Novato – North Bay Business Journal - North San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma, Marin, Napa counties

Business news: Week of Jan. 16, 2012

January 16th, 2012

Cosmetics Assemblymember Jared Huffman will present his December Sustainable North Bay Award to Renaissance House of Beauty for its environmentally responsible products and business practices. In 2009, Renaissance became the first “green” certified hair and beauty salon in Marin County. For Renaissance, being green means being environmentally conscious about the products they use and retail, [...]
BioMarin to move ‘several hundred’ to San Rafael

January 6th, 2012

SAN RAFAEL — Novato-based BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRN) today said it plans to relocate several hundred employees from its Bel Marin Keys headquarters plant to downtown San Rafael by the end of this year.
People news: Week of Jan. 2, 2012

January 2nd, 2012

News about north San Francisco Bay area professionals
Novato tea company owner buys River Road Vineyards

December 22nd, 2011

RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY [updated Jan. 3, 2012] — Ron Rubin, owner of Novato-based The Republic of Tea, has added ultrapremium wine to his premium beverage holdings with the acquisition of River Road Vineyards & Winery near the west Sonoma County community of Forestville.
Buck names new chairman

December 20th, 2011

NOVATO –The board of trustees at the Buck Institute for Research and Aging appointed James Edgar as chairman, effective Jan. 1.
Banking and finance: Circle Bank to educate Keiretsu-funded startups; 30% solar grant to end

December 19th, 2011

Novato-based Circle Bank has partnered with Keiretsu Forum, said to be the world’s largest angel investor network, to provide financing advice to startup and early-stage companies in the North Bay and San Francisco. … Adam Capital, a Sonoma-based lender specializing in financing small-scale solar projects, is urging solar companies to act before the window closes on a 30 percent federal grant on solar projects at the end of this year. … Westamerica bank is making preparations to move its branch in Ignacio near its current location in the Pacheco Plaza shopping center early next year, said Robert Thorson, the bank’s chief financial officer. … Community First Credit Union signed up the greater number of new members in November than in any month in its 50-year history, beating a record set in October. … The U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting a free web seminar on Dec. 15 to help small business owners prepare for the end of the 2011 tax year. … Images in Motion, a Sonoma-based studio specializing in puppets for television, is filming a series of commercials for Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union to “explain the benefits of credit union services to customers on the Big Island.”
Marin’s MMPC expands space as service needs grow

December 19th, 2011

NOVATO — With continually rising health care costs, independent physician practices and groups are searching for more efficient, money-saving tools to help them manage their businesses and comply with government regulations, and a Marin County company is enjoying rapid growth providing a high-tech solution.
People: Week of Dec. 19, 2011

December 19th, 2011

News about professionals in the north San Francisco Bay area
Keiretsu Forum partners with Circle Bank in North Bay, S.F.

December 8th, 2011

NOVATO — Circle Bank today announced it has partnered with Keiretsu Forum, said to be the world’s largest angel investor network, to provide financing advice to startup and early-stage companies in the North Bay and San Francisco.
BioMarin gets FDA approval for Novato expansion

December 1st, 2011

NOVATO — BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRN) has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a manufacturing facility expansion in Novato that the drug makers says will support up to $1 billion in revenue for its growing enzyme replacement therapy portfolio.
BioMarin pays $81 million to complete buy-back of intellectual property

November 30th, 2011

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRN) today said it made an upfront payment of $81 million to complete the buy back of certain intellectual property from SA Pathology, a unit of the Central Adelaide Local Health Network in Australia.The transaction will generate between $10 to $15 million a year in cash, with no incremental operating costs, according to Jean-Jaques Bienaime, chief executive officer of BioMarin.
W. Bradley Electric: Measurable results in employee health

November 28th, 2011

NOVATO – The average tenure of employees at W. Bradley Electric Inc., (WBE) is 8.5 years. The company goes to great lengths to show its appreciation for their loyalty and hard work by providing a variety of creative wellness opportunities enabling them to grow physically, mentally and personally.
Commercial real estate: Madera Vista apartments get $65 million investment

November 21st, 2011

Denver-based Apartment Investment and Management Co. (NYSE: AIV) is betting about $65 million on the renovation of the 126-unit vacant apartment complex in Corte Madera, amounting to $516,000 a unit. Also: Rowland Plaza to be refi’ed not sold; San Rafael Corporate Center gets medical office rezoning; Deer Creek Village courts Friedman’s, Home Depot; Santa Rosa office short-sale lands big tenant.
Corporate wellness taking center stage

November 14th, 2011

NORTH BAY — As wellness emerges as a key business strategy in containing health care costs, questions often arise on what, exactly, the term means — what works for one company or one industry won’t necessarily work for another, and how do you define wellness to employees? More importantly, how do you get a staff to fully buy-in to the concept?
Winery Exchange revamps Echelon with North Coast grapes

November 14th, 2011

After acquiring the Echelon Vineyards brand from Diageo Chateau & Estates Wines early this year, Novato-based Winery Exchange has revamped the brand inside the bottle and out. … Boisset Family Estates, whose U.S. portfolio of brands includes DeLoach, Buena Vista and Raymond, formed a “strategic partnership” with 75,000-case-a-year Lockwood Vineyard in Monterey County. … Part of the makeover of the Main Street Exchange building at 1040 Main St. in downtown Napa, are tenant improvements to accommodate 22 employees of Huneeus Vintners. The Huneeus family wine company plans to relocate accounting, sales administration and marketing personnel from the Quintessa winery in St. Helena to 5,800 square feet in Napa around the beginning of next year … What started as a novel packaging idea to distinguish their 400-case-a-year Rua wine brand has turned into a business in its own right for Windsor-based wine sales and marketing veterans Máire Murphy and her husband, Walt Averill. In the past year since launching CapaBunga — a surfer-esque play on “capsule” and wine barrel “bung” — they’ve sold 117,000 of the stretchable food-grade silicone bottleneck capsules. … Tony Linegar, 46, Mendocino County agricultural commissioner and sealer of weights and measures for nearly three years, will move to that role in Sonoma County on Jan. 3. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved his appointment Tuesday. … With harvest mostly over in the North Coast, it’s the start of wine business conference season.
Healthiest Companies to be recognized at Nov. 30 conference

November 14th, 2011

NORTH BAY — The Business Journal’s inaugural Healthiest Companies Recognition Awards will be presented to 14 companies at its Health Care Conference.
A Dominican ‘Venture Greenhouse’ first: A startup is acquired

October 31st, 2011

SAN RAFAEL, NOVATO — Novato-based green energy contractor Evolvelectric has acquired the LED lighting consultant Illumalighting, making it the first company to “graduate” from Dominican University’s Venture Greenhouse.
Bank of Marin reports 26 percent increase in earnings

October 24th, 2011

NOVATO – Shareholders of the Novato-based Bank of Marin will see a 1-cent increase in their quarterly cash dividend after the bank’s board of directors voted to increase the payment to 17 cents per share on Friday. The vote came after the bank’s $4.2 million in reported earnings for the third quarter of 2011, up 26 percent from the same quarter last year, according to a release from the bank today.
Circle Bank posts 49th consecutive profitable quarter

October 24th, 2011

NOVATO — Novato-based Circle Bank posted its 49th-consecutive profitable quarter this week, surpassing its net income in the second quarter by 51.8 percent.
Circle Bank officer named in federal probe of S.F. bank

October 12th, 2011

NOVATO — A senior officer at Circle Bank is one of 10 people alleged to have hidden the “deteriorating condition” of the former United Commercial Bank in San Francisco before it went into receivership in late 2009, according to an enforcement action filed Tuesday from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.