Employment
EMPLOYER INFORMATION
Agriculture
Agriculture and related industries are among Sonoma Valley’s principal employers. California’s wine industry was born in the Sonoma Valley more than 100 years ago, and today many of the world’s finest wines continue to be born in the area’s four “appellations,” or wine-growing regions: Sonoma Valley, Carneros, Sonoma Mountain, and Bennett Valley. Major employers include Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery, Ravenswood Winery, Buena Vista Winery, Nicholas Turkey Breeding Farms, and Whole Herb Company.
Industry
Eighth Street East in Sonoma is a center of light industry, home to manufacturers, food processors, electronics businesses, printers, and winery-related services such as bottling, labeling, storage, and distribution. Larger operations include Price Pump Company, Dowling Miner Magnetics, World Products, and Groskopf Warehouse, Inc.
Hospitality and Tourism
Each year, approximately seven million visitors spend about $1 billion at Sonoma County wineries, hotels, restaurants, shops, and other businesses. The county’s tourism industry generates $320 million in payroll to provide 15,000 jobs. As the major gateway from the San Francisco Bay Area to Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley receives about half of those visitors, making hospitality and tourism major contributors to the local economic and employment base. Major employers include The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, The Lodge at Sonoma, MacArthur Place Inn & Spa, and the Sonoma Valley Inn.
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
- Employment Development Department
Job Service General Information, 576-2850 - Employer Services, 576-2360
- Sonoma County Job Link, 565-5550
Petaluma, 778-4933 - Sonoma Works, 565-2715
- Job Start, 565-1646