North Bay Business Journal

April 21, 2012: Social Advocates for Youth held their Come Fly with SAY! event at the Friedman Event Center in Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA — Vantreo Insurance Brokerage has acquired Hodges Insurance Services, an independent agency run by longtime Santa Rosa employee benefits specialist David Hodges, in a move that reflects increasing consolidation among smaller brokerages in the professional services sector.

UKIAH and FAIRFIELD — The impact of a tough economy has totaled a number of North Bay automobile body repair shops, but it hasn’t seriously dented growth plans for G&C AutoBody, which has about doubled its number of locations in the past few years.

The HBO series “The Weight of the Nation” arrives at a key moment in episode four. The CEO of a 1,000 employee construction company was alarmed by rising annual increases in health premiums for his employees. The more he looked into why, the more it became apparent that far too many of his employees were carrying extra pounds — some dangerously so.

SANTA ROSA – Clearwater, Fla.-based Avantair Inc. (OTCBB: AAIR) is working to increase its presence in Santa Rosa, a market that the private aviation company’s CEO said is among the strongest in the hundreds of airports it serves.

PETALUMA — Short-staffed office workers feeling the squeeze of deadlines increasingly are reaching for Office Playground Inc.’s growing line of silly-styled squeeze toys and other daft diversions, so much so that the Novato-based business plans to significantly grow size in a move to Petaluma.

NAPA — The oldest operating chocolate producer in Napa Valley plans to greatly increase its capacity to make wholesale confections by opening a second local factory.

NOVATO — Birkenstock USA, LP, distributor of the iconic German-made leather and cork–soled sandals and other footwear, plans to move its offices back to the shuttered Birkenstock distribution center in Novato this fall, a company official confirmed.

The sales of 20 mostly office buildings in Marin and Sonoma counties, totaling 951,000 square feet, by Chicago-based Equity Office and Berg Holdings of Sausalito are moving closer to completion. …

The Dowling-Bracco Team of Cushman & Wakefield in San Rafael just won the marketing contract for Copia in Napa and is positioning the two-story, steel-framed building at 500 First St. as a potential corporate headquarters site. …

Two Grubb & Ellis agents join Colliers International in Fairfield.

SANTA ROSA — Entrepreneurial initiatives at Santa Rosa Junior College’s 365-acre Shone Farm in Forestville are likely to expand in the coming years, an effort that the school’s new dean of agriculture and natural resources said will help generate revenue to grow the popular program at a time of historic budgetary constraints.

Also: Empire law school graduates 14; SSU undergrad wins full ride from PG&E

ST. HELENA – The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone is currently evaluating data gathered during the inaugural cohort of a new six-week, café and bakery capstone course for students in the school’s Baking & Pastry Arts department, the newest development in an expanding associate degree program.

The essence of leadership is evidenced during trying times. Strong, skillful leadership is always important, yet perhaps most critical when conditions are exceptionally difficult. One of the times that requires extraordinary leadership is during a crisis. In this arena, the quality of leadership prior to a crisis depends on foresight and discipline. The quality of [...]

Accounting Burr Pilger Mayer, one of the largest accounting and consulting firms on the West Coast, announced that shareholder James  Andersen is receiving a distinguished award from the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA Society) for “Outstanding Course Materials” for his two-part course, “Business Valuation Fundamentals.” For 30 years, Mr. Andersen has specialized in business valuations, [...]

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

Business-related events for the north San Francisco Bay Area

Legislation to help prevent the extinction of California’s native coho salmon was approved by the State Assembly on a bipartisan vote. … This June, Sonoma County is joining communities across the globe to raise awareness of elder abuse, and to encourage actions that empower older adults, educate the community and enhance intergenerational relationships. … Athleta opens a store in Palo Alto. .. Sutter Solano Medical Center announced the purchase of a new Hana Fracture Table.

NOVATO – Hennessy Advisors, Inc. (OTCBB: HNNA) has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase assets managed by Arlington, Va.-based FBR funds, a move that would grow the Novato-based company’s portfolio three-fold, to $2.7 billion, according to an announcement today.

Public health officials across the country have recently stepped up efforts to address obesity, perhaps the nation’s biggest health issue at the moment given the obvious health risks and the sheer costs associated with treating the condition. In a coordinated effort across the public and private sectors, the Business Journal is teaming up with health maintenance organization Kaiser Permenante for a June 27 public screening of and discussion on “The Weight of the Nation,” a four-hour documentary that highlights the pervasiveness of the condition.

SANTA ROSA — TriVascular, Inc. today said it raised $60 million in venture funding that will go toward expanding sales of medical devices internationally and fueling other product development.