Florida Trend articles from April 2004

Florida Trend archives from April 2004

Tying research to profits.(corner office)
April 1, 2004... When I first saw one of the "cocktail" neckties that were sold to benefit the Florida State University Foundation some 10 or 12 years ago, I thought they were a great idea for turning research into profits. The patterns and colors on the ties...

Charter schools.(readers)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... Thanks for the great editorial on charter schools in the February issue ["The Charter Trend," FloridaTrend.com]. The little town of Oakland recognized about four years ago what a powerful tool for the community charter schools could be and...

Base closings.(readers)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... Your recent coverage of the U.S. Department of Defense's Base Realignment & Closure (BRAC) process could not have come at a more important time. As noted in Charlotte Crane's article in your February issue ["On the Offense," FloridaTrend.com],...

Clarification.(readers)(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2004... The net-pen illustration that accompanied "Missing the Boat" [February, FloridaTrend. com] was created by the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

Made to order.(Auke Hempenius, new men's wears)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Auke Hempenius wants to bring a new level of men's fashion to business casual in Florida. "Florida men aren't great dressers," he says. And although the Dutch-born, Winter Park resident is reluctant to say why, he's quick to point out the...

On one hand ...(Mayor's Jewelers Inc., Diamond Trading Co., marketing)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Diamond Trading Co.'s new marketing slogan: "The left hand says 'we,' and the right hand says 'me'" has given women executives an excuse to shop for their own diamond rings. If holiday sales figures from Sunrise-based Mayors jewelers...

Turning heads on sobe.(Fernando Garcia, boutique opening)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Fernando Garcia recently closed his boutique on Biscayne Boulevard and set up shop in a warehouse west of Biscayne. Garcia is best-known for his funky, tongue-in-cheek designs, including disco/punk prints and body-revealing club-wear.... Rene...

Playing the title role.(Lott And Friedland)
April 1, 2004... Katherine Hepburn's long list of credits warrants an addition: Leslie Lott's law career. Lott first got the notion that a woman could be a lawyer from watching the Hepburn-Tracy legal farce, "Adam's Rib." A Kentucky native who grew up in...

The right prescription.(Edwards & Angell)(Peter Manso)(Brief Article)(Biography)
April 1, 2004... See what happens when you broaden your expertise? Peter Manso had a degree in biology from Florida State and was in pharmacy school in Maryland when he took a class in pharmaceutical jurisprudence. That hooked him. He finished pharmacy...

Honing a specialty.(Legal: intellectual property rights)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Biography)
April 1, 2004... HONING A SPECIALTY STEFAN V. CHANLEY STEIN HOWELL PARTNER PARTNER HOLLAND & KNIGHT FOLEY & LARDNER TAMPA ...

Jonathan R. Toppe, executive vice president of Harvard Jolly Clees Toppe Architects, has retired.(Architecture)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Jonathan R. Toppe, executive vice president of Harvard Jolly Clees Toppe Architects, has retired. Toppe had been with the St. Petersburg firm for 25 years. The firm has offices in Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale and Bradenton.

CNB Florida Bancshares.(Banking)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Jacksonville-based CNB Florida Bancshares has named G. Thomas Frankland president and COO of the company and its subsidiary, CNB National Bank. Frankland had been CFO of the company and replaces K.C. Trowell, who will remain chairman and CEO.

PBS&J.(Engineering)(appointments- W. Scott DeLoach)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... W. Scott DeLoach has been promoted to CFO of Orlando-based engineering firm PBS&J. DeLoach has been with the company since 1985 and has served on its board since 2002. He replaces Richard A. Wickett, who will remain chairman.

Gerald L. Anthony has resigned as president and CEO of Bradenton-based Coast Financial Holdings, parent company of Coast Bank of Florida.(Financial Services)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Gerald L. Anthony has resigned as president and CEO of Bradenton-based Coast Financial Holdings, parent company of Coast Bank of Florida. Taking over the helm is Brian Peters, who was recently named president and COO of the financial services...

