Florida Trend articles from June 2006

Florida Trend archives from June 2006

By the numbers.(Corner Office)(readership survey)(Survey)
June 1, 2006... In an age when busy executives hardly have time to eat a bowl of micro-waved oatmeal at breakfast, the fact that the average FLORIDA TREND subscriber spends 73 minutes reading an issue of the magazine is significant. That's equivalent to about...

Economic yearbook.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... Thank you. That's an incredible article on Florida ["Good Migrations," April, FloridaTrend.com]. Godfrey Santini Fort Myers I am an avid reader of the online FLORIDA TREND, and I just wanted to take this opportunity to express...

Corner office.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I read "Capital Reasons to Give" in April's magazine and find you to be right on target; as current chairman of the district board of trustees of Palm Beach Community College, I can assure you that we rely heavily on outside donations through...

Immigrant workers.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... On behalf of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, the state's largest general agricultural organization representing 140,000 member families, I would like to applaud FLORIDA TREND for the owed ["Tectonic Plates," February, FloridaTrend.com]...

Well-suited.(Executive Lifestyles: Men's Fashion)
June 1, 2006... Alan Vinson calls himself a "walking men's clothing store." He owns James Taylor Vinson Co. in Jacksonville, a by-appointment-only custom men's clothing business. He dresses customers all over the state, from CEOs like Gary Chartrand of Acosta...

Fashion trends.(Executive Lifestyles: Men's Fashion)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... NYNE--The "New You New Energy" fashion line debuted in Florida at Macy's department stores in May. The line consists of 150+ shirt patterns and fabrics. The shirts, which retail for $48 to $54, are geared toward the metrosexual market along the...

Exploring alternatives.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Alternative Medicine)
June 1, 2006... Pain management physicians, always looking for ways to reduce discomfort so patients can better heal, often recommend what peers in other fields might consider alternative medicine. Patients, however, should be informed when they seek...

The CAM approach.(HEALTH TIPS)(complementary and alternative medicine)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Non-conventional approaches to healing are considered complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM. Complementary medicine is used jointly with conventional treatment, and alternative medicine is used instead of it. CAM therapies are divided...

Comfort zone: hotel amenities are designed to make women travelers feel safer.(women travelers enjoy comfort)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... A handful of Florida hotels now offers special programs and amenities for women business travelers. Top priorities include safety, comfort and environments where women can, for example, dine alone without feeling like targets. With 52...

Safety tips for women.(Executive Lifestyles: Travel: Business Travel for Women)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... * At check-in, the desk clerk should write your room number on the key envelope instead of mentioning it out loud. When you go out, the key envelope should be left in your room and not kept with the key. * Request a room away from emergency...

Door stop alarm.(Travel Gadget)
June 1, 2006... Price: $12.85 Website: magellans.com Placed at the bottom of your hotel room door, this device looks like a regular doorstop but contains electronic equipment that will alert you to an intruder by emitting a shrill, pulsating alarm. It...

The Woman Road Warrior: A Woman's Guide to Business Travel.(Bookshelf)
June 1, 2006... The Woman Road Warrior: A Woman's Guide to Business Travel Price: $12.95 Website: womanroadwarrior.com Released in 2005 by Agate Publishing, this 180-page book gives tips and tools for domestic and international business travel, everything...

Top 10.(travel patterns for the elderly)(Survey)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... TOP 10--Orlando has been named one of the top 10 domestic cities where adults with disabilities prefer to travel for business or pleasure, according to a Harris Interactive survey for the Open Doors Organization. The other cities are: New York,...

Hurricane hit.(TRAVEL PATTERNS)
June 1, 2006... HURRICANE HIT--California and Florida top the list of favorite vacation destinations this summer, as always, but interest in Florida has declined significantly this year because of the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes, according to the 2006 National...

Web draw.(TRAVEL PATTERNS)(travel spending)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... WEB DRAW--A survey conducted by USDM.net, an interactive marketing agency that specializes in the travel industry, brought good news for 11 destinations nationwide, including Miami and Fort Walton Beach. The 2005 Tourism Economic Impact Report...

Medieval update.(ATTRACTIONS & RESORTS)
June 1, 2006... MEDIEVAL UPDATE--Medieval Times in Kissimmee is undergoing a renovation and expansion scheduled to be completed in July that will add almost 4,000 square feet to the main waiting area. Upgrades also include a new gift shop, bar, drawbridge and...

Spa getaway.(ATTRACTIONS & RESORTS)
June 1, 2006... SPA GETAWAY--Ocean Walk Resort in Daytona Beach has opened a Vacation Therapy Spa, the first of several planned by Orlando-based parent company Fairfield Resorts. Additional spas will be located in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and other parts of...

Hotel conversion.(ATTRACTIONS & RESORTS)
June 1, 2006... HOTEL CONVERSION--InterContinental Hotels Group has opened a Crowne Plaza hotel in Jacksonville, its 11th in the state. The Crowne Plaza Jacksonville-Riverfront underwent a $3-million renovation to convert it from the Hilton Jacksonville...

Connie honor.(ATTRACTIONS & RESORTS)
June 1, 2006... CONNIE HONOR--Doubletree Guest Suites in Naples tied with a sister hotel in Bay City, Mich., for the brand's top award. Each received a Connie Award, named in honor of company founder Conrad Hilton, for the highest overall performance in 2005.

Uncorking a niche.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)(Cork & Olive )
June 1, 2006... Another confirmation of the increasing importance of Florida as a leading wine-consuming state is the popularity of Tampa-based Estate Wine Group's growing chain of Cork & Olive retail stores and its home and catered events offerings....

Don Francisco: Mario Kreutzberger/Don Francisco, 65, TV host, Miami-based "Sabado Gigante," longest-running television variety show in the world, and "Don Francisco Presenta".(Television host)
June 1, 2006... In May we became 20 years in the United States and 44 years since we started with the program. We're going again into the 'Guinness Book of Records.' My real profession is another profession. I'm a men's clothes designer. My father sent me...

Home at Hyatt.(Trendsetters: Tourism and Entertainment)(dialogue with Pat Engfer )(Interview)
June 1, 2006... Whether staying at a Hyatt in Hawaii or a bed-and-breakfast in Europe, Pat Engfer tries to be an understanding guest. "I never throw stones, living in a glass house." Engfer's glass house is the Hyatt Regency at Orlando International...

Bruce Orosz.(Notables)
June 1, 2006... Bruce Orosz, 56, president, production company ACT Productions, Miami Beach, has produced Miami Beach Polo Cup, Kanye West's Video Music Awards party, the Orange Bowl halftime show and just finished the Florida Chapter of the National Academy...

Jack B. Healan Jr.(Notables)
June 1, 2006... Jack B. Healan Jr., 60, president, Amelia island Co., which owns the 1,350-acre Amelia Island Plantation resort, which has been a winner of the Governor's Sterling Award for Quality and environmental honors....

Elizabeth Wentworth.(Notables)
June 1, 2006... Elizabeth Wentworth, vice president for 15 years at the Broward Alliance's film commission, reports a 67% jump in filming in the county in 2005, led by telenovelas (Latin serial dramas), independents and reality shