History:

In 1965 a group of Marin County parents of children with disabilities gathered together to decide what to do now that their children had graduated from high school. The result was the creation of the Marin Association for Retarded Citizens (MARC), a work program for their kids. When they incorporated in 1968, the name was changed to Marin Community Workshop, Inc. (MCW), but that name was changed again in 1986 to North Bay Rehabilitation Services, Inc. (NBRS) - a name more reflective of the regional nature of the corporation’s activities. North Bay Industries (NBI) is the trade style used for the NBRS business revenue generating activities.

In 1976 Marin Community Workshop (MCW) gained a new Executive Director, Hal Sherley, who had a greater vision for adults with disabilities. He sought to find continuous employment for people with disabilities instead of relying on the various packaging and assembly jobs that came and went through the door.

Mr. Sherley learned about the AbilityOne Program (formerly the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act). This is an act originally passed in 1938 to benefit people who are blind, but amended by Senator Jacob Javits in 1974 to include other severely disabled people.

In 1989 NBI began performing grounds maintenance at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, in Vallejo, California, under the AbilityOne Program. Although this base has since closed, NBI has obtained other contracts through the AbilityOne Program, which has allowed us to employ over 160 people with disabilities.

Hal Sherley retired as Executive Director in 2006 after 30 years of service to people with disabilities, but his vision for NBI and its employees continues. Today, North Bay Industries is thriving under the strong leadership of its current President/CEO, Robert Hutt.