North Bay Business Journal

NORTH BAY — Few would disagree that the population and commerce of the North Bay has grown faster than the region’s transportation infrastructure. But with new construction and funding for several large-scale projects in 2012, the region’s roads, runways and rails may now be catching up.

SAN RAFAEL — The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) today completed its $4.06 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, which was based in San Rafael for three decades and retains production facilities northwest of the city.

SANTA ROSA — Passenger volume continued to climb at the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in November, increasing 1.5 percent versus the same month in 2011 and 3.5 percent for the year, according to recent passenger data.

SANTA ROSA — Air ambulance service REACH Medical Holdings of Santa Rosa said its acquisition by Texas-based Air Medical Group Holdings was finalized today.

Also effective today, Jim Adams, chief executive officer of REACH for the past 11 years, is replaced by Sean Russell, who will report to Fred Buttrell, chief executive officer of Air Medical.

Altus Equity Group, LP, in Santa Rosa announced that it funded and closed its latest investment fund last month. …

Bear Republic Brewing Company in Cloverdale brought home a silver medal at the 2012 Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer, the country’s largest celebration of wood and barrel-aged beer. …

Sebastopol-based Leff Construction has been awarded Residential Design+Build’s national 2012 Design Excellence Award for innovative technology integration for a custom residence project located in Cazadero. …

Marin County and Napa Valley restaurants will be participating in California Restaurant Month (DineinCA.com) for all of January, and those in Vacaville during Jan. 18-27. …

Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit announced that it has been selected by The Bond Buyer as the Far West finalist for its “Deal of the Year” Award, recognizing SMART’s 2011 $191 million Measure Q Sales Tax Revenue Bond issuance for innovation in public finance. …

SANTA ROSA — Air Medical Group Holdings Inc., an air ambulance company that operates in 27 states, has signed an agreement to acquire REACH Medical Holdings LLC of Santa Rosa.

MARIN COUNTY — The California Transit Association, a trade group representing transit districts throughout the state, selected the Marin County Transit District for its annual Transit Excellence Award in recognition of the district’s seasonal Muir Woods shuttle program.

SANTA ROSA — Greenhouse-gas emissions have continued a three-year downward trend in Sonoma County, primarily reduced by fewer vehicle trips in a slowed economy and a greater supply of renewable energy, according to a report released today.

SANTA ROSA — Airline traffic at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport in October was up over the previous month and up nearly 6 percent over the previous year, according to figures released today.

Supporters of a proposed half-cent sales tax for road repairs in Napa County are optimistic that voters will approve the measure this November, six years after a broader measure failed at the ballot box amid arguments that funds would flow to projects beyond the county’s ailing rural roads.

Officials in North Bay counties have long been aware of the looming road-quality problem, yet traditional revenue streams for road repair have significantly diminished in recent years.

Vote in this week’s NBBJ Pulse Poll: “Do you support a local sales tax to fund road repairs?”

NAPA — Supporters of a proposed half-cent sales tax for road repairs in Napa County are optimistic that voters will approve the measure this November, six years after a broader measure failed at the ballot box amid arguments that funds would flow to projects beyond the county’s ailing rural roads.

SANTA ROSA — Passenger volume at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport increased 4.7 percent in September from a year before and was 3.5 percent ahead of the year-to-date pace from 2011, representing the highest level of traffic since commercial airline service returned in 2007, according to the latest figures.

Flavor! Napa Valley 2012 invites festival-goers to take advantage of a variety of ticket options and accommodations from some of the region’s top hotels, to create their own ultimate “stay and play” experience during the Nov. 14–18 food, wine and fun extravaganza. …

World Economic Forum announced that Enphase Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENPH) has been recognized as a 2013 Technology Pioneer. …

TerraVerde Renewable Partners, a Larkspur-based independent energy adviser that helps schools, public agencies and private companies reduce energy costs, announced that three of its large Central Valley school district clients. …

The Coaches Training Institute in San Rafael, the oldest and largest in-person coach training school in the world, has published a white paper, “Co-Active Coaching and the Brain: Neuroscience Research Supports the Efficacy of the Co-Active Model.” …

Cline Cellars, a family-owned and operated winery located in the Carneros growing district of Sonoma County, has announced that for the second year, Living Beyond Breast Cancer has been named as the beneficiary of a $25,000 donation. …

Caltrans, the offices of Marin County supervisors Kate Sears and Steve Kinsey, as well as Marin Transit and the Transportation Authority of Marin staff have collaborated to install a camera to provide live images of traffic conditions on Highway 101 in southern Marin. …

The Marin County Board of Supervisors authorized a new $925,000 contract with Homeward Bound of Marin in order to provide shelter for persons experiencing homelessness throughout Marin County. …

SONOMA — Sonoma Raceway and Dominican University of California today are unveiling the result of a months-long collaborative effort to develop a rating system that incorporates automotive performance and fuel-efficiency.

SANTA ROSA — The number of airline passengers going through Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport in August rose slightly from the month before and was up nearly 10 percent over the year, according to figures released today.

BENICIA — Three years after first announcing its plan to develop a new all-electric vehicle in California, CODA Automotive’s first five-seat sedan drove off of the final assembly line in Solano County this March. …

VALLEJO — The amount of money invested in California- and Massachusetts-based Blu homes doubled in March, reaching $50 million after a $25 million infusion from the Netherlands-based Skagen Group and Brightpath Capital Partners. …

NORTH BAY — Unemployment rates across the North Bay either dropped slightly or remained the same in July from the month before, as most counties saw yearly job growth in a number of industries, according to figures from the state Economic Development Department.

PETALUMA – The Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District is expected to consolidate its administrative operations to a new Petaluma headquarters in the third week of September, a move that General Manager Farhad Mansourian said would begin with the transit agency’s Santa Rosa project office at 490 Mendocino Ave, Ste. 102.

SANTA ROSA — Passenger travel to and from Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport in July increased of 5.8 percent from a year ago and was up from the previous month, according to figures released today.

That’s just below the peak for January through July in 2008, a year after airline service returned to the airport.

Green business column items: Fast-growing electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc. plans to open a service center in Marin County. It’s part of a plan by the Palo Alto-based company to double the number of repair facilities — currently 18 worldwide, including a large new one at the Fremont factory — by year-end, according to the company’s July 25 report on its second fiscal quarter. …

Novato-based fuel-cell electric plant developer G3 Power Systems (g3powersystems.com) launched like lightning in 2010 with significant projects but now is seeking U.S. Bankruptcy Court protection as it liquidates. …

Santa Rosa-based electric vehicle maker Zap Inc. is in a legal tussle with the owner of the building where the company had been assembling and distributing vehicles that arrived from manufacturing plants in China. …