North Bay Business Journal

Business owners, particularly in the wine industry that makes up a significant proportion of the North Coast economy, need to pay attention to major health care insurance, tax and estate law changes this year to avoid steep noncompliance penalties and mitigate significant tax increases, according to local tax-planning and insurance experts.

Vintners and growers of winegrapes often emphasize the value of vineyard terroir, a French term for the contributions of the distinctiveness of a certain location in wine quality. Yet what’s not often realized is what boosts the prestige of vineyards in one area over those in another also can be a big bonus in tax savings.

Demand continues to outpace supply for housing markets in the North Bay and the Bay Area, and housing prices continue to climb skyward at double-digit rates, according to a monthly housing report by San Diego-based DataQuick.

Health plans and providers in the North Bay overall received high marks in a state survey from the state Office of the Patient Advocate.

While many businesses, homebuyers and individuals have benefited from the Federal Reserve’s continuing effort to keep interest rates low, that same economic policy — along with heightened pressure from regulators and tepid demand for new loans — has added up to a time of historic challenge for community lenders in the North Bay and beyond.

Executives at North Bay financial institutions said they saw no clear end for the current conditions.

NORTH BAY — Graduates of North Bay colleges are increasingly bracing to enter a job market that often thinks in terms of projects instead of long-term payroll, finding success by adopting the sensibilities of an entrepreneurial self advocate, educators said.

Unemployment rates across the six North Bay counties ticked up in January, according to state estimates released Friday, a rise attributed to staffing reductions after the year-end holidays.

A number of accounting firms that have recently made efforts to grow in the Napa Valley are moving into the next phase of their expansions, positioning themselves through hiring and training to help bring those moves to fruition in a regional economy spearheaded by the wine industry.

As North Bay lodging businesses look to the year ahead, most are expressing confidence for continued improvement, with occupancy rates and revenues showing steady gains across Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties.

Several North Bay restaurants and restaurateurs have been nominated as semifinalists in the James Beard Awards, a prestigious national recognition in the food and beverage industries.

Unemployment rates in the six North Bay counties edged upward or remained unchanged in November, according to state figures, as lower employment in farming and processing winegrapes after the harvest helped offset hiring in retail for the holidays.

Despite the dip in farming employment, Sonoma County continued to have among the fastest annual job growth in the state last month.

NOVATO — The Meritage Medical Network today was approved as an accountable care organization under a Medicare initiative stemming from the new health care law.

More than a dozen North Bay companies undertook major expansions or moves: TricorBraun WinePak, Raydiance, Enphase Energy, General Dynamics, Langers of Sonoma, Anette’s Chocolates Napa Valley, Marmot Mountain, Wineshipping, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, EO Products, Birkenstock USA, Toys for Bob, Adventist Health, Amorim Cork America, SPG Solar, Biosearch Technologies and Telltale Games.

Though the amount of office and industrial real estate available for lease remained at relatively high levels in 2012, the need for certain types of space could drive build-to-suit office projects in Sonoma County, distribution warehouses in Napa County and smaller office suites in large Marin County spaces.

Unemployment rates in the six North Bay counties edged upward or remained unchanged in November, according to state figures released this morning, as lower employment in farming and processing winegrapes after the harvest helped offset hiring in retail for the holidays.

Despite the dip in farming employment, Sonoma County continued to have among the fastest annual job growth in the state last month.

NAPA — Responding to growth in numerous practice areas, the law firm Dickenson Peatman & Fogarty has added five attorneys over the last six months as it seeks to bolster its ranks for what hopes to be a busy 2013.

NAPA — The brains behind two fast-growing Napa-founded Internet companies is back with a third — Attracta — and the 2-year-old company now is looking to attract 120 hires to Napa Valley next year to handle a customer base that is projected to double.

ST. HELENA — Two partners from the former Brown Holder Alfaro & Co. have announced the formation of a new accounting practice in St. Helena, with plans to rename the firm’s former office as Blythe Warner and Associates LLP.

NAPA — Gaw Van Male, a Napa-based law firm that specializes in business law, estate planning and related litigation, announced it has added six attorneys as it seeks to secure its rank as one of the top firms in the North Bay.

NAPA — The city and county governments of Napa today said they have begun to jointly develop an agreement to address concerns related to the city’s potential future annexation of the planned commercial and residential development known as Napa Pipe, along with the sharing of tax revenue and service responsibilities at the site.