Florida Trend articles from August 2007

Florida Trend archives from August 2007

FloridaTrend.com: your 'one-stop shop'.(Corner Office)(Website overview)
August 1, 2007... For nearly 50 9ears, FLORIDA TREND'S editorial and art teams have won so many awards it would be impossible to count them all. This is the first year, however, that we entered our website into competition, and it's been just six months since we...

The PSC.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Editor's note: Anthony De Luise, director of the PSC's Office of Public Information, wrote FLORIDA TREND pointing out several errors in the July Tallahassee Trend column, "Power to the People": Public Service Commissioner Katrina McMurrian is...

Taxes.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... I agree local government needs to be held accountable ["Tinkering with Taxes," June, FloridaTrend.com]. I did not vote for the city officials and county commissioners who imposed the ridiculous millage rates on St. Lucie County. I attended...

Women board members.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Capital City Bank has been recognized for years for having two or more women on our board ["Women on Board," June, FloridaTrend.com]. So naturally we were disappointed we didn't make your list but understand our two of 11 board members doesn't...

Taxing values.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... "Value Judgment" [June, FloridaTrend.com] contained erroneous information. First it compares a two-acre marina in Broward County to a one-acre marina in Palm Beach County. The error is that the marina in Palm Beach County is 5.24 acres,...

Corrections.(Readers)(Correction notice)
August 1, 2007... > Flo-Sun's 2006 revenue was $2.5 billion, up 32% from 2005's $1.9 billion. The company should have been ranked No. 8 on our Florida Private 200 list. > Ryder System has 28,600 full-time employees. Numbers in our Public Companies list...

A rum for your money.(Executive Lifestyles: Premium Spirits)
August 1, 2007... Zach Brinley introduced Brinley Gold, his family's premium flavored rum, to Florida last year, and already it's in such hot spots as the Rum Barrel in Key West, the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando and Blu Sushi in Naples. "The reception in Florida...

Mojito MoJo.(Executive Lifestyles: Premium Spirits)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Northerners tout the Mojito as the latest and greatest new cocktail, but in the South, its cousin, the mint julep, has been around for decades. Ernesto Plagata, general manager of acclaimed Ortanique on Coral Gables' Miracle Mile, says...

Cocktail hour.(Executive Lifestyles: Premium Spirits)(Recipe)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... A trio of cocktail specialties from Amy Elhassan, bartender at Ristorante BOVA, one of Boca Raton's hottest restaurants. Lychee Martini "Where everybody else is using regular vodka, I tried a different approach and used vanilla...

Commanding a premium.(Executive Lifestyles: Premium Spirits)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Ultrapremium spirits are on a roll, says John McDonnell, COO of The Patron Spirits Co. "We're into a cocktail culture. Domestic beer is declining. The demographics are in our favor now. When people drink, it's based on an occasion, and there is...

How low can you go? Guidelines are likely to get even lower.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Health assessments)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... In 2003, a blood pressure reading of 129/84 was considered normal. Today, 129/84 will get you a prehypertension diagnosis and a warning from your doctor. To be considered normal now, your blood pressure would have to be lower than 120/80....

Metabolic syndrome.(HEALTH TIPS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Physicians are increasingly focusing on a specific menu of test results to help determine a patient's risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The criteria include blood pressure and the levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and...

Deep in the heart of patients.(PLAQUE DETECTION)
August 1, 2007... Dr. Steven A. Schnur wants you to look deep inside your heart. Literally. The Miami cardiologist and president of South Florida Cardiology Associates recommends that many of his patients, even some in their 20s, undergo a multislice CT scan to...

B&B amenities.(Executive Lifestyles: Travel: Business and Leisure)
August 1, 2007... At 150 years old, the Florida House Inn on Amelia Island near Jacksonville is the oldest continually operated bed-and-breakfast in the state. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places, holds a spot on the local ghost tour and has...

eSuites.(HOTELS AND RESORTS)
August 1, 2007... Jacksonville and Tampa are among four cities nationwide scheduled for 2008 debuts of a new hotel brand called eSuites, which will cater to business travelers. Suites are oversized and have state-of-the-art technology and in-room exercise...

