Florida Trend articles from January 2005

Florida Trend archives from January 2005

Showcasing Technology.(corner office)
January 1, 2005... Venture capitalists need to do a lot of snooping around when they are looking to evaluate emerging research and bring it out of universities as commercially viable technologies. In Florida, the process of visiting labs, talking to professors...

Influential Floridians.(readers)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... Your recent list of influential Floridians was quite impressive and certainly speaks well for the future of our state ["Florida's Influential," November, FloridaTrend.com-. With the vast amount of talent out there, I am sure that narrowing the...

Florida Trend media kit 2005: editorial planning calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2005... Florida Trend Media Kit 2005 Editorial Planning Calendar JAN FEB Editorial Industry Power Features Outlook 2005 Couples...

Feature presentation.(Home Theaters)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Home theaters are big business these days. In Dania, Michael Silverman, CEO of Criteria, a home theater design company, has seen his company's sales double in the past three years. Silverman and his partner, Russell Sinacore, have designed...

Easy access.(Home Theaters)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... JMC Communities is incorporating a "technology closet" in every unit of The Bellamy, its luxury high-rise condominium under construction on Tampa's tony Bayshore Boulevard. The tech closet is a small room in the house--a 3-by-3-foot space...

Setting the scene.(Home Theaters)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Boca Raton-based Acoustic Innovations designs, builds and installs everything that goes into the home theater after the electronics. Owner Jay Miller says his customers' budgets range from $35,000 to several hundred thousand dollars for home...

Encouraging signs.(Weight Management)(Obesity)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... With obesity rates climbing year after year and Americans scrambling to the latest diet, could the secret to weight management be as simple as where you live? A new five-year, $28-million study in 25 U.S. cities, including Orlando, is...

Overweight? You're not alone.(Weight Management)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... * 64% of Americans are either overweight or obese. * Physical inactivity causes more than 200,000 deaths a year nationwide, showing up as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other illnesses. * Obesity costs the U.S. about $117 billion...

The BMI factor.(Weight Management)(body mass index)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Calculating your body mass index, or BMI, will indicate whether you might be considered overweight. But a BMI, which divides your weight by your height, doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle, says Dr. Steven Masley, medical director for...

'Water princess'.(Miami River Commission's Irela Bague)
January 1, 2005... The Miami River is the stuff of a James Michener novel--ancient Indian home, settlers' trading post, 1920s boomtown waterfront, World War II PT boat manufacturing center, drug runners' haven, gritty port for Caribbean-bound ships and now luxury...

Development Deluge.(Pensacola Community Redevelopment Agency director: David Bailey )
January 1, 2005... From the temporary offices in a port building he's been using since Hurricane Ivan trashed City Hall, Pensacola Community Redevelopment Director David Bailey outlines the physical destruction: 2,000 city buildings and apartment units...

A matter of policy.(ITFlorida: information technology)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Matt Doster's job doesn't carry the profile it had four years ago when the tech bubble still had plenty of gas, but he has hopes for ratcheting up his organization's profile. Doster, 29, took over in October as executive director of...

Civic pride: a city/university partnership is working to make over Miami's civic center neighborhood.(Redevelopment)
January 1, 2005... The area around the Miami Civic Center near downtown is a beehive of activity by day and a ghost town by night. The causes are many: Few restaurants and retail shops, a dearth of green space, not many reasons to linger and a fear of crime. ...

The University of Miami's School of Business Administration has received a $10-million gift from Miguel (Mike) Fernandez, chief executive of Coral Gables-based CarePlus Health Plans.(Coral Gables)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The University of Miami's School of Business Administration has received a $10-million gift from Miguel (Mike) Fernandez, chief executive of Coral Gables-based CarePlus Health Plans. The gift will help fund a new building to be named the Miguel...

Miami-Dade Aviation Department Director Angela Gittens.(Miami-Dade)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Miami-Dade Aviation Department Director Angela Gittens abruptly resigned under pressure from County Manager George Burgess. In her three years at the helm of Miami International Airport, Gittens earned high marks from local business leaders for...

Bond measures.(Miami-Dade)(infrastructure projects)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Voters approved eight bond measures totaling $2.9 billion that will be used to fund a host of infrastructure projects and social service programs.

Two Miami-Dade hotels--the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove and the Mandarin Oriental--earned the coveted five diamond rating this year from AAA.(Miami-Dade)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Two Miami-Dade hotels--the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove and the Mandarin Oriental--earned the coveted five diamond rating this year from AAA. The Mandarin's Azul was the only restaurant in the county to receive the top rating.

