16 manufacturing innovators win Business Journal’s North Bay Maker Awards

The North Bay Business Journal has selected 16 winners for its annual North Bay Makers Awards.

Formerly called the Top Manufacturers in the North Bay Awards, these accolades recognize producers in the six-county region that are making a difference in their industries. This year, the winner circle includes a high-technology equipment-sterilization facility, developer of a sit-stand-recline desk, producers of goat cheese–olive oil infusions and organic seaweed snacks, and a 15,000-square-foot makerspace.

“The North Bay is home to a vibrant and important manufacturing sector that provides products and services that travel across the globe,” said Business Journal Publisher Brad Bollinger. “It is a high-wage sector driven by innovation, two fundamental pillars of a strong local economy.”

The North Bay Maker Awards are a collaboration between the Business Journal and the local manufacturing group 101Mfg.com. The awards and event are underwritten by Bank of Marin. Burr Pilger Mayer is a presenting sponsor.

Picked for the third annual Mike Hauser Manufacturing Leadership Award is Tony Crabb of Puma Springs Vineyards. The English-born and -trained engineer and serial entrepreneur came to Healdsburg from Silicon Valley to start a vineyard.

In 2012, Crabb led the effort to establish the Career Technical Education Foundation, which has raised $1.2 million in pledges through 2017 to fund career technical education programs in Sonoma County.

The other 15 winners and award categories are:

Altwork, Geyserville (Changing the Way We Work)

Bulldog Machine, Vallejo (Customer Service)

CHEVOO, Sonoma (Startup – Specialty Food)

FlashCo Manufacturing, Santa Rosa (Employee Culture)

GC Micro, Petaluma (Quality)

gimMe Health Foods, San Rafael (Growth)

Keysight Technologies, Santa Rosa (Two awards for Quality and Partner in Education)

Kreysler & Associates, American Canyon (Leadership)

M.A. Silva USA, Santa Rosa (Innovation)

Milwright, Sebastopol (Outstanding Supplier)

North Bay Makers-180 Studios, Santa Rosa (Community)

R.S. Technical, Petaluma (Innovation)

Sonoma-USA, Santa Rosa (Environment)

Labcon N.A., Petaluma (Building the Manufacturing Ecosystem via a partnership to bring a medical sterilization lab to Petaluma)

Tom Beard Company, Santa Rosa (Environment)

An awards reception is set for 4–5:30 p.m. July 21 at DoubleTree Hotel in Rohnert Park. Preregister online at nbbj.news/maker16 through July 19.