Genentech wins Business of the Year honor at Vacaville Chamber

Article Launched: 03/20/2005 08:30:16 AM

Genentech wins Business of the Year honor

By Barbara Smith/Business Writer

Genentech Inc. has been named Business of the Year by the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Officials from the biotech firm will be honored at the chamber's Director's Ball on April 16.

Genentech, which has a manufacturing facility in Vacaville, is one of the city's top employers. A $600 million expansion project is underway and company officials expect to add about 575 employees to its workforce.

The chamber board reviews a number of business every year based on certain criteria and Genentech fit the bill, said Gary Tatum, chief executive officer of the chamber.
"We looked a their involvement in the community and their impact," Tatum said. "They have been outstanding as far as their involvement, and their growth, of course, is another big factor. They are employing a lot of people from here in our area."

Tatum also noted that Frank Jackson, Genentech's vice president of product operations, was the founder of a major employers council which meets quarterly with the city manager.
Headquartered in South San Francisco, Genentech discovers, develops and manufactures products in oncology, immune diseases and angiogenic disorders - cutting off blood flow to cancerous tumors. Drugs manufactured at the Vacaville plant include Xolair, which treats acute asthma; Rituxan for non-Hodgkins lymphomas; and Herceptin for breast cancer. It's star product is Avistan, which targets cancerous tumors.

In other chamber news, new chamber board members to begin their terms July 1 are Bruce Gondry, vice president of Vacaville Sanitary Services, Craig Mackley, vice president Mariani Packing Company, and Patsy Van Ouwerkerk, president and chief executive officer of Travis Credit Union.

Tom Phillippi of Phillippi Engineering will serve a second term.

Returning directors for the new year are John Nerland, president and CEO of Solano Bank; Denton Connor, principal in the firm Cavanagh Connor & Company; Steve Lessler, owner of The Lessler Group; Audrey Nachilo, principal of Cirkadia; Debra Tavey, director of advertising for The Reporter; Chris Calvin, manager of the Hampton Inn & Suites; Mark Creffield, manager of HomeTown Buffet; Eleanor Felbaum, owner Vacaville Pontiac, Buick GMC; Gary Passama, president and CEO of NorthBay Healthcare System; David Schroeder, owner of AlphaGraphics Vacaville; and Denise Suihkonen, principal Suihkonen CPAs & Consultants.

Barbara Smith can be reached at <> href="mailto:business@thereporter.com">business@thereporter.com.