Dredging.(Miami-Dade)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Dredging near the Port of Miami will resume after more than five years thanks to a $51-million federal appropriation. The project will deepen the channel, allowing vessels to turn around without reversing direction.

Canadian trade and tourism.(Miami-Dade)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Recognizing the importance of Canadian trade and tourism in south Florida, Canada has upgraded its consulate in Miami to the status of consulate general. With the new designation, the office will offer a wider range of services. A 2004 study by...

Wild card: Broward's business interests are split on how slot machines would affect them.(Gambling)
January 1, 2005... Broward County voters may like the idea of having slot machines at area racetracks and jai-alai frontons, but the plan has more skeptics than fans among the business and development community. Norman Taylor, director of economic development...

Office Depot.(company's staff layoffs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Office supply retailer Office Depot (NYSE-ODP) plans to cut its headquarters staff by 97 jobs and eliminate 520 retail positions across the continent. The cuts are expected to save the company $26.3 million.

Sunair Electronics.(Fort Lauderdale)(Richard C. Rochon invests)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... An investment group led by Richard C. Rochon, former president of the H. Wayne Huizenga investment company, plans to infuse as much as $90 million into Sunair Electronics, a high-frequency radio equipment producer looking to expand into pest...

Pacific white shrimp.(Fort Pierce)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... A University of Florida aquaculture demonstration project has yielded its first crop of Pacific white shrimp, Researchers are studying the science and economic viability of an expanded aquaculture industry in Florida. Plans for future crops...

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution.(Fort Pierce)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution has broken ground on a 40,O00-sq.-ft. research center designed to contain the collaborative research the institution conducts with students and faculty from Florida Atlantic University. Construction...

Dyadic International.(Jupiter)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Dyadic International, a biotech company that specializes in the development of proteins and biological products for industrial use, has obtained $25.3 million in financing and will be publicly traded on Nasdaq's bulletin board under the symbol...

Scripps Research Institute.(Palm Beach County)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... While Scripps Research Institute created only 28 jobs on its own, it is responsible for nearly 500 spinoff jobs and total economic activity of more than $40 million in its first year, the institute's overseers said in their first annual report....

The next step: a tiny biomedical institute in Tampa finds itself at a crossroads.(Biomed)
January 1, 2005... While the Scripps Research Institute has grabbed the lion's share of publicity, other, smaller biomedical institutes in Florida labor on--out of the limelight and struggling for money. In Tampa, non-profit Tampa Bay Research Institute...

Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa.(Bellair)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Three local developers--First Dartmouth Homes, Sun Vista Development Group and DeBartolo Development--have announced plans to buy and demolish the 107-year-old landmark Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa and replace it with town-homes or...

The City Council approved a plan by Progress Energy and Kessler Enterprise to redevelop a downtown block that is currently home to the Florida International Museum.(St. Petersburg)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The City Council approved a plan by Progress Energy and Kessler Enterprise to redevelop a downtown block that is currently home to the Florida International Museum. The $100-million project includes plans for 200,000 square feet of office...

St. Pete Times Forum.(Tampa)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa was ranked sixth in the nation and ninth in the world among indoor concert venues based on ticket sales for the first three quarters of 2004, according to the industry magazine Pollstar.

Nanopharma Technologies.(Tampa)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Nanopharma Technologies, a USF spinoff, received two grants totaling nearly $200,000 from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health to develop anti-anthrax antibiotics and drug-delivery methods.

Tampa Bay Water.(Tampa)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Tampa Bay Water executives have agreed to spend another $29 million on its troubled desalination plant in Apollo Beach. The executives signed a contract with American Water/Pridesa to fix the plant after two former companies both filed for...

Oceanfront showdown: hurricane-induced beach erosion is sparking debate over waterfront development.(Environment)
January 1, 2005... Last year's unprecedented hurricane season has left central Florida's Atlantic Coast beaches littered with broken sea walls and condemned businesses--and reopened the debate over the wisdom of barrier island development and beach renourishment....

Boardwalk.(Daytona Beach)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Joyland Amusement owner Dino Paspalakis and Los Angeles-based Carlsberg Management Co. reached a mediated settlement that clears the way for the long-awaited redevelopment of the Boardwalk. The confidential agreement ends a legal battle in...