Westin Hotel.(HOTELS AND RESORTS)
August 1, 2007... Palm Beach County commissioners gave Delray Beach-based developer Ocean Properties the go-ahead to build a $100-million, 400-room, 25-story Westin Hotel that connects to the Palm Beach County Convention Center through an enclosed walkway.

Luau at Sandestin Resort.(HOTELS AND RESORTS)
August 1, 2007... Construction has been completed on the Luau at Sandestin Resort, a $44-million project that includes 18-story and 12-story towers with 243 hotel/condominium units.

Walt Disney World Resort.(HOTELS AND RESORTS)
August 1, 2007... Walt Disney World Resort has made all of its hotels smoke-free as of June 1.

Delta Connection.(TOURISM)
August 1, 2007... Delta Connection has started non-stop service every Saturday between Tampa and Key West international airports.

Ultimate Resort.(TOURISM)
August 1, 2007... Kissimmee-based Ultimate Resort has acquired the real estate assets of Tanner & Haley, making it the third-largest destination club in the industry, with luxury vacation homes in the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe.

TomTom GO 910 Portable GPS Navigation System.(Travel Gadget)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... TomTom GO 910 Portable GPS Navigation System Website: tomtom.com Price: $499.95 Comes with a 20GB built-in hard drive and 4-inch touch screen. Works in eight languages. Programmable with celebrity voices such as Mr. T's and Darth...

Cloud nine.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)(The Blackstone Group acquired Boca Raton Resort & Club )
August 1, 2007... > Cielo (Boca Raton Resort & Club) 501 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton 561/447-3222, Bocaresort.com Since Blackstone Group's December 2005 takeover of the Boca Raton Resort & Club, there have been extensive and dramatic enhancements...

Wine & spirits.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)
August 1, 2007... WHITE Hogue Cellars Columbia Valley, Wash. $10 2005 Fume Blanc from Columbia Valley's Hogue Cellars is a straightforward surprise with a lively fruitiness held in check by ample acidity. RED Milton Park Australia $10 The...

Tolf's picks.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)(Brett's Waterway Cafe)(JJ's Liberty Bistro)(Paramount Grill)
August 1, 2007... FERNANDINA BEACH Brett's Waterway Cafe 1 S. Front St. 904/261-2660 Reliably fresh seafood and many pastabilities in a wonderful waterway setting. Lunch entrees, $9 to $13. Dinner entrees, $20 to $34. PONTE VEDRA BEACH ...

George Steinbrenner.(Icon)(Interview)
August 1, 2007... Businessman; owner, New York Yankees; age 77 (Steinbrenner, reportedly in ill health, would not agree to be interviewed in person. He answered questions via e-mail.) I did play baseball as a kid. I also played football, basketball, was...

Testing the waters.(Trendsetters: Marine Industries)(Lori Baer)
August 1, 2007... On Lori Baer's mind is finding an entrepreneur willing to risk fast-ferry service to the Bahamas. Also in her plans is widening and deepening the Port of Palm Beach's troublesome channel. She's contemplating an inland logistics "port" for...

Doing good.(Trendsetters: Marine Industries)
August 1, 2007... In the last year, from Palm Beach, Broward and Collier counties, south Florida-based Freedom Waters Foundation has provided fishing, sailing and yachting trips for 1,500 at-risk youths and for children and adults with disabilities or cancer,...

A boatload of business.(Trendsetters: Marine Industries)
August 1, 2007... The turning point for Bob Toney's business came with its first government contract just over a decade ago. Until then, Toney's National Liquidators had existed by repossessing and selling boats for bank clients. It handled about 50 boats at a...

Marina converter.(Trendsetters: Marine Industries)
August 1, 2007... Talking to Steeven Knight, you feel you walked into the middle of an argument over the merits of his brainchild, the Yacht Clubs of the Americas. He's non-stop on everything about his business: The benefits of owning vs. renting dock space, of...

Buy and hold.(Trendsetters: Marine Industries)
August 1, 2007... > "My daddy once said the only problem with selling something is you don't own it anymore." So says Ray Graziotto, 40, co-owner with J.C. Solomon II, 55, of the Jupiter-based Loggerhead Club & Marina chain. He was explaining why they adopted...

