North Bay Business Journal

GPS firm Trimble Navigation closes Ukiah location

The Sunnyvale-based developer of GPS and automation devices for farming and other commercial uses is closing a Ukiah firm that it acquired in 2009.

Correction: G3 Enterprises

G3 Enterprises is owned by the third generation of the Gallo and Coleman families. E&J Gallo is G3′s largest customer, but G3 isn’t a division of E&J Gallo. The story “Gallo’s G3 capsule plant expands” [Sept. 19] had incorrect information.

G3 expands Ukiah capsule plant

UKIAH — The cluster of wine bottle capsule plants is expanding again. G3 Enterprises installed a new polylaminate closure line at its production facility in Ukiah. Sparflex will relocate production to Benicia upon completion of a capsule facility there.

Commercial Real Estate and Construction: Leading commercial real estate broker sees ‘growth seeds’

Sonoma County job growth is leading that of other counties in the state, observed Al Coppin, president of commercial real estate brokerage Keegan & Coppin Co. Inc. He pointed to major leases in the Highway 101 corridor in Sonoma and Marin counties in the past several months: Cyan Optics, Calix, Métier, Central Payment Corp., BioMarin Pharmaceutical, ProSight Specialty Insurance and Amy’s Kitchen.

INSURANCE: Ukiah’s Daubeneck in alliance with Roseville agency

Ukiah-based Diane Daubeneck Insurance Services announced it has entered into an alliance with Placer Insurance Agency of Roseville, significantly increasing the reach of both agencies in Northern California.

Ukiah wine capsule maker gets new owner

UKIAH — Maverick Enterprises, which makes plastic capsules that go over wine and spirits bottle closures, has been acquired by a Minnesota-based private-equity fund.

Ukiah wine capsule maker to increase production 30 percent

UKIAH — Maverick Enterprises acquired production lines for making decorative plastic capsules for wine and spirits bottles to allow production to expand by about 30 percent amid strong demand from wineries.

George Petersen Insurance acquires NorthWest

SANTA ROSA — George Petersen Insurance Agency has acquired longtime competitor NorthWest Insurance Agency Inc., bringing together the North Bay’s second- and fifth-largest property and casualty insurance brokerages.

George Petersen Insurance acquires NorthWest

SANTA ROSA — George Petersen Insurance Agency today announced it acquired longtime competitor NorthWest Insurance Agency Inc., bringing together the North Bay’s second- and fifth-largest property and casualty insurance brokerages.

The acquisition, set to begin Sept. 1, includes six NorthWest Insurance operations in Santa Rosa, Napa, Ukiah, Gualala, Fort Bragg and Eureka, according to George Petersen President and Chief Executive Officer Charlie Bussman. Other terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Cork, other closure makers adjust to cost issues

North Coast vintners have been looking to cut costs any way they can for the past two years, with bottle closures and other production consumables such as other packaging and barrels also coming under scrutiny.

Wine closure companies merge certain capsule operations

UKIAH and BENICIA — Rivercap SA of Spain and Sparflex SA of France, which are major producers of beverage packaging, have agreed to merge their capsule operations for the wine and spirits industries, which includes the Rivercap distributorship in Benicia and the Sparflex capsule plant in Ukiah.

Mendocino Co. wine marketing group appoints president

UKIAH – Mendocino Winegrape and Wine Commission today said it named Dave Batt as president of the nearly 4-year-old organization, which has 343 grower and 84 winery members.

Ukiah’s Carousel Carpet Mills sold to Georgia company

UKIAH — The assets and brand of long-time Ukiah business Carousel Carpet Mills were acquired by a Georgia company, it was announced today.

Construction: SCEIP funds for greywater? Also, Quattrocchi part of BIM project Construction

The county of Sonoma Permit and Resource Management Department, or PRMD, is trying to figure out whether projects that reuse nontoxic, nonpathogenic wastewater from washing machines or single fixtures, such as showers and sinks, for underground irrigation can qualify for financing under the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program, or SCEIP, according to Bob Herr, liquid waste specialist for PRMD.

Blood Bank of the Redwoods repositions

SANTA ROSA – A little more than a year after the loss of its largest single revenue source, Blood Bank of the Redwoods has successfully filled the gap, signing a new contract this summer and finishing the fiscal year with a positive balance sheet.

Ukiah property sold to city

UKIAH – The city of Ukiah purchased a 15-acre site in the Ukiah Redwood Business Park from developer and investor Tallen & Keshen Holdings. The property is fully entitled and designated for retail and commercial development. Retailers already in the park fronting Highway 101 include WalMart, Staples and Friedman’s Home Improvement.

Kimco sells Ukiah shopping center for $10M

UKIAH – A Santa Monica-based retail and multifamily residential property investor purchased the 110,000-square-foot Ukiah Crossroads neighborhood shopping center for almost $10.8 million.

Commercial Real Estate: VIP Petcare buys Windsor building to grow; Ukiah land deal

VIP Petcare Services, a 14-year-old mobile pet vaccination service, purchased the 20,000-square-foot home of diesel-engine innovator NAK Engineering near Sonoma County Airport.

Who’s Who in Independent Wine Companies

What follows are brief introductions to the top leaders of independently owned wine companies from the Business Journal’s Independently Owned Wineries list, published in March, and the Wine Companies list, published in this issue.

Kimco sells Vallejo shopping center

Kimco Realty Corp., one of the nation’s largest shopping center owners, sold a 66,000-square-foot shopping center in Vallejo to a Southern California investor for $12.9 million in what is thought to be the first such sale in Northern California this year.