Business & Tech
Lagunitas Buys Land for Treatment Plant, Hotel Occupancy Up and More Biz News
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purchased a three-acre lot south of its brewery in order to build a treatment facility to treat its own wastewater.
“Our waste water is not toxic with heavy metals,” said CEO Tony Magee. “It is just very rich in nutrients and takes sophisticated processes to break all of that down using microbes. These microbes will generate methane which will be captured and used to make energy for the brewery.”
Between the lot and the brewery is a property operated by . Magee is considering leasing rights along the nearby railway to put a water line to run wastewater around Adobe.
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Magee also wants to install a piece of art on the site, possibly a 60-foot sculpture dedicated to yeast.
“I am going to paint it international orange so that it doesn't interfere too much with air traffic into the Petaluma Airport.”
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Lagunitas is also finishing permitting for its amphitheater, or "amphitheaterette" as it has been dubbed by Magee. Permitting should be completed soon, along with some construction, with performances scheduled to begin May 15.
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The hospitality industry is on the upswing, according to a recent city report.
Transient occupancy taxes (TOTs) in Petaluma were up 12 percent in 2011 from the year prior, according to a new report by Petaluma Finance Director Bill Mushallo. TOTs are taxes that the city receives from hotels within the city’s borders.
A survey of several local hotels also suggests that hospitality is on the mend.
“Revenue was up more than 10 percent compared to 2010,” according to Tom Birdsall, co-owner of the in Petaluma. “We’re starting to see business pick up again.”
Business travelers are returning, bringing revenues up, according to Birdsall. Events like March’s Artisan Cheese Festival at the Sheraton will help bring leisure travelers in as well.
Other hoteliers, who declined to go on record, have seen slight increases in revenues over 2010, although most say the climb back to profitability is far from over.
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Petaluma manufacturer Raydiance is considering an expansion that would double its space, according to reports in the North Bay Business Journal.
Raydiance develops next generation laser technology for ablating, or removing, material without generating heat, for use in medical devices and defense purposes. The company is contemplating a move into a 42,000 sq. foot building formerly occupied by Cisco Systems.