Programming boost: a new state law gives TV viewers more options.(TV SERVICE)
August 1, 2007... Competition between telephone companies and cable TV operators is heating up as a new law allows both kinds of companies to more easily compete for TV viewers. Companies no longer have to negotiate city by city or county by county for a local...

Florida Energy Commision.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Tommy Boroughs, a partner in Holland & Knight's Orlando office, has been named chairman of the Florida Energy Commission.

International Council of Shopping Centers.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Linda Carrick-Warfield, director of retail sales and leasing at Colliers Arnold in Orlando, has been appointed Florida operations co-chair for the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Bright House Networks Florida.(Players)
August 1, 2007... John N. Rigsby, Bright House Networks Florida group president, plans to retire at the end of the year.

Members of Gov. Charlie Crist's new nine-member Commision on Open Government.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Members of Gov. Charlie Crist's new nine-member Commission on Open Government are: Chairwoman Barbara Petersen, president, First Amendment Foundation; Gerald Bailey, commissioner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Bob Butterworth,...

Cuban boost.(TRADE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Prior to 1959, the U.S. was Cuba's main trading partner and Florida was Cuba's largest state trading partner. Today, only a trickle of products--most of them agricultural--makes it from the U.S. to the island nation. Tim Lynch, director...

Immigrant pursuits.(ENTREPRENEURS)
August 1, 2007... Recent immigrants residing in Florida are more likely to be entrepreneurs, with an equal likelihood of earning an advanced degree and contributing to the local economy based on taxes paid, relative to existing citizens, according a new study...

Supply lines.(ALTERNATIVE FUEL)
August 1, 2007... Ethanol is making its way across the state. First sold in north Florida, ethanol supplies are now available in Tampa at the Kinder Morgan terminal and in the Orlando area. Prices have come down as well--with a gallon now selling for about the...

UF ranking.(TECH TRANSFER)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The University of Florida comes in at No.5 in a Milken Institute ranking of universities' ability to turn world-class biotech research into licensing income and business startups. "Mind to Market: A Global Analysis of University Biotechnology...

Average tax liability.(Statewide)
August 1, 2007... FLORIDA $9,670 GEORGIA $8,197 NORTH CAROLINA $7,260 Source: Florida Statistical Abstract 2006

Timeshares: vacationing in Florida.(Statewide)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
August 1, 2007... The timeshare industry's impact on the state's economy increased 25.6% from 2002 to 2005, according to results of a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the American Resort Development Association. Other results: > $14.3...

Holes in the core.(DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT)
August 1, 2007... Despite the ubiquitous cranes framing downtown Miami and a newly opened, state-of-the-art performing arts center, the health of the city's downtown business district has re-emerged as a hot topic. Macy's Florida chief executive Julie...

R. Donahue Peebles.(CORAL GABLES)
August 1, 2007... Real estate developer and entrepreneur R. Donahue Peebles has purchased 13 acres in Las Vegas for $65 million. He plans to develop a non-gaming, five-star hotel near the famed strip.

VinPlus.(CORAL GABLES)
August 1, 2007... vinPlus, an information technology company based in Coral Gables, has been acquired by Netlink Software Group, an automotive IT provider.

Monroe County School District.(KEY WEST)
August 1, 2007... The Monroe Country school District has hired Nashville-based Ombudsman Educational Services, a provider of alternative education services, to work with problem and special needs students.

Hotel room rates.(KEY WEST)
August 1, 2007... Hotel room rates in the Florida Keys are the fifth-highest--after Paris, London, Dubai and New York--among the top 15 global destinations, according to a report by Smith Travel Research.

Biotechnology industry park.(LIBERTY CITY)
August 1, 2007... Plans for a major biotechnology industry park in the downtrodden section of Liberty City have been shelved after a range of problems. In a special report, the Miami Herald said that developer Dennis Stackhouse received millions of dollars in...

$800,000 for affordable housing.(MARATHON)
August 1, 2007... City Council has requested that Miami-based Peebles Corp., new owner of the Key Colony Bay Hotel, provide the city with $800,000 for affordable housing within a year as a condition for beginning redevelopment of the trophy property, according...

Burger King.(MIAMI)
August 1, 2007... Burger King shares (NYSE-BKC) have doubled in a year, helped by trendy advertisements, an updated, high-profit menu and later closing hours.