CNL Financial Group.(Insurance)(appointments- Tracy G. Schmidt )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Orlando-based CNL Financial Group has named Tracy G. Schmidt CFO. Schmidt comes to CNL after a 23-year career at Federal Express Corp., where he was CFO of FedEx Express.

Omega Insurance Services.(Insurance)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Richard Taffet has been promoted to president of Omega Insurance Services, a subsidiary of St. Petersburg-based First Advantage Corp. Taffet, who had been vice president of Omega, replaces Timothy Fargo, who recently resigned.

PMA Insurance Group.(Insurance)(appointments- Gary Harvey )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Blue Bell, Pa.-based PMA Insurance Group has tapped Gary Harvey as branch vice president for Florida, a new position. PMA recently opened an office in Tampa, its first in Florida. Harvey had been an underwriter for Royal and Sun Alliance, an...

George Williamson, director of the Port of Tampa for the last five years, has resigned.(Ports)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... George Williamson, director of the Port of Tampa for the last five years, has resigned. Williamson is going to work in the private sector. His replacement has not been named.

Tucker/Hall.(Public Relations)(appointments- William E. Carlson Jr.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... William E. Carlson Jr. has been named president of Tampa-based Tucker/Hall, a public relations firm. Carlson had been COO and replaces Jeff Tucker, who remains CEO.

NASCAR.(Sports Business)(appointments- R. Todd Wilson)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... R. Todd Wilson has been named CFO of Daytona Beach-based NASCAR. Wilson is also CFO for NASCAR's subsidiaries, NASCAR Broadcasting and NASCAR Digital Entertainment.

Hoping for a busy signal: Z-Tel turns to VOIP technology to boost revenue and get into Wall Street's good graces.(Telecom)(Voice over IP)
April 1, 2004... In the seven years since its formation, Tampa-based Z-Tel Technologies has seen its fortunes boomerang. A provider of local, long-distance and enhanced telecommunication services, Z-Tel rode a wave of investor enthusiasm for telecom stocks...

Money to manage: a credit line is a convenient tool for managing inventory and accounts receivable.(Finance)
April 1, 2004... Larry Levy has avoided most debt during the five years he has been running LevyNET, a Jacksonville information technology consulting firm. When he launched the business in 1999, he used savings and money he earned teaching Microsoft...

Fallen star: a lack of private sector support was the nail in the coffin for Central Florida Innovation Corp.(Infrastructure)
April 1, 2004... Perhaps the high point for Orlando's Central Florida Innovation Corp. (CFIC) came during the summer of 2000, when a small company that it had helped nurture raised $86 million in an initial public offering. That company, Triton Network Systems,...

6-month editorial planning calendar.(Illustration)(Calendar)
April 1, 2004... Florida Trend 6-Month Editorial Planning Calendar Annual Publication JULY AUG SEPT ...

Homes sweet homes: the red-hot residential real estate market is fueling economic growth across Florida.(Economic Yearbook 2004)
April 1, 2004... Florida produced more jobs than any other state in 2003--115,000--and the economy is showing plenty of signs of strength in early 2004: In central Florida, for example, high-tech companies are knocking on the door again; tourism in south...

A boost for tourism.(Southeast)(city development)
April 1, 2004... Tourism has rebounded to near-record levels throughout southeast Florida. From Palm Beach County to Key West, occupancy rates are up over last year, as are visitor totals and tourist spending. Analysts attribute much of that to a weak dollar,...

Permit boom.(Treasure Coast)(housing program )
April 1, 2004... * "I've sometimes joked that Palm Beach County's affordable housing program is called St. Lucie." --Analyst Brad Hunter Hold on to your sun visors. Market watchers expect the Treasure Coast this year to see even more new single-family...

Fixing Florida's constitutional amendment crisis.(Sponsored Report)
April 1, 2004... The Problem Special interest groups have found a new way to get you to pay for their projects: the Florida Constitution. Many of these groups are buying signatures to get their issues on the ballot and the proposals pass with the support...

