North Bay Business Journal

SANTA ROSA — GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (GTAT), a U.S. supplier of manufacturing equipment for solar and energy-efficient lighting products, has announced the acquisition of Thermal Technology LLC of Santa Rosa in a deal that values the supplier of high-temperature furnaces at more than $14.7 million.

SANTA ROSA — Commercial airline passenger volume at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport rose 1.9 percent in April from a year before, according to the airport’s monthly report of passenger volume for its commercial carrier, Horizon Air.

PETALUMA — The American arm of Danish ambulance giant Falck, one of the largest ambulance companies in the world, has acquired Petaluma-based Verihealth Inc., an ambulance and medical transport company founded in 2000.

A number of new regulations related to dirt, air, water and energy are facing the North Coast wine business. In Napa County, vintners and growers trade groups are concerned about a coalescing county climate action plan (countyofnapa.org/CAP) that includes specific numerical targets for greenhouse gas reduction. The county Board of Supervisors sent the draft plan [...]

So here we are at half-past spring in 2013. Frost danger is just about over. Both the bulk-wine and grape markets have been active, and tonnage available on the spot market is limited. Most vineyards are reporting two clusters per shoot, as seen last year at this time.

Are we caught in a “Groundhog Day” replay of last year? Well, no, we’re not. Here are two differences.

Carlile Winery & Vineyards (707-566-7700, carlislewinery.com) has outgrown its Santa Rosa custom-winemaking facility, so it is sort of swapping places with Windsor-based Robert Mueller Winery (707-837-7399, muellerwine.com).

ST. HELENA — Bloom may be still a few weeks away for local winegrape vines, but economic conditions for the industry’s key consumers appear to be in full bloom, given the record-fast sellout of tickets to the upcoming 33rd annual Auction Napa Valley fundraiser (auctionnapavalley.org) May 30–June 2 and brimming guest logs at area hotels, according to organizers.

NORTH BAY — While the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s record-breaking close above 15,000 was a highly watched milestone this month, wealth managers in the North Bay expressed caution. Those broader market gains are no doubt good for many investors, they said, but it is the ones with a long-term strategy who have stayed in the markets during the past few years of downturns that are reaping the greatest rewards.

NORTH BAY — As median home prices climb sharply in the North Bay, a recent report by real estate data tracker RealtyTrac shows that the Santa Rosa-Petaluma market is one of the most profitable nationwide for “flipping” homes.

Also: Redwood Trust calls first quarter strongest since recession

NORTH BAY — Notable North Bay companies have raised more than $230 million through forays into the public stock market in the past 12 months, with Petaluma’s Cyan (NYSE: CYNI) the latest to complete an initial public offering.

Rebalancing has been a topic of discussion and debate among academics and portfolio theorists for decades. But in the end, the payoff is easy to understand; rebalancing delivers the most essential investing payoff of all: buy low and sell high.

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 [...]

Unemployment rates across the North Coast continued to fall, with every county improving its jobless rate over both the last month and over the year, according to figures released by the Economic Development Department.

YOUNTVILLE, SANTA ROSA – Goosecross Cellars, the boutique luxury winery located in Yountville, has been sold to Golden Equity Investments, a private equity firm located in Golden, Colo., that was formed in 2011 to provide equity capital to privately held, middle market companies. The transaction included the 11-acre estate winery and vineyard property, tasting room and contemporary Tudor-style estate home. Zepponi & Company, the wine industry mergers and acquisitions advisory firm for ultra-premium, luxury and estate wine brands and vineyards, served as the exclusive financial adviser to the owners of Goosecross Cellars. Financial terms were not disclosed.

PETALUMA — The nonprofit organization Committee on the Shelterless, better known as COTS, today announced a shift in leadership, with Mike Johnson, the agency’s chief operating officer, assuming the role of chief executive officer.

A Sonoma County-based nonprofit and several others with ties in the North Bay are among 48 organizations across the state to share in $37 million in outreach and education grants from Covered California, the state’s online health exchange developed under health care reform.

Petaluma-based Redwood Community Health Coalition received $830,000. Catholic Charities of California, which has a presence in Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties, received $859,000. California Rural Indian Health Board, which has a presence in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, was given $300,000. The California NAACP, which has locations in Sonoma and Solono counties, received $600,000 and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Solano County received $100,00.

SANTA ROSA — Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) reported today that its Electronic Measurement Group (EMG) saw second quarter revenues drop 13 percent since the same period last year. The loss was attributed to continued weakness in wireless manufacturing.

NORTH BAY – The U.S. Department of Commerce gave final approval to an application submitted by the Port of San Francisco last October to expand its Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) No. 3 service area to include portions of Sonoma and Napa Counties, in addition to Contra Costa, Marin and Solano counties.The former service area was limited to San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

NOVATO — Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp. (Nasdaq: RPTP), after steadily growing its pipeline over the past 12 months, will relocate its corporate headquarters to a nearly 31,000 square-foot space at 7 Hamilton Landing, a space formally occupied by Walt Disney Corp.’s ImageMovers Digital animation studio.