North Bay Business Journal

Top commercial real estate deals and the people who made them happen

The “Top Deals and the People who Made them Happen” represent the top leases and sales for each Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties. They are based on submissions from the largest brokerages and Business Journal research.

Leases and sales: Week of April 30, 2012

Commercial real estate leases and sales in the north San Francisco Bay Area

‘AA’ rating to help save Napa County $1.5M in refinancing

NAPA COUNTY – Standard & Poor’s has assigned a AA credit rating to Napa County’s 2012 Certificates of Participation, a gesture that will help the county obtain lower interest rates when it markets those certificates in the near future.

Queen of the Valley to lay off 55 employees

NAPA — Queen of the Valley Medical Center said today it is eliminating 55 jobs, the result of the hospital needing to fill an $8.3 million budget deficit created in large part by the economic downturn, decreased reimbursements for patient care services, fluctuating patient volumes, and increases in charity care and bad debt. The reductions will save the hospital approximately $3.2 million, according to the 191-bed hospital.

Bay Commercial reports profit in first quarter

NAPA — Bay Commercial Bank (OTCBB: BCML), a Walnut Creek-based bank that recently opened a full-service branch in Napa, today reported net income of $380,000 in the first quarter of 2012.

Bank of Napa reports eighth consecutive profitable quarter

NAPA – Bank of Napa, N.A. (OTCBB: BNNP) reported its eight consecutive quarterly net profit for the first quarter of 2012, with a net income of $468,000.

North Bay unemployment rates rise slightly in March

Unemployment rates across the North Bay increased slightly in March, but the still-high rates were well below rates a year ago, according to state figures released this morning.

North Bay hotel occupancy, revenues continue to rise

Hotels across Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties showed solid improvement in key measures, including occupancy rates, revenue per available room and average daily room rate, according to new figures from industry research firms.

Report: Fine-wine sales to grow 7 percent to 11 percent in 2012

ST. HELENA — After strong sales growth last year, U.S. makers of fine wine could see somewhat moderated growth this year as an improving domestic economy and shrinking supply of grapes and wine may allow planned luxury bottle price increases stick in the marketplace, while global economic problems together with an increasing supply shortage may boost imported wine sales for the next few years, according to a highly watched annual wine industry forecast released today.

Napa explores incubator at former airline training facility

NAPA COUNTY – Efforts to create a first-ever business incubator in Napa County could take another step forward in the coming weeks as project members seek additional startup funding from the county Board of Supervisors and the Napa City Council.

Foreclosure rate rises in Lake Co., falls elsewhere in North Bay

The proportions of homes in foreclosure in the North Bay last month was below the state average in four of the six counties, and the number of properties at risk of going back to lenders fell in all but Lake County over the past six months, according to data released today from foreclosure data compiler RealtyTrac.

St. Joseph Health faces class-action lawsuit over patient data exposure

SANTA ROSA — A class-action lawsuit has been filed against St. Joseph Health System, which operates Santa Rosa Memorial, Petaluma Valley and Queen of the Valley hospitals, for allowing private patient data to be searchable online for 31,800 patients across the system’s California hospitals, including about 10,000 patients locally.

The supply puzzle: Experts weigh in on how a shortage will impact industry

Wine consumption is growing worldwide and particularly in the world’s new largest wine market, the U.S. Trouble is, shocks to the global economy and to the wine business in particular over the past several years along with tough growing seasons have dramatically limited the supply of grapes and wine sold in bulk to supply the thirst.

The Business Journal asked members of the 2012 Wine Industry Conference panel on grape and wine supply panel at the about some of the hotly discussed topics in the wine business in California.

Winegrape shortage could last six to eight years

After nearly 10 years of oversupply and low prices, California winegrapes and bulk wines are suddenly in a position of scarcity. Wineries are scurrying to find grapes and secure vineyard assets, while négociant wineries see their wine sources dwindling. How did we come to be in this situation, and what lies ahead for growers, wineries and consumers?

Experts: winegrape shortage to persist for years

NAPA — Not enough winegrapes have been planted in California, leading to a shortage of fruit for wine in the next several years, so growers and wineries should be actively working together to boost that supply, according to two major industry experts.

Report: Employers more confident about hiring

NORTH BAY — Employers in Sonoma County are more confident about the prospect of hiring in the second quarter compared to last year, with 13 percent saying they expected to increase staffing levels, according to a quarterly survey by ManpowerGroup, an international staffing firm with a Santa Rosa location. And overall in the North Bay, employers are generally more confident about the economy than they have been, suggesting that a slow but steady economic recovery is wending its way through region, employment experts said.

People: Week of April 9, 2012

News about professionals in the north San Francisco Bay area

Business News: Week of April 9, 2012

Brief news about businesses and organization in the north San Francisco Bay area

Use of geothermal heat-exchange systems is rising

NORTH BAY – With high heating oil, propane and electricity prices, more commercial and residential building owners — as well as municipalities and school systems — are considering geothermal ground source heating and cooling as an alternative.

Business News: Week of April 2, 2012

Novato-based Hennessy Advisors, Inc. (OTCBB:HNNA) announced that the Hennessy Select SPARX Japan Smaller Companies Fund (symbol:SPJSX) has been named a 2012 Lipper Fund Award winner. … PowerCAD Drafting & Design opened in Rohnert Park. It is an experienced team of CADD (computer aided design and drafting) professionals that support AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) industries utilizing 2D and 3D AutoCAD and related software. … Hospice of Petaluma announced Clover Stornetta Farms as the new title sponsor for its 22nd annual benefit golf tournament. … Children in the North Bay can learn about clean and renewable energy thanks to a $100,000 grant from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) recently awarded to the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County. … Sonoma Valley’s Ledson Winery and Vineyards (www.ledson.com) recently took top honors at the 2012 San Diego International Wine Competition. … Dan and Marguerite Capp have signed a long-term lease for a wine tasting venue in the Curbside Café space on First Street in downtown Napa, across the street from the entrance to Napa Town Center shopping mall. … Customers strolling through Oliver’s Markets will soon have the opportunity to place yet another homegrown product in their shopping carts. … Assemblymember Jared Huffman presented his March Sustainable North Bay Award to Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, in recognition of the company’s environmentally responsible business practices and consumer products.