An affordability issue.(Southwest)(city development)
April 1, 2004... In a region where million-dollar home sales have made headlines for years in some areas, housing prices are starting to spiral upward even in towns where affordability hasn't been an issue. In blue-collar Bradenton, for example, advance-sale...

Signs of growth.(Tampa Bay)
April 1, 2004... Drive around the Tampa Bay region and it doesn't take long to come across clusters of construction workers, cranes and earthmovers--all signs of a big residential growth spurt. In downtown St. Petersburg, Tampa's Channelside and Clearwater...

TEC sparks resolve to buy the family business.(Special Advertising Report)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2004... Buying a business from your father is challenging--especially when you're not convinced you want to. Bill Bywater's father Ted brought him into his commercial real estate brokerage and property management company in 1991. Ted had founded...

Orlando's changing face.(Central)
April 1, 2004... With more than $836 million in construction under way, including $661 million in commercial and residential, downtown Orlando is taking its first steps toward becoming what one area developer calls "a world-class city." "Everyone is very...

Ready for takeoff.(Space Coast)
April 1, 2004... When the shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003, and NASA subsequently grounded the rest of the shuttle fleet, economic development officials in the region mourned the loss of the seven astronauts and then braced for an...

Attracting growth.(North Central)
April 1, 2004... The north central region is rich in scenery and offers a slower-paced life--qualities that attract growth. It is a growing transportation hub and has plenty of water, which is rapidly becoming the No. 1 issue in sustaining growth elsewhere in...

A retail revival.(Northeast)(Better Jacksonville Plan)
April 1, 2004... For 16 years, the Rev. James B. Sampson has been on a mission--a quest that has stretched from the pulpit of his First New Zion Missionary Baptist Church to the boardrooms of downtown Jacksonville. His goal is simple: To give residents of...

Running on empty.(Big Bend)(city development)
April 1, 2004... Nowhere are the pressures facing Big Bend's rural counties more apparent than in Jefferson County. Commissioners made what they called a heart-wrenching decision last fall to lay off a quarter of the county's workers. The 22 jobs axed included...

Getting a handle on growth.(Northwest)(city development)
April 1, 2004... Growth is the catchword in northwest Florida--how to attract the right kind and how to keep up with it, says Al Wenstrand, executive director of Florida's Great Northwest, a 16-county economic development force. The region's biggest growth...

Beyond tourism: developments at Disney are a wake-up call for central Florida to keep diversifying.(Disney World)
April 1, 2004... Events are showing that Orlando's relationship with the Walt Disney Co. may not be as predictable as in the past. Disney gave Orlando a worldwide identity as a tourist center. Meanwhile, the company also supplied the seed of what has...

SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.(Theme Parks)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Some theme parks are using creative payment options to build customer loyalty. SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, which traditionally have offered Florida residents a Fun Card that gives them free admission for the rest of the year...

Universal Studios Florida.(Theme Parks, services)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Meanwhile, Universal Studios Florida now lets customers purchase a two-park Preferred Annual Pass for $15.08 a month for a year instead of a lump sum of $169.95 plus tax.

Cypress Gardens.(Theme Parks, reopening)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Cypress Gardens could reopen to visitors as soon as Memorial Day, says theme park operator Kent Buescher, who's carrying a $7-million mortgage on the property under a deal crafted by the state, local leaders and the non-profit Trust for Public...

Caribe Royale All-Suites Resort and Convention Center.(Hotel Renovations)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Caribe Royale All-Suites Resort and Convention Center at Walt Disney World is refurbishing its 1,200-plus one-bedroom suites this year after a $30-million expansion project that doubled its convention space to 150,000 square feet.

Fontainebleau Hilton Resort.(Hotel Renovations)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Miami Beach tourist landmark Fontainebleau Hilton Resort has started work on a 36-story, 462-unit oceanfront tower to attract the high-end leisure traveler, and plans are in the works for a second tower with 18 stories and 314 units. Developers...

Orange County Convention Center.(Hotel Renovations)(Peabody Hotel Group)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Word has it that the Peabody Hotel near the newly expanded Orange County Convention Center in Orlando expects to have a design in hand by the end of the year for a 1,000-room tower and more convention space, with construction starting early...