City Hall.(Groveland)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The City Council approved a $350,000 renovation of its 38-year-old City Hall. The renovation should allow the city to expand its staff from eight to 22. A new building is planned in about five years.

Three eight-story condo towers.(Leesburg)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The City Commission approved plans by Orlando builder Royal Palm to build three eight-story condo towers--the tallest residential buildings in the city. The towers will house 189 units ranging from $200,000 to $400,000.

Park Avenue apartment complex.(Orlando)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The 743-unit Park Avenue apartment complex in MetroWest has been sold to Tarragon South Development Co. and Sunvest Communities LLC and turned into condominiums. Prices at the complex, renamed The Hamptons at MetroWest, will range from $120,000...

Hughes Supply.(Orlando)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Hughes Supply (NYSE-HUG), which moved into its 200,O00-sq.-ft. downtown headquarters last year, is out of space and considering another building in the Parramore area.

Walt Disney World.(Orlando)(Epcot)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... A federal judge has thrown out a 2-year-old lawsuit against Walt Disney World in which Hawaiian artist Mark Waters claimed Disney stole the idea for Epcot. The suit alleged Disney executives saw plans for what Waters called "Miniature Worlds,"...

A dune deal: a historic African-American stretch of beach staves off development.(Preservation)
January 1, 2005... To most it is a simple dune--a hill of sand and beach grass that towers over the historic Amelia Island enclave of American Beach. To MaVynee Betsch, however, it is "Nana"--a spiritual oasis that the self-proclaimed "Beach Lady" has scaled...

Adult video and sex shop.(Alachua County)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Following a lengthy legal battle, county officials agreed to pay Wayne Philpo $25,000 in exchange for his promise not to open an adult video and sex shop at U.S. 441 and 1-75.

Maronda Homes.(Clay County)(investigation by county government)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Commissioners have hired an engineering firm to test concrete block homes in a Middleburg subdivision built by Maronda Homes. The developer is being blamed for water leaks that have damaged nearly 70 homes.

Jennifer Flinn.(Columbia County)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Two years after becoming the county's first female commissioner, Jennifer Flinn has been elected chairwoman of the commission.

McGill Aviation.(rent payments case)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... City officials want to evict the company that sells food and fuel to planes at the municipal airport. The city claims McGill Aviation is behind on more than $68,000 in rent payments.

Gainesville Regional Utilities.(Gainsville)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Gainesville Regional Utilities won permission to build a coal-burning power plant. City officials say the plant is needed to keep up with growing demand for electricity, which could outstrip the present supply by 2011.

Captain JP II.(Green Cove Springs)(cruise lines)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... A New York-based dinner cruise line is docking at the Reynolds Park Yacht Center during the winter season. The 200-foot Captain JP II, which can seat 500 for dinner, is booking corporate parties for Super Bowl week.

Burger King.(northeast florida facilities divests)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The family that opened the first Burger King restaurant on Beach Boulevard more than 50 years ago has sold its 33 northeast Florida establishments to the chain's Miami-based corporation.

Quarterback Mark Brunell.(oceanfront home acquired by Kevin Twomey of St. Joe Co.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell sold his 14,000-sq.-ft. oceanfront home for a market record $9.5 million. The buyer: Kevin Twomey, president of St. Joe Co.

Lost and found: Perdido Key, long suspicious of growth, is about to become home to a 412-acre WCI resort.(Development)(WCI Communities Inc.)
January 1, 2005... A colony unlike anything the Spanish explorers of the 1690s could have fathomed may be about to take root on Perdido Key, Florida's westernmost barrier island, as WCI Communities makes its first venture into northwest Florida. Early...

Navarre Town Center Plan.(Santa Rosa County Commission gives approval for town plan)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Santa Rosa County Commission approved the Navarre Town Center Plan, allowing taller, lO0-foot buildings but also calling for an amphitheater, plazas, parks and open spaces to permit views of Santa Rosa Sound. Included in the plan: Sign...

Sam's Fun City.(Pensacola)(amusement parks)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Sam's Fun City, Escambia County's only amusement park, is adding a $1.5-million water park, Sam's Surf City, to open this spring. The park, launched in 2000, was ranked among the top 10 family entertainment centers in 2003 by the International...

