Manufacturing growth

Sonoma County's small to midsized manufacturers are joining forces to raise their profiles and drive growth.

The new group, SantaRosaMFG.com, announced an initiative Monday to develop the region's manufacturing base and seek a greater voice in government economic development programs.

"We're the lean, agile manufacturers of Sonoma County, and most of us are doing pretty well," said the group's chairman, Dan Hirschnitz, president of SRC Cables Inc. in Santa Rosa.

The specialty manufacturers range in size from a dozen to several hundred employees and generate about $500 million a year in revenues, according to the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, which is sponsoring the group.

There are about 100 such companies in the Santa Rosa corridor, employing 4,000 workers.

SRC Cables makes high-performance coaxial cable assemblies for electronic test and measurement, defense, aerospace, medical imaging and wireless communications. The company has 20 workers and posts about $3 million a year in sales.

There's plenty of room for such specialty manufacturers to grow, even in a weak economy, said Dick Herman, who leads the program for the chamber.

Large U.S. manufacturers are turning away from offshore suppliers and seeking domestic vendors who can ship high-quality components quickly, he said.

"There are new opportunities for midsize manufacturers," Herman said. "This recession has put an end to the theory that we don't have to make anything anymore."

SRC Cables competes with overseas parts suppliers by making high-quality components and turning orders around fast, Hirschnitz said.

The chamber's program aims to help such companies reach new customers with Internet marketing, Web-enabled supply solutions and other tools.

The group hopes to generate 2,000 new jobs and $300 million in new manufacturing revenue over the next three years.

Santa Rosa is a good spot for manufacturing growth because the Bay Area is a gateway for global trade, Herman said. So far, more than 20 companies have signed up for the program.

Leaders of the group include Wright Engineered Plastics, a Santa Rosa company that makes plastic parts for telecommunications, medical, defense and other industries, and Thermal Technology, a Santa Rosa business that builds high-temperature vacuum furnaces for manufacturers.

Others are Clear Focus Imaging, a Santa Rosa company that makes see-through window graphics, and ICORE International in Santa Rosa, which manufactures electrical connectors and conduits for aerospace, defense and other industries.

You can reach Staff Writer Steve Hart at 521-5205 or steve.hart@pressdemocrat.com.

SantaRosaMFG.com

President: Dick Herman

Members: 20 to 30 companies

Goal: Develop the region's manufacturing base and seek a greater voice in government economic development programs

Sponsor: Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce

"We're the lean, agile manufacturers of Sonoma County."

DAN HIRSCHNITZ, President, SRC Cables Inc. of Santa Rosa