North Bay Business Journal

SANTA ROSA — To help strengthen local business access to global markets, keep jobs at home and provide North Bay companies with information they can use to expand and facilitate foreign trade, the Sonoma County Economic Development Board and the U.S. Department of Commerce plan to co-host a first-of-its-kind export seminar in Petaluma on May 9.

In other import-export news, a proposed expansion of the existing Foreign Trade Zone No. 3 to encompass much of the North Bay has moved closer to completion.

With a steady increase in import-export activities by a growing number of companies and manufacturers in North Bay, the Port of San Francisco has approved eligibility for the expansion of the boundaries of its existing Foreign Trade Zone No. 3 to encompass much of Sonoma County, part of Napa County and all of Marin, Solano and Contra Costa counties.

Petaluma-based Labcon North America, which makes laboratory supplies designed to be more environmentally friendly, was among 27 companies nationwide to receive the prestigious President’s “E” Award for U.S. Exporters on May 16. … Mill Valley-based Green Toys Inc., maker of toys made from recycled plastic milk containers, on May 9 received the Commerce Department’s Export Achievement Certificate, granted to companies that use the U.S. Commercial Service to make their first international sales or expansions. … Boeing picked MicroSource, the Santa Rosa-based division of Giga-tronics Inc., as one of 16 suppliers out of pool of 17,500 contenders in 50-plus countries to receive Boeing’s 2010 Supplier of the Year award. … Petaluma-based Raydiance, developer of ultrafast laser systems, named Dick Pierce chief executive officer. Founder Barry Schuler now is chairman. … Saputo Inc., parent company of DCI Cheese Company, formerly G & G Specialty Foods, announced the closure of the facility in Santa Rosa resulting in the loss of 68 jobs, both production and office employees.