Old St. Joe Paper Co. mill.(Port St. Joe)(redevelopment planning)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Arts, entertainment and shopping could replace the old St. Joe Paper Co. mill under the redevelopment plan of co-owners St. Joe Co. and Smurfit-Stone. The $345-million project would create a new town center, including a new City Hall and office...

Jon Shebel has stepped down as president of influential business lobbying group Associated Industries of Florida.(Tallahassee)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Jon Shebel has stepped down as president of influential business lobbying group Associated Industries of Florida. Shebel, who served as president for 30 years, will stay on as CEO. Longtime lobbyist and former executive director of the...

Northwest Florida Water Mangement District.(Walton County)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Northwest Florida Water Management District will buy 3,160 acres along Lafayette Creek near Freeport for $4.5 million from M.C. Davis of Nokuse Plantation. The purchase, protecting an environmentally sensitive water resource area, is also...

2005 industry outlook.
January 1, 2005... The industries to watch most closely in Florida in 2005 will be those whose fortunes are linked either to interest rates or to the hurricanes that struck the state this summer. Housing continues to sizzle with few signs of overheating....

Hot, Hot, Hot: the market continues to sizzle. A bubble isn't likely in most places in Florida, but Miami's condo market bears watching.(Residential)
January 1, 2005... Just six years ago, it seemed like every investor was buying technology stocks. Heavy demand drove shares of some dot-com companies into the stratosphere. But as reality set in with the new millennium, the bubble burst and share prices...

Upwardly 'mobile': as housing prices soar, a new generation of manufactured homes is becoming a competitive alternative to traditional homes.(Manufactured Homes)
January 1, 2005... To understand just how hot demand for housing--all housing--is now in Florida, consider the market for manufactured housing. In 2002, Ken and Joann Bowers, retirees from Ohio, paid $76,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bath home in Blue Heron Pines, a...

The fallout.(Insurance)
January 1, 2005... It won't be Andrew-esque, but the insurance fallout from Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne will dominate the market this year. The industry blew through its reserves and then some to cover $17.5 billion in insured wind losses in...

Looking good.(Banking)
January 1, 2005... As long as any interest rate increases are gradual and small, bankers will have a good year. Ocean Bank CEO Jose Concepcion expects 8% to 10% growth and to expand in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade. Riverside National Bank President Vernon...

Growing their base.(Professional Employer Organizations)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... PEO customers are hiring--excellent news for professional employer organizations whose revenues notch up with each additional worker. PEOs provide payroll, employee benefits, workers' comp and human resources services to clients. Most expect...

Strong numbers.(Financial Services)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... "We're booming," reports Van Johnson, a DeLand mortgage broker and president of the Florida Association of Mortgage Brokers. Property owners with hurricane damage are leveraging insurance and FEMA payouts to borrow more to renovate their...

Slower growth.(Consumer)(retail trade)
January 1, 2005... Many homeowners hit by any of the four hurricanes that struck this summer, damaging more than 50,000 homes, have had to pay deductibles in the thousands of dollars, and that's putting a crimp in retailers' bottom lines. "Insurance doesn't...

On the offense.(Simulation & Training)
January 1, 2005... Florida's burgeoning simulation and training industry continues to get a boost from the war on terror as companies work to meet the needs of both military and law enforcement customers. Orlando boasts one of the nation's largest clusters of...

Small world.(Hardware)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Florida's microelectronics industry will experience dramatic change this year because of the growing interest in nanotechnology by Florida's universities, says Michael Kovac, director of the Nanomaterials and Nanomanufacturing Center at the...

Promising future.(Software)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Florida's software industry continues to be strong, pushed in part by the banking industry's needs for financial software development, says Gordon Hogan, a business development consultant with the University of Central Florida's technology...

Regaining its footing.(Hotels)
January 1, 2005... The state's hotel industry has been trying since Sept. 11, 2001, to establish new benchmarks for measuring its annual performance. Just as occupancy figures were getting back to pre-2001 levels in mid-2004, Florida was hit hard by four major...

'Banner year'.(Theme Parks)
January 1, 2005... Florida's attractions started out strong last year but took a major hit after the hurricanes, when attendance dropped by 13% in August and 38% in September, says Donna Ross, president and CEO of the Florida Attractions Association. ...

A hurdle and a stumbling block.(Health Insurance)
January 1, 2005... Almost 3 million Floridians under age 65 do not have health insurance. The state is hoping to ease the problem this year as the 2004 Affordable Healthcare for Floridians Act goes into effect. One component involves rolling out health savings...