Grande Lakes in Orlando, which opened last July with a 584-room Ritz-Carlton and a 1,000-room J.W. Marriott.(Hotel Renovations)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Grande Lakes in Orlando, which opened last July with a 584-room Ritz-Carlton and a 1,000-room J.W. Marriott, is already expanding its convention space, opening a $10.5-million Coquina Ballroom in September that will boost Marriott's meeting...

Best Western Pelican Beach Resort.(Hotel Renovations)
April 1, 2004... The family-owned Best Western Pelican Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale is wrapping up a multimillion-dollar renovation this month that expands the property to 180 guest rooms and amenities, including a restaurant and a heated outdoor pool with a...

Orlando International Airport.(Recognitions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Orlando International Airport ranked No. 1 among the nation's large airports as tops in customer service throughout the facility, according to a poll by Airport Revenue News.

Top destination.(Recognitions)(Florida tops among United States leisure travelers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Florida is the top destination this year among U.S. leisure travelers, followed by California and Las Vegas, according to a study of vacation package trends by Vividence Corp. and PhoCus Wright Inc. of 1,500 consumers who used the internet to...

Miami's hotel industry.(Recognitions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Miami's hotel industry grew the fastest last year among the 25 U.S. metropolitan markets with at least 33,000 rooms, according to Smith Travel Research, beating out New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans, Oahu, Washington, D.C.,...

The Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.(Recognitions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, which sports two 18-hole championship golf courses designed by Greg Norman, has been named Best New Course/Renovation in the 2004 Golden Links Best of Corporate Golf Awards by Corporate Meetings &...

A more practical approach? Many hope new leadership in the House and Senate will get the Legislature out of its ideological rut.(Leadership)
April 1, 2004... A young Allan Bense spent much of 1989 in Tallahassee lobbying the Legislature for what few have asked for since: A tax increase. Bense, a partner in the Panama City-based road building company GAC Contractors at the time, was urging...

Ole: South Florida brings out the best in Nuevo Latino offerings.(dining with Tolf)(Of Latin America)
April 1, 2004... OLA. Not a Spanish salutation but an acronym and perfect name for the latest venture of trailblazing Miami chef Douglas Rodriguez, the culinary conquistador who blessed us all years ago with his breakouts at YUCA, another distinctive...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2004... A photo of The Wine Cellar on page 46 of the 2004 Dining Guide should have indicated the restaurant's location as Jacksonville, not North Redington. Also in the Dining Guide, under the St. Petersburg listing, Pacific Wave owner Peter...

Bank holding companies: by total Florida deposits.(Top rank Florida[TM])(Illustration)
April 1, 2004... BANK HOLDING COMPANIES BY TOTAL FLORIDA DEPOSITS 2004 Last Florida/Regional Rank Year Name Headquarters 1 1 Bank of America Jacksonville 2...

SBA lenders: by total loan volume.(top rank Florida[TM])(Illustration)
April 1, 2004... SBA Lenders BY TOTAL LOAN VOLUME 2004 Last Florida/Regional Rank Year Name Headquarters 1 1 CIT Small Business Lending Corp. ...

Trust banking firms: by total Florida trust assets.(top rank Florida[TM])(Illustration)
April 1, 2004... Trust Banking Firms BY TOTAL FLORIDA TRUST ASSETS 2004 Last Florida/Regional Rank Year Name Headquarters Website 1 1 SunTrust Banks Orlando suntrust.com 2 2 ...

Thrifts: by total Florida deposits.(top rank Florida[TM])(Illustration)
April 1, 2004... Thrifts BY TOTAL FLORIDA DEPOSITS 2004 Last Florida/Regional Rank Year Name Headquarters 1 1 Washington Mutual Seattle 2 3 World Savings Bank Boynton...

Between the lines.(Editorial)
April 1, 2004... It is spring, a time for renewal, and renewed hope. Each year for the past four, I have volunteered to coach my son's Little League baseball team, climbing the ladder with him from T-ball to "Minor B" and now to the "Minor A" level. It's...