North Bay Business Journal

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.

SAN RAFAEL — Product quiz: What’s been on retail shelves for 50 years, has a life span of 100,000 years and causes 50,000 visits to the emergency room a year?

The answer is the blister pack, the ubiquitous and widely hated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) clear plastic packaging that entombs just about everything from AA batteries to Zippo lighters.

North Bay manufacturers EO Products, Biosearch Technologies and Anette’s Chocolates are expanding their production plants this summer and fall.

EO Products’ proud “Made in Marin” line on the labels of its line of personal care products almost had to be rewritten as the company considered whether growing locally still made economic sense for a consumer products maker.

But now the September target is looming for an expansion move to a higher-capacity plant twice as large in San Rafael, thanks to active help from a commercial property owner, city and regional economic developers and public officials.

The North Bay Business Journal is proud to present the 2012 Top Manufacturers Awards to 13 North Bay companies.

“We want to recognize the contribution all North Bay manufacturers add to our local economy, through high-wage jobs, training and exports that bring critical dollars back into our economy and communities,” said Business Journal Editor and Associate Publisher Brad Bollinger. “They are terrific employers and members of the community. And they bring innovation to our region in a big way.”

CORTE MADERA — After 17 years of making environmentally and health- conscious personal care products in Marin County, EO Products seriously considered the better economics of taking the 40-person company to the East Bay, but the manufacturer is choosing to stay in Marin after an opportunity arose to convert a former Industrial Light & Magic sound stage to a much larger production plant plus local and regional economic boosters and a state legislator jumped in to help navigate permit processes.