promote one of the county’s top economic engines.

ROHNERT PARK — The massive $800 million Graton Resort and Casino today reached a key phase in construction, as hundreds of workers and officials involved in the project celebrated a “topping out” ceremony.

SANTA ROSA — It was a record year for airline flights at the Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, marking the airport’s highest commercial passenger volume since those flights returned nearly six years ago.

NAPA — The owner of The Meritage Resort & Spa has purchased land across the street as part of a plan to enhance the experience for the tens of thousands of visitors the recently expanded 323-room facility brings to Napa Valley each year.

Corrections

NORTH BAY — Tourism across the North Bay continued to rebound at a steady and promising pace in 2012, and the industry is poised to post further gains in the coming year with a series of high-profile events and increased marketing efforts, officials said.

The hot sectors for North Bay construction in the coming year will continue to be education, affordable-housing and health care, but retail and hospitality work is making a comeback.

NAPA — Throughout a still-teetering economy that saw tourism business plummet across the country, The Meritage Resort and Spa’s planned expansion was the first major construction project in the hospitality sector to take hold following much angst in the industry.

San Rafael-based Mighty Leaf Tea Co. leased 15,600 square feet of industrial space at 1460 Technology Way for “additional space.” …

Tom LeDuc, co-founder of Santa Rosa-based LeDuc & Dexter Plumbing, retired from that company earlier this year and joined forces with Warren Brown of solar energy contractor One Sun, Inc., based in west Sonoma County. …

Hudson Street Design of Napa Valley (707-299-5110, hlc-inc.com) will be hosting an open house Dec. 19 from 3–5 p.m. The 2,500-square-foot store at 1551 Soscol Ave. in central Napa opened in early November after five months in progress. …

Silverado Resort and Spa northeast of Napa selected two architecture and design companies for renovations in the first half of 2013. …

Tam Woods Hotel, a 100-room property formerly known as the Larkspur Mill Valley Hotel, was re-branded as a Holiday Inn Express hotel Dec. 4 following a recently completed $4 million renovation. …

NAPA — Just two years after receiving a significant funding boost from a tourism improvement district, tourism in the Napa Valley continues to see an upward trajectory, with a flurry of new events that attract visitors year-round while helping to further establish a regional brand, officials said Thursday.

Altus Equity Group, LP, in Santa Rosa announced that it funded and closed its latest investment fund last month. …

Bear Republic Brewing Company in Cloverdale brought home a silver medal at the 2012 Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer, the country’s largest celebration of wood and barrel-aged beer. …

Sebastopol-based Leff Construction has been awarded Residential Design+Build’s national 2012 Design Excellence Award for innovative technology integration for a custom residence project located in Cazadero. …

Marin County and Napa Valley restaurants will be participating in California Restaurant Month (DineinCA.com) for all of January, and those in Vacaville during Jan. 18-27. …

Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit announced that it has been selected by The Bond Buyer as the Far West finalist for its “Deal of the Year” Award, recognizing SMART’s 2011 $191 million Measure Q Sales Tax Revenue Bond issuance for innovation in public finance. …

SANTA ROSA — Santa Rosa will play host to the final stage of the Tour of California in 2013, playing a role in the internationally renowned cycling race for the seventh time and hosting the tour’s climax during its first-ever south-to-north route, according to an announcement today by race organizers.

NAPA — For the second year, a food and wine festival that boasts some of those industries’ highest-profile chefs and winemakers is aimed at attracting visitors to Napa Valley and providing an economic boost to the region during the tourism off-season.

The five-day Flavor Napa Valley festival at Silverado Resort & Spa near Napa and the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena starts today.

Pisenti & Brinker LLP hired Jodi Shubin as director of client services and community relations. …

Julia Pauksta joined the Petaluma staff of Pisenti & Brinker LLP as a senior associate. …

Sonoma- and San Francisco-based Duskie Estes was the official winner of Food Network Road to Redemption Web Battle and is competing on the television network’s The Next Iron Chef: Redemption series. …

Eileen Massa joined Wells Fargo Insurance Services in Petaluma as an account executive. …

Tracy Sesky joined Wells Fargo Insurance Services in Petaluma as a senior claims consultant and in a business-development role. …

Recognized at the American Institute of Architects Redwood Empire chapter design awards on Oct. 27 were Jaime Stich and Nate Bisbee, AIA, both of TLCD Architecture in Santa Rosa. …

Ernest Berghof of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has earned his California real estate broker’s license and has been named broker associate in the Santa Rosa office. …

SANTA ROSA — Airline traffic at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport in October was up over the previous month and up nearly 6 percent over the previous year, according to figures released today.

Eleven North Bay restaurants received the industry’s highest rating– the Michelin star — with two Napa Valley restaurants maintaining a three-star rating and nine others earning the one-star rating.

Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, part of the Sutter Health network, announced the addition of dermatologist, Helena Longin, M.D., to its roster of doctors in Santa Rosa. …

Brannan’s Grill in Napa appointed Thomas Hartwell as it’s new chef. …

Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty Tom Adams has joined Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty as senior counsel in the Land Use department in the firm’s Napa office. …

Michael J. Fish has joined Merrill, Arnone & Jones as a partner. …

The board of tustees of the Land Trust of Napa County appointed Douglas Parker as president and CEO, succeeding Joel Tranmer as the resident & CEO and John Hoffnagle, who served as the executive director of the Trust for 24 years. …

Tiburon resident Erik Zech has joined Pearl.com as chief financial officer, where he will lead the company’s finance, accounting, investor relations, treasury and corporate finance functions. …

CADE Estate Winery appointed Danielle Cyrot to the position of winemaker. …

Sonoma County was named the top wine destination in the U.S. by TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards, with users of the popular travel site giving the region’s local wineries, restaurants, attractions and accommodations high marks.

Nearly two dozen North Bay restaurants were named to the “Bib Gourmand” list, a highly sought-after designation among lower-priced gourmet restaurateurs, according to The Michelin Guide, which also awards the more famous Michelin stars.