North Bay Business Journal

UKIAH — New life for the former Masonite plant in north Ukiah as a home for multiple manufacturers began early this month as a growing local maker of exhaust systems for personal watercraft and snowmobiles begins a $6 million project this year to triple the size of its production plant.

ROHNERT PARK — In roughly a year’s time, Sonoma County will be home to the Bay Area’s largest casino, a prospect that has some people and businesses anticipating a significant economic boon to the region while others still vow to block a project in the making since 2003.

SANTA ROSA — Higher numbers of inbound flyers and an uptick in private aviation at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, together with record airline passenger volume in 2012, point towards a deeper recovery for activity at the North Bay’s only commercial airport.

SANTA ROSA — Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital recently unveiled a new $3 million MRI scanning system that the trauma center says will significantly improve patient experience while making the jobs of physicians easier.

Securing enough North Coast grapes to supply growing consumer demand for wine is spurring growth in staffing and services among some North Bay law firms that serve the industry, all of which is helping the legal industry rebound after several years of static business.

NAPA — The developer of a 107,000-square-foot warehouse near Napa County Airport finished last year and leased to wine-related tenants is back with a like-sized project in the same industrial area.

Novato-based Winery Exchange continues to expand beyond its roots as a worldwide creator of wine, beer and spirits brands with the acquisition of a portfolio of certified-organic and sulfite-undetectable wine brands, led by Our Daily Red and Orleans Hill, from Nevada County Wine Guild. …

St. Helena-based Trinchero Family Estates on Wednesday announced a strategic alliance with vintners Charles Smith of Walla Walla, Wash., and Charles Bieler of New York City to manage sales, distribution and marketing of their joint-venture brand Charles & Charles. …

Safe Harbor Wine Storage (707-252-9690, safeharborwines.com), a bulk cellaring business opened five years ago by two notable Napa Valley winemakers and two owners of Sausalito-based oak stave insert maker StaVin, has outgrown its 50,000-square-foot south Napa winery and is moving forward with plans to expand down the street. …

Because the original comment period for the proposed vineyard waiver program for rainwater runoff in the Napa River and Sonoma Creek watersheds ran through the winter holidays, the State Water Resources Control Board extended the comment deadline and rescheduled the public hearing. …

DH Wine Compliance of Windsor this month launched Wine Compliance Academy. …

After two decades as president of Lake County Winegrape Commission, Shannon Gunier left the organization this month. … To replace Ms. Gunier, the board of the Lakeport-based trade group chose Debra Sommerfield from more than 30 applicants. …

ROHNERT PARK — Nearly eight years in the making, Sonoma State University plans to open the doors of a three-story, 130,000-square-foot student center this August, creating a central hub for student activity and providing the largest conference and event space in Sonoma County.

As the new director of the University of San Francisco’s Santa Rosa campus, Xavier Nazario said that he hopes to pursue new academic programs and grow enrollment in 2013 and beyond. …

A gift of advanced electronic measurement equipment valued at more than $220,000 will help Sonoma State University to offer new courses and develop one of the most advanced measurement laboratories in the California State University system. …

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch will deliver the commencement address at Empire College’s semiannual graduation ceremony for the School of Business on the evening of Jan. 21. …

Corey Lee, chef and owner of Benu Restaurant in San Francisco, delivered the keynote address to a graduating class from the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in St. Helena. …

The California Health Benefits Exchange, now known as Covered California, selected Pedro Toledo to serve on its marketing, outreach and enrollment assistance advisory groups. …

Aaron Poole has accepted the position of Mendocino regional controller for Howard Memorial Hospital and Ukiah Valley Medical Center. …

The Petaluma Health Center added four new members to its board of directors: Pedro Toledo, Gloria Robinson, Joe Tambe and Georgina Warmoth. …

Stephanie Cunningham joined Sonoma-based Bolt Staffing, where she will take over responsibility for sourcing and placing candidates for clients looking to bring experienced new people into their organizations. …

Schweiger Vineyards in St. Helena announced the promotion of James Eyer to general manager. …

David Sandri has joined Compliance Connection in Santa Rosa as a compliance specialist. …

The McWilliams family, owners of Arista Winery in Healdsburg, appointed Matt Courtney as winemaker. …

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

North Bay events of interest to the business community

Geostellar, a startup that coordinates the process for a solar photovoltaic system installation, partnered with Real Goods Solar, which has Marin offices, in the rollout of an online marketplace in the Mid-Atlantic, New England and West Coast, including the San Francisco Bay Area. …

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund has agreed to administer a litigation fund to be used to help finance Drakes Bay Oyster Company’s lawsuit against the National Park Service. …

Ghilotti Bros., Inc. was recently recognized as award recipients in partnership with Caltrans and Liberty Mutual for the Lost Control Silver Safety Award for US Highway 101 Wilfred Avenue, Rohnert Park project. …

Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp., signed a $50 million loan agreement with HealthCare Royalty Partners to help fund the commercialization of Procysbi. …

Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc., a Petaluma-based health care company that designs, produces and markets anti-infective products and medical devices and drug candidates, was issued a U.S. patent for the use of Microcyn technology in the treatment of skin ulcers. …

SANTA ROSA — Sonoma County winegrape growers, vintners and tourism promoters are launching a coordinated multimedia campaign to promote one of the county’s top economic engines.

SANTA ROSA — An anonymous donation to fund scholarships at Santa Rosa Junior College has grown to $6 million, following an additional $1 million gift from the original donor.

SAN RAFAEL — BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BRMN) today said it has acquired San Diego-based Zacharon Pharmaceuticals, a private biotechnology company focused on developing small molecules targeting pathways of glycan and glycolipid metabolism.

Buyers and store managers from Whole Foods Market, which has 10 North Bay stores, plan to meet potential new vendors for Northern California and Reno, Nev., storeis via an event in Oakland in early February.

ST. HELENA — Wine industry trade group Napa Valley Vintners today said it donated $1.275 million to community services for Napa County schoolchildren and college-goers.