North Bay Business Journal

Marin County employers believe the economy will be better six months from now and nearly 62 percent rank the county’s overall business climate as favorable, according to a survey conducted by the Business Journal and Bank of Marin.

Farhad Mansourian is general manager of Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit, more commonly known as SMART. The commuter rail project is currently under construction, expected to begin service with a segment between Santa Rosa and San Rafael in Late 2015 or early 2016.

Marin County’s largest city and civic hub, San Rafael, wants to boost its appeal as a commercial center, and a number of interrelated local government and business group efforts are in motion with the goal of making that happen.

As a lead up to the Impact Marin event on April 3, the North Bay Business Journal and Bank of Marin conducted a “business climate” survey in Marin County. This survey touched on many aspects of business in Marin County, from business confidence to the role of government in our economic lives.

GREENBRAE — Marin General hospital, the county’s largest provider of acute-care services, has undergone rapid change in the past three years, having shifted away from Sutter Health to an independent district. But perhaps its biggest and most important challenge still lay ahead, as the 235-bed facility seeks to entirely rebuild itself in order to meet state compliance with seismic safety measures.

Companies in Marin County are optimistic about the region’s current business climate, eying expansion both locally and outside of Marin, according to a first-ever survey of Marin County businesses by Bank of Marin and North Bay Business Journal.

The North Bay Business Journal’s 2013 Impact Marin Conference will take place on Wednesday, April 3, at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael. Registration is at 7:30 a.m., and program is from 8-10 a.m.