North Bay Business Journal

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Hudson Street Design expands to Napa

May 14th, 2012

NAPA — A year after it significantly expanded a high-end residential interiors dealership in Marin County, Healdsburg-based HLC Inc. is planting roots in Napa Valley.
Three local stores part of Cost Plus purchase by Bed Bath & Beyond

May 9th, 2012

Cost Plus Inc. (Nasdaq: CPWM) stores in Santa Rosa, Napa and Greenbrae are part of a $495 million cash deal announced today by the Oakland-based home accessories retailer to sell the operation to New Jersey-based Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBY), which has stores in Santa Rosa, Larkspur and Vallejo.
Marmot expanding with lease of former Next Level site

April 23rd, 2012

SANTA ROSA — Marmot Mountain LLC is on track to meet its goal of doubling sales and the number of its new branded stores worldwide, and that has the 38-year-old maker of premium outdoor gear for serious expeditions and sports apparel for technical and everyday use preparing its headquarters and local production facility for a trek to a high-profile Rohnert Park location twice the size this summer.
Sales taxes rise in Vallejo, Mendocino County and Fairfax

March 27th, 2012

NORTH BAY — A majority of new voter-approved sales tax increases taking effect in California on Sunday are in the North Bay.
Marin, Napa shopping space tightens; Sonoma, Solano retail stabilizes

March 12th, 2012

NORTH BAY — Shopping centers in Marin and Napa counties have very little available space overall, moving rents higher. Larger-population Sonoma and Solano counties have vacancy rates two to four times as high, but the markets are expected to stabilize.
California retail sales grew faster than in North Bay

March 9th, 2012

SACRAMENTO — Retail sales activity grew at a slower rate in the North Bay than in the rest of California in the final quarter of 2010 versus the same period in 2009, according to the most recent data made available today by the California State Board of Equalization.
Santa Rosa readies for $6.6 million Amgen Tour

February 27th, 2012

Sonoma County hoteliers and other tourism-related businesses, particularly those in Santa Rosa, are gearing up for what has become one of the region’s main tourist attractions: The 2012 Amgen Tour of California, a major cycling race that for the first time will begin and end its first of eight stages in the city. … Santa Rosa has been patiently awaiting the arrival of a San Francisco sandwich maker, Ike’s Place, for about six months. It will only have to wait another few weeks, as the sandwich maker hopes to be fully operational by mid March, according to Chase Ottney, general manager of the flagship San Francisco location.
Good Earth re-opens in larger store

February 15th, 2012

FAIRFAX — Good Earth Natural Foods’ new store, located at 720 Center Blvd. in Fairfax, opened today at 11 a.m.
Q&A: SSU economist Dr. Robert Eyler

February 13th, 2012

NORTH BAY — Dr. Robert Eyler is director and founder of the executive MBA program and the Center for Regional Economic Analysis at Sonoma State University, where he has taught economics and has served as the economics department chair. A Frank Howard Allen research fellow in economics, Dr. Eyler is frequently asked to offer his analysis to business groups in the North Bay. He helped found the Marin Economic Forum and currently serves as its interim CEO and chief economist.
Target submits plans for Coddingtown store

February 8th, 2012

SANTA ROSA — Target Corp. wants to replace the vacant Gottschalks store building at Coddingtown Mall with a 144,000-square-foot store.
SRJC wines to be the taste of The Wineyard

January 16th, 2012

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.
Stevenson Supply acquires Vallejo store from Ruoff

December 16th, 2011

SANTA ROSA — Stevenson Supply, which specializes in products to manage rainwater runoff and the dirt it moves, made its a further step toward expanding sales further into the Bay Area by acquiring Al Ruoff & Son in Vallejo.
More than wine from these vines

November 7th, 2011

SANTA ROSA — Barbara Banke, chairwoman of Jackson Family Wines, and Chalk Hill Winery co-founder Peggy Furth are launching WholeVine, intended to eventually become a charitable business developing products from as many of the parts of vine as possible with quality as premium as the winegrapes.
Lowe’s backs out of Petaluma project

October 18th, 2011

PETALUMA — Lowe’s Home Improvement has opted not to build a store that was set to anchor a planned 346,000-square-foot mixed-use project on along the east side of Highway 101 in Petaluma because of project delays, the developer announced today.
Tom Scott, Oliver’s Market: Be in touch with your customers

October 17th, 2011

Oliver’s Markets operates three supermarkets in Sonoma County. We are locally owned and offer a wide variety natural and conventional groceries, high quality perishables and restaurant-quality prepared foods; focusing on local products whenever possible.
Fast-growing online furniture retailer expands

October 3rd, 2011

SANTA ROSA — Internet furniture retailer Humble Abode Inc., started as a dot-com entrepreneur’s side project a dozen years ago, has turned into one of fastest growing companies in the U.S. To accommodate that growth, Humble Abode will be expanding into in the business parks near Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport in early October.
Business news: Week of Oct. 3, 2011

October 3rd, 2011

Business Associations The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Sonoma County was recognized with the ‘Northern Region Chamber of the Year’ Award at the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce 32nd Annual Convention, which was held Aug. 10-12. Retail Good Earth Natural Foods’ new store location at 720 Center Blvd. in Fairfax (former site of Albertsons) was recently [...]
Legislature sends Amazon.com sales tax bill to governor

September 19th, 2011

The California Senate and Assembly last week passed a modified version of Assembly Bill 155, a bill of interest to anyone who’s followed the Amazon.com tax battle that could impact some 10,000 affiliates of the online giant retailer. … A California appellate court has for the first time addressed when paid leave offered to an employee as a sabbatical is considered “paid vacation.”
Sutter to relocate northwest Santa Rosa thrift store

September 5th, 2011

SANTA ROSA — Sutter Care at Home, which recently changed its name from Sutter VNA & Hospice, is relocating its Piner Road thrift store to a larger, more visible space in northwest Santa Rosa this month.
CamelBak acquired for $257 million

August 25th, 2011

PETALUMA — CamelBak Products, LLC, best known for its line of backpack canteens, was acquired by a Connecticut-based publicly traded investment group for $257.5 million.