Ryder System.(MIAMI)
August 1, 2007... Black Enterprise magazine has ranked Miami-based Ryder System one of the 40 "Best Companies for Diversity."

Intercredit Bank.(MIAMI)
August 1, 2007... Intercredit Bank has signed an agreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a national bank regulator, that tightens the bank's lending policies and reduces risk in its loan portfolio.

Miami Dade College has opened the Green Urban Living Center at its North Campus.(MIAMI)
August 1, 2007... Miami Dade College has opened the Green Urban Living Center at its North Campus. The new environmental facility is designed to provide hands-on educational opportunities for the general public, including elementary, high school and college...

Three Marriott-branded hotels located at Miami International Airport.(MIAMI)
August 1, 2007... Thayer Lodging Group has purchased three Marriott-branded hotels located at Miami International Airport from Marriott International for $57.5 million. The new owner plans a $65-million facelift before reopening the hotels in 2009.

Noven Pharmaceuticals.(MIAMI)
August 1, 2007... Noven Pharmaceuticals has received $5.9 million from Shire PLC to develop a skin patch for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Since 2003, Noven has worked with Shire to create and commercialize patches for ADHD.

2 Midtown condominium project.(MIAMI)
August 1, 2007... A group of nine condominium buyers has filed a class-action suit against the developer of the 2 Midtown condominium project in Miami. The group claims that the development team missed its deadline to complete the project.

Clinton Hotel & Spa.(MIAMI BEACH)
August 1, 2007... Clinton Hotel & Spa has been sold for $19 million to East Coast Realty Ventures.

MasterVand MArketing.(NORTH MIAMI BEACH)
August 1, 2007... A U.S. District judge has sentenced Evans Eric Baros Jr., owner of MasterVend Marketing, and employees Samuel Elmowitz and Dana Kerri Elmowitz Pearl to either prison or probation for wire conspiracy fraud charges. The defendants pleaded guilty...

Premier American Bank.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Coral Gables-based Premier American Bank has promoted Rolando Bichara to chairman, president and chief executive. Bichara was vice chairman.

Kendall Regional Medical Center.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Mauricio Sirvent has been named CEO at Kendall Regional Medical Center. Formerly CFO, Sirvent replaces Victor Maya, who is retiring.

Miami-Dade Expressway Authority.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Maritza Gutierrez, founder of Creative Ideas Advertising, has been named chairwoman of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. She is the first Hispanic woman to hold the position.

Hospital Corp.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Hospital Corp. of America has hired Michael A. Houston, previously CFO of Westside Regional Medical Center in Plantation, as CFO of its east Florida division.

Goldstein Schechter Price Lucas Horwitz & Co.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Goldstein Schechter Price Lucas Horwitz & Co., a Miami accounting firm, has named partner Howard Lucas chief executive.

Foram Group.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Foram Group, a Miami-based real estate investment firm, has hired Barbara G. Roush, formerly executive director of membership at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, as COO.

Serendipity.(RESEARCH)(Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Florida Atlantic University)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... This spring, the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, a non-profit underwater-exploration organization near Fort Pierce, was in enough financial trouble that it prepared to cut staff and sell off some of its 600 acres to commercial...

Woman-led.(BUSINESS DIVERSITY)(Report)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Half of Florida's top 50 woman-led businesses call south Florida home, according to a study by the Center for Leadership at Florida International University. The companies were ranked by revenue. 28% percentage of companies that had a...

BankAtlantic Bancorp.(Players)
August 1, 2007... James White has retired as executive vice president and CFO of Fort Lauderdalebased BankAtlantic Bancorp. Valerie Toalson will succeed him in both posts. Toalson has served as CFO of BankAtlantic since February 2006. White will remain with...

Memorial Hospital Miramar.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Memorial Hospital Miramar has named Aurelio Fernandez CEO. Fernandez was previously CEO of Tenet Healthcare. He replaces C. Kennon Hetlage, who will head Memorial Hospital West, a sister facility in Pembroke Pines.