Manpower and money.(Hospitals)
January 1, 2005... The November passage of Amendment 8, known as the "three strikes you are out" amendment, will hinder the already difficult staffing of Florida's hospital trauma centers, says Ralph Glatfelter, senior vice president of the Florida Hospital...

North of the border.(Pharmaceuticals)
January 1, 2005... Six months after Florida seniors began sorting through the pros and cons of the Medicare drug cards, Floridians of all ages are demanding more affordable prescription drugs. Much of the discussion centers on Canada. "Importing drugs from...

Running out of juice.(Citrus)
January 1, 2005... Last summer's quartet of hurricanes has "taken 30% of the (citrus) crop out of the market," says Andy LaVigne, CEO of growers association Florida Citrus Mutual. The dent in supply means that growers will get more money this year for what...

Pulp fiction.(Forestry)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... More than 2.3 million acres of forests were destroyed or damaged during the hurricanes this past summer, which will likely cost the state's $16-billion timber industry almost $400 million in lost timber. What can be salvaged will likely be...

Powered up.(Florida Products)(manufacturing sector)
January 1, 2005... In the boat-building portion, at least, of Florida's manufacturing sector, 2005 looks stellar. "We had a record-breaking Fort Lauderdale boat show," says Frank Herhold, executive director of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida....

The price is right: determining the value of your product or service early on is crucial.(Pricing)
January 1, 2005... Roy Moore knows you only get one chance to price your product right for the market. He bought Marinize Products Corp. in Hollywood in 2002. Its popular product, RustAid, was widely available at Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal-Mart. For 14 years, the...

Know your limits.(Tips)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... What's your product or service worth? By studying competition, customers and costs of doing business or bringing a product to market, service and product providers can better set the price of their products, says Lee Goldring, a partner with...

Healthcare on the go: Lee Memorial's wireless network has allowed it to boost productivity.(Wireless)
January 1, 2005... Home healthcare workers from the Lee Memorial Health System spend plenty of time on the road, seeing eight to 10 patients each day as they roam from Fort Myers to Captiva Island to the rural parts of eastern Lee County. Typically, they began...

A sound idea: more hotels and resorts are instituting 'quiet zones' in response to weary travelers.(Hotels)
January 1, 2005... Looking to gain an edge with business travelers, the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand has started marketing "quiet zones" in its nearly 200 properties worldwide, including 11 in Florida. No noise, housekeeping or maintenance is allowed on...

Hotel openings.(travel & tourism)(MTV Networks Inc. Nickelodeon and Holiday Inns Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Nickelodeon Family Suites Resort by Holiday Inn is set to open early this year in Orlando as the first venture between the children's television network and the hotel company. The team has pumped $20 million into the former Holiday Inn...

Per diems.(travel & tourism)
January 1, 2005... State lawmakers and Orlando tourism leaders flew into action last fall after the U.S. General Services Administration announced its proposed fiscal year 2005 per diem travel rates, the daily allowances that can be claimed by traveling...

Joseph P. Klock, who has served as managing partner of Miami-based Steel Hector and Davis for 25 years, has stepped down from his job running the day-to-day operations of the 200-lawyer firm.(In the News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Joseph P. Klock, who has served as managing partner of Miami-based Steel Hector and Davis for 25 years, has stepped down from his job running the day-to-day operations of the 200-lawyer firm. Litigator and longtime firm member Alvin B. Davis...

Federal Bar Association's National Criminal Law Section.(In the News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Former federal prosecutor Seth Rodner, a partner with Fowler White Boggs Banker in Tampa, has been named chairman of the Federal Bar Association's National Criminal Law Section....

American Bar Association's Latin America and Caribbean Law Initiative Group.(In the News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Armando E. Lacasa, an international and governmental practice lawyer with Ruden McClosky in Miami, will chair the American Bar Association's Latin America and Caribbean Law Initiative Group, which was designed to promote legal reforms in the...

Nova Southeastern University's Shepherd Broad Law Center.(In the News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Martin Press, a partner with West Palm Beach-based Gunster Yoakley, has been appointed chairman of the board of governors for Nova Southeastern University's Shepherd Broad Law Center....

Akerman Senterfitt.(In the News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Robert A. Zinn, managing partner of Orlando-based Akerman Senterfitt's Miami office, has been named to the newly created position of chief operation shareholder. He will report to firm Chairman and CEO J. Thomas Cardwell on issues relating to...