North Bay Business Journal

Santa Rosa Chamber to move offices

SANTA ROSA — The Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce said today it plans to relocate its downtown offices to a business park in the west central area of the city this summer.

Report: Fine-wine sales to grow 7 percent to 11 percent in 2012

ST. HELENA — After strong sales growth last year, U.S. makers of fine wine could see somewhat moderated growth this year as an improving domestic economy and shrinking supply of grapes and wine may allow planned luxury bottle price increases stick in the marketplace, while global economic problems together with an increasing supply shortage may boost imported wine sales for the next few years, according to a highly watched annual wine industry forecast released today.

Napa explores incubator at former airline training facility

NAPA COUNTY – Efforts to create a first-ever business incubator in Napa County could take another step forward in the coming weeks as project members seek additional startup funding from the county Board of Supervisors and the Napa City Council.

Petaluma uke maker doubles size

PETALUMA — Kala Brand Music Co. is more than doubling the size of its Petaluma base of operations as sales expand for the 6-year-old producer of exotic ukuleles and novel bass guitars.

Sonoma Bank, Sterling debut new logo

SANTA ROSA — Sonoma Bank and Sterling Savings Bank, both subsidiaries of Spokane, Wash.-based Sterling Financial Corp., have begun rolling out extensive rebranding designed to help solidify Sterling’s one-brand model.

Embellishing high-end wine with pewter labels

One of the ways that some vintners are looking to distinguish the look of their high-end wines is novel bottle embellishments. On the mass-market end of the wine business, rising fuel prices are bringing back the escalating freight surcharges of 2008 at a time when vintners also are facing rapidly rising prices for bulk wine and grapes for new and renewing contracts.

New Napa firm 4parts Design offers four-faceted winery help

NAPA — A new firm in Napa wants to help small wineries wineries not only craft their packaging design but also develop brand strategy and marketing, better manage their logistics and get more Internet exposure.

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?

Beringer mass-market, high-end wines enjoy growth

NAPA — Even as Treasury Wine Estates’ Napa-based Beringer brand group prepares to launch a mass-market brand this spring targeted at Millennial generation female consumers, the Australian company’s higher-end North Coast brands are enjoying a sales rebound.

PG&E offers rate reduction to spur economic development

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. today announced it asked state regulators for the right to offer a competitive electric rate to attract large employers to California and convince other large employers already in the state to maintain or expand their operations rather than leave.

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.

Q&A: BEST Executive Director Carolyn Stark

SONOMA COUNTY — Carolyn Stark had already spent several years helping to foster economic success and vitality in communities before becoming the executive director of the Building Economic Success Together, or BEST, program late last year. Most recently, Ms. Stark helped develop a plan to bring 8,000 jobs to Coachella Valley, near Palm Springs, and her work as CEO of the Austin Technology Council has brought more than 150,000 new jobs to the region since 2004. Under the umbrella of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, BEST’s goals include creating 4,100 total jobs in five years.

Q&A: Napa Mayor Jill Techel

In the following interview, Mayor Techel talks about drivers and challenges for Napa’s economy, ways city government is trying to help local businesses while balancing community needs, and next steps in urban land-use planning, specifically the Napa Downtown Specific Plan, whose draft environmental-impact report is under public comment through March 15, and next phases for the Napa River flood-control project.

Lagunitas explores own wastewater plant

PETALUMA — Lagunitas Brewing Co. wants to build its own process-wastewater treatment plant to handle the expected growth of its brewery in the next several years, and Petaluma and business leaders are exploring whether additional industrial wastewater treatment capacity is needed to accommodate current food and beverage companies as well as attract more.

FTC reviewing online advertising rules

 The rules of online advertising are about to change.  On Aug. 10, 2011, the Federal Trade Commission’s public comment period closed on its revised guidelines for Internet advertising. Now the difficult process of updating the guidelines begins and anyone who advertises or sells on the Internet should pay close attention to the FTC’s actions and [...]

Food production incubator considered for Petaluma

PETALUMA — Creators of artisan food products who are challenged to find a place to take their businesses to a new level may be able to find such help in a food manufacturing incubator being considered in southern Sonoma County.

Printers GPM, Northwestern merge to create third largest

ROHNERT PARK — GPM of Rohnert Park and Impress Northwestern of Santa Rosa have merged, creating the third-largest commercial printer in the North Bay.

People: Week of Jan. 30, 2012

Click here for photo gallery Health Care The Northern California Center for Well-Being has hired Annette Zucconi as its new operations manager as part of its leadership team. Ms. Zucconi has dedicated over 20 years to non-profit community education work and brings a breadth of curriculum development, contract and program management experience to the Center [...]

Schaffner to leave Sonoma County Alliance

SANTA ROSA — Lisa Wittke Schaffner plans to step down after seven years as top executive of the Sonoma County Alliance, a 380-member political action group.

SRJC wines to be the taste of The Wineyard

SANTA ROSA — Santa Rosa Junior College’s Shone Farm Winery, part of the community college’s winemaking and viticulture training program, has teamed up with a new collective tasting room in the city to provide a higher-profile venue for the school’s award-winning wines and eventually other planned packaged agricultural products from the 365-acre west Sonoma County property.