North Bay Business Journal

NAPA — The brains behind two fast-growing Napa-founded Internet companies is back with a third — Attracta — and the 2-year-old company now is looking to attract 120 hires to Napa Valley next year to handle a customer base that is projected to double.

ST. HELENA — Two partners from the former Brown Holder Alfaro & Co. have announced the formation of a new accounting practice in St. Helena, with plans to rename the firm’s former office as Blythe Warner and Associates LLP.

PETALUMA — Redwood Community Health Coalition recently took part in a pilot project testing a mobile health application that enrolls patients in public assistance programs, a potentially pivotal development for the public health sector. The accelerating convergence of mobile technology and health care will likely open new avenues of access to underserved populations, which could in turn help states with implementing key pieces of health care reform, officials said.

Hot topics in the North Coast wine business in 2012 were rapid grape and bulk-wine inflation as bottle sales outstrip anticipated supply, an unexpectedly big, “perfect” harvest and a string of mergers and acquisitions. Dominating 2013 likely will be moderating supply pricing and accelerating M&A activity, according to experts.

“Wow!” is just one of the superlatives local wine industry leaders used to describe the 2012 winegrape harvest after two difficult years for growers. Other adjectives found in wine trade journals include “ideal, excellent, outstanding, fantastic, amazing, concentrated, balanced and bright.”

Sonoma-based wine company Don Sebastiani & Sons upgraded its south Napa winery, now called Steelbird Cellars after birds that populate the area, with new bottling capabilities, high-tech treatment of water to reduce chemicals used, energy-efficient lighting and “showcase” offices and client reception area. …

Fresh off the dissolution of the Mendocino Wine & Winegrape Commission this summer, the new marketing organization, Mendocino Winegrowers, has partnered with Amazon.com to sell more than 500 wines from the county’s appellations in the large online retailer’s second attempt at wine-to-consumer sales. …

Nearly three years after expanding from franchisees of two Napa UPS Store locations into owner-operators of a wine order fulfillment business in south Napa, Bill and Patti Myers are expanding Eagle Rock Fulfillment for the fourth time. …

Wine Direct to Trade is St. Helena-based company started by two veterans of wine direct sales, marketing and wholesaling are trying to create an Internet-based platform to simplify the process of selling wine to trade accounts. …

Sonoma County Vintners hired Dana Macaulay as director of events. She will be managing the 200-member trade group’s U.S. and international events such as Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, a joint production with Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance. …

Seguin Moreau Napa Cooperage hired Marion Ghiringhelli for a new position in North American sales and marketing of the company’s rapidly expanding oak-alternatives business. …

Novato-based wine accessories developer and distributor Cork Pops, which came up with the eponymous product for opening wine corks two decades ago and the vinOair bottle spout-aerator more recently, just released vinOice, a drip-resistant spout designed to chill a bottle of white or sparkling wine to an optimum temperature and keep it that way for up to an hour.

SONOMA — MPK Sonoma Corp. for more than two dozen years has been co-packing the Soy Vay brand of Asian-style sauces and marinades, and now the 28-year-old food-processing company says it has just a few months to line up replacement business for that 4.5 million-bottle-a-year contract else lose nearly all revenue.

Most of us have already begun making our shopping lists and travel plans for the upcoming holiday season, as we look forward to celebrations with friends and family and to the traditions that bring warmth and meaning to this time of year.

This year, I’d like to encourage you to add another tradition to your family’s list: giving to the holiday food and toy drives Redwood Credit Union has hosted at our branches in the North Bay and San Francisco for over 20 years.

The Supreme Court put it back in our court. The election did not cause its rejection. We have been replete with information about the health insurance reformation, what it will deplete and the promises it should complete. And complete it is, but the Affordable Care Act is ultimately not about affordability, which we are spending considerable time and money to discover. So should we hope, change, hope to change or change our hopes? Or at least our expectations.

Sonoma Clean Power is a program being developed by the Sonoma County Water Agency to purchase electricity for Sonoma County customers.

This program has multiple benefits and risks, is complex and not well-understood by Sonoma County residents and businesses.

In order to help the North Bay Business Journal readers understand the various aspects of Sonoma Clean Power, the Journal is partnering with the Sonoma County Water Agency to publish a series of articles discussing the various aspects of this effort.

Events in the north San Francisco Bay Area of interest to the business community

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

Nine Solano County businesses were honored at the annual Spirit of Solano luncheon Dec. 6 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield. …

Basin Street Properties is offering a new Tenant Advantage Program (basin-street.com/tenant-advantage-program), which offers exclusive discounts and promotions for companies and their employees who work in Basin Street’s 44-building Northern California and Northern Nevada commercial and mixed-use property portfolio in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sacramento and Reno, Nev. …

On its 65th anniversary, The Ledcor Group of Companies, which has a construction office in Napa, announced a $150,000 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to be shared in Napa and 11 other cities across North America with Ledcor operations. …

Bank of Marin announced the nine local winners of their third annual high school photography contest. …

San Rafael-based SportsMark Management Group, the official corporate hospitality management partner and exclusive global sales agent of the America’s Cup Club hospitality program, launched the sales of 2013 America’s Cup Club packages. …

Oct. 25, 2012: More than 150 members of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, its Community Advisory Board and invited guests attended a Business After Hours Mixer and tour of the new Sutter Medical Center in Santa Rosa.

SANTA ROSA — Air ambulance service REACH Medical Holdings of Santa Rosa said its acquisition by Texas-based Air Medical Group Holdings was finalized today.

Also effective today, Jim Adams, chief executive officer of REACH for the past 11 years, is replaced by Sean Russell, who will report to Fred Buttrell, chief executive officer of Air Medical.

ST. HELENA — The total economic impact of Napa County’s grape and wine business last year was $13.3 billion inside the county line, $25.9 billion in California and more than $50 billion in the U.S., according to a study released today by a local trade group.

HEALDSBURG — Foley Family Wines Inc. today announced it added to its growing portfolio for the third time this month, completing the acquisition of the Langtry Estate & Vineyards and Guenoc brands and related assets on the sprawling property straddling Lake and Napa counties.