North Bay Business Journal

A 48-year-old executive at The Wine Tasting Network’s Napa office faces 23 federal counts of fraud and money-laundering related to about $900,000 WTN purportedly paid a bogus tax-compliance service.

Home-improvement retail chain Orchard Supply Hardware, which has six North Bay stores, today filed for Bankruptcy Court reorganization protection and has inked a $205 million tentative deal with Lowe’s Home Improvement, which has four North Bay stores, to acquire many of the OSH stores.

NOVATO — Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company today named Andrew Torrance as its new president and chief executive officer.

He is Fireman’s Fund’s fifth executive since 2007.

PETALUMA — Two fresh-produce distributors in Marin and Sonoma counties have come together under one centralized roof in Petaluma, serendipitously providing a home for the People’s Harvest occupational training business Buckelew Programs has been trying to launch for two years.

Hospitals across five North Bay counties generate at least $4.9 billion in annual spending and support more than 35,400 jobs, according to a report by the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California.

A multiyear effort to boost career technical education at Sonoma County schools has begun to fund programs, with a new Career Technical Education Fund pledging more than $500,000 over five years to help launch and support workforce training courses.

Also: Williams promoted to Sonoma Bank market manager; Community First adds tech; Wells tops North Bay mortgages; Chisholm leaves Redwood Trust

HR professionals listed in alphabetical order by their organization’s name, drawn from the top five largest employers in Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties, as well as trade organizations and the region’s staffing companies who responded to the Business Journal.

SANTA ROSA — A local maker of solar-powered generators is feeling the winds of change in California and hoping they blow him a lot more business.

The Business Journal announced 12 recipients of its second annual North Bay Facilities Managers Recognition Awards.

The awards were intended to recognize the people who work behind the scenes to make their organizations run smoothly.

“The work they do — and the occasional miracle they perform — are critical to a successful organization,” said Business Journal Editor and Associate Publisher Brad Bollinger. “And their work very often goes unrecognized publicly — until now.”

At the end of life, peace of mind and emotional security are as important as financial security. At Willow Creek Wealth Management, we are using new “late life” tools to help our clients think through the complex issues of death and dying. These tools help clients take control and express their preferences before death or a debilitating serious illness prevents them from doing so.

In the Resource Listings of the Health Care & Healthy Living Guide [p.16, June 10], Southwest Adult Day Care should have been omitted as it closed in late 2012.

The Meritage Resort and Spa in south Napa received a 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award. …

California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance certified St. Francis Winery & Vineyards. …

Marin Theatre Company received a two-year $350,000 challenge grant from an anonymous Marin couple. …

Tina Laviolette joined Mechanics Bank’s new Napa office as financial services manager. …

Allen Wine Group, LLP, a wine industry business advisory service and CPA firm, hired Zack Honeycutt as accounting manager. …

Laurence Lea has been named media and community relations coordinator at Sonoma Raceway. …

Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center named Susan Cowderoy, RN, MS, CNS, its new stroke coordinator. …

Life Sales, LLC, a national annuity and life insurance field marketing organization based in Novato, hired Gino Wang as its new vice president of sales, Lindsay Comins as national recruiting director, and Kevin King as marketing communications coordinator. … Steve Cervantes was promoted to designated supervisory principal for Questar Capital Corp. and Quester Asset Management. …

Commercial real estate leases and sales in the north San Francisco Bay Area

The California Energy Commission on Thursday delayed until Sept. 1 energy-use benchmarking that will be required before sales, full-building leases and financing of California commercial buildings larger than 50,000 square feet, expanding to smaller buildings next year, under a new state law.

The postponement came because the primary tool for compliance will be offline for upgrades as the first phase of the regulations were to take effect.

SANTA ROSA — JDS Uniphase Corp. said it plans to cut 125 jobs at its Santa Rosa-based optical division.

SANTA ROSA — Ware Malcomb, an international architectural firm, was selected to design Sutter Health’s forthcoming 80,00-square-foot medical office building next to the $284 million hospital currently being construction in northern Santa Rosa.

SAN RAFAEL — The Marin Community Foundation will no longer be involved in a proposal to construct an affordable housing project at the site of filmmaker George Lucas’s Grady Ranch outside San Rafael, citing uncertainties in obtaining federal and state financing necessary to bring the project to fruition, according to a joint announcement today by the foundation and Mr. Lucas’s real estate company.

SANTA ROSA — More than $500,000 will be allocated over five years to support workforce training programs in Sonoma County schools, with a first round of programs announced today that will receive support from a fund launched last year to promote career skill education in the region.