North Bay Business Journal

Featured in this spotlight on commercial lenders are executives at American River Bank, AltaPacific, Bank of America, Bank of Marin, Bank of Napa, Bank of the West, Comerica Bank, Exchange Bank, First Community Bank, First Northern Bank, Luther Burbank Savings, JP Morgan Chase, Mechanics Bank, Presidio Bank, Rabobank, Silicon Valley Bank, Sonoma Bank, State Assistance Fund for Enterprise Business and Industrial Development Corporation (SAFE-BIDCO), Summit State Bank, Travis Credit Union, U.S. Bank, Umpqua Bank, Union Bank, Warren Capital, Wells Fargo and Westamerica Bank.

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.

A number of wine industry lenders in the North Bay have seen an uptick in demand for financing this year as wineries, vineyards and related industries seek to position themselves more strongly in a changed economy.

NORTH BAY – Borrowers in the wine industry have found it easier to access financing recently, with industry lending experts citing a warming approach to commercial lending from traditional sources and an uptick in interest for specialty non-bank lending.

The fine wine segment of the industry is at the beginning of a “long-term, steady growth phase,” with sales of such wines forecast to grow 11 percent to 15 percent from last year and wineries enjoying “marginally improving profitability,” according to a report released this morning by Silicon Valley Bank.

NORTH COAST – While many local grape growers have taken a huge hit this year with problematic weather impacting the harvest, the industry as a whole may have benefited from the smaller harvest, said Rob McMillian, founder of the premium wine division at Silicon Valley Bank.

NORTH COAST — The high-end part of the wine industry will start to recover by the end of this year, with revenue growth this year for wines retailing for more than $20 a bottle of 8 percent to 12 percent from that of last year, according to an economic forecast released today by Silicon Valley Bank.

Economy increases role of direct sales; buying on Facebook?

Last August when we published our first group of Most Influential Leaders in the North Bay, we promised we would bring you more of their stories. We honor that pledge today and promise to bring you more of the inspiring stories of business people in future editions.