Napa Makes Updates

The Economic Development team continues to advance our maker-focused initiatives through education, industry partnerships and innovative programs. This month brings exciting updates from our Manufacturing Week field trips, Makers District development and the upcoming Makers Accelerator program.

Manufacturing Week Field Trips
Our Napa Makes initiative recently partnered with the Napa Valley Transportation Authority (the Vine) and New Tech High School to introduce 21 high school seniors to the diverse world of local manufacturing through a Manufacturing Week field trip - showcasing the breadth of manufacturing careers available right here in Napa.

The day began at California Etching, where owner Paul Hanson demonstrated their custom wine bottle etching and hand-painting process. Students participated in a design competition, with the winner receiving their own custom-designed bottle. At Lixit Animal Care Products, Linda Parks provided a comprehensive tour from order processing to shipping, introducing students to various roles within the company. Owner Carlos Salazar at 707 Embroidery Zone showcased their diverse product line, from custom embroidery to vehicle wraps and students left with personally screen-printed New Tech t-shirts. The tour concluded at Nova Group, where Chris Chell led a hard-hat tour of this defense contractor's facilities, highlighting the scale of their infrastructure products designed and built in Napa. These visits offered students first hand exposure to manufacturing careers while strengthening connections between local industry and our future workforce.

Makers District
In August, a diverse group of stakeholders gathered at Ohm Coffee's Roastery on Jackson Avenue to explore the future of Napa's emerging Makers District. This area, just north of downtown where the Rail Arts District meets St. Clair Brown, holds promising potential for artisan makers to create and sell their products. The meeting brought together business owners, landlords, developers and artisan makers to discuss area branding opportunities, event and programming possibilities, and the potential formation of a Business Improvement District (BID). The group then reconvened in October to advance some of the ideas identified during the initial gathering.

Makers Accelerator Program
The Napa Makes initiative, in partnership with the Solano-Napa Small Business Development Center (SBDC), recently hosted a preview of our upcoming Makers Accelerator program at Guild. This curriculum, designed specifically for local artisan makers, addresses common challenges in scaling businesses, marketing products and securing affordable workspaces. The preview event featured peer networking and challenge-sharing among local makers, curriculum review and feedback sessions, a success story presentation by Guild 's Carrie Saxl and social media strategy insights from artist, filmmaker and branding expert Michael Cuffe, most recently of Visit Napa Valley. The Makers Accelerator program will officially launch in 2025, offering structured support for Napa's growing maker community.

Through these interconnected initiatives, we're building a stronger ecosystem for manufacturing and maker businesses in Napa. From inspiring the next generation of manufacturers to supporting current artisans and developing maker-focused spaces, these efforts aim to empower Napa's network of local makers and shape a stronger economic future.