RailAmerica.(Players)(Fortress Investment Group acquired RailAmerica Inc.)(Appoinment and resignations of RialAmerica Inc. and Great Lakes Transportation)
August 1, 2007... Charles Swinburn is retiring as CEO of Boca Raton-based RailAmerica. John E. Giles will take over his responsibilities. Giles previously was president and CEO of Great Lakes Transportation. Donald D. Redfearn, RailAmerica's president, and CFO...

Cross Country Healthcare.(BOCA RATON)
August 1, 2007... Cross Country Healthcare, a healthcare staffing services firm, has purchased London-based Akos Ltd., a regulatory clinical trial services firm. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Cross Country had said it would pay up to $14 million for...

Agilysis.(BOCA RATON)
August 1, 2007... IT services provider Agilysis is acquiring Edison, N.J.-based business systems integrator Innovative for $100 million, plus an additional $90 million if certain earnings goals are met during the first two years after the purchase.

Nabi Pharmaceuticals.(BOCA RATON)
August 1, 2007... Nabi Pharmaceuticals has created a new business unit and expanded the role of Dr. Raafat Fahim, senior vice president of research, technical and production operations, to include the new position of COO and general manager of the Biologics SBU....

New voting machines.(BROWARD COUNTY)
August 1, 2007... County commissioners opted to buy new voting machines that use paper ballots to replace 4,500 touch-screen machines. The switch will cost almost $10 million.

Konover South.(DEERFIELD BEACH)
August 1, 2007... Konover South has secured $350 million from two sources. The real estate investment company plans to use $200 million to buy grocery-anchored shopping centers and $150 million to develop and redevelop properties throughout the Southeast U.S.

Spirit Airlines.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
August 1, 2007... Spirit Airlines is now flying directly to Managua, Nicaragua, three times a week, with daily service beginning in November.

Kaplan University.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
August 1, 2007... In response to job market demands, Kaplan University added a trio of programs to its distance education offerings. In July, the Fort Lauderdale-based Washington Post Co. subsidiary began offering bachelor degrees in criminal justice/ juvenile...

Ocean Breeze Mobile Home Park.(OCEAN BREEZE)
August 1, 2007... The residents of Ocean Breeze Mobile Home Park will buy the park for $40 million. More than 500 residents at the 55-plus Martin County community struck the deal to prevent developers from acquiring the property.

Active adult community.(PORT ST. LUCIE)
August 1, 2007... Dallas-based Centex Homes is planning to build an active adult community with 4,000 homes at LTC Ranch, west of 1-95. Phase one of the 2,06B-acre project will include a clubhouse with a ballroom, spa, fitness center and possibly a small...

Wind-power plant.(ST. LUCIE COUNTY)
August 1, 2007... Florida Power & Light's plan to explore the viability of building a wind-power plant near the coastline is on again. The project would be the first wind-power farm in Florida.

Tallest structure in the U.S.(WEST PALM BEACH)
August 1, 2007... Fort Lauderdalebased High Point Group and Rodriguez Design Group have proposed building the tallest structure in the U.S.--and second-tallest in the world--downtown. The West Palm Beach Observatory is designed as a 1,500-foot tower resembling...

Clematis District.(WEST PALM BEACH)
August 1, 2007... The West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority has approved four incentive programs for the Clematis District. The authority hopes to attract new retailers and help existing business owners improve their spaces.

Blueberry fields forever.(AGRICULTURE)
August 1, 2007... For more than a century, citrus farming, cattle ranching and phosphate mining have dominated Polk County's economy. But as consumers have driven up demand for nature's No. 1 antioxidant and citrus farmers look to diversify their crops, the...

Gaining ground.(Southwest)
August 1, 2007... > 2,600--acres of blueberries harvested in Florida last year > $32.9 million--total cash receipts for Florida blueberries last year > $4.70--wholesale price per pound of blueberries last year > $7--wholesale price per pound this...

NeoMedia Technologies.(Players)
August 1, 2007... NeoMedia Technologies in Fort Myers has named William Hoffman, formerly CEO of Uniqua Technologies in Atlanta, CEO. He replaces Charles Fritz, interim CEO and founder.

MacDill Air Force.(Players)
August 1, 2007... Army Maj. Gen. Francis H. Kearney III was nominated to be the new deputy commander of U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. He replaces Adm. Eric T. Olson, who was named commander of SOCom.