North Bay Business Journal

The newly formed economic development effort will partner with other groups during the year.

Unless the global and U.S. economies weaken, wine industry experts predict 2012 could be the year of the vineyard, considering a number of fine wine producers have worked through ample inventories, wine sales continue to grow and few new vines are going into the ground.

The Business Journal surveyed the North Bay’s largest staffing companies plus jobs and economic forecaster TrimTabs Investment Research in Santa Rosa for their outlook on 2011.

NORTH BAY – If recent developments are a sign, the year 2010 will see more solar providers starting up or opening branches in the North Bay.

NORTH COAST — North Coast makers of luxury wines are seeing some preliminary indications of growth in retail sales during the year-end holidays of a percentage point or two from the post-crash shopping slump of late 2008.

Brokers and owners of North Bay commercial real estate were happy to see the departure of 2009, with its rising vacancy and unemployment rates, slumping property values and challenging finance market. But as the year came to a close, there were at least some hopeful signs that 2010 will show improvement.

SANTA ROSA –Having begun the environmental impact report process last January and with a unanimous resolution by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in July — reaffirming Sutter Health’s 2008 business plan and its compliance with HCAA — Sutter is moving ahead with plans to break ground for the new Sutter Medical Center at Mark West Springs Road off Highway 101 between Sept. and Oct. 1, 2010. If all goes as planned, this new hospital will be completed in 2013.

NORTH BAY – North Bay actions to meet state and local goals in the next five to 10 years for putting a lid on human-caused climate change are poised to heat up this year.

SANTA ROSA – Leading community bankers say the very weak economy and continued high unemployment will weigh on the region in 2010 while the banking industry itself is in for a round of consolidation.

NORTH BAY – Economic woes will continue to flatten profits and impact staff in the high-tech and biotech sectors, but investors haven’t deserted the North Bay.

NORTH BAY — While some observers remain skeptical about reports of gradual improvements in the labor markets, a growing number of North Bay personnel and human resources experts are guardedly optimistic with some seeing signs of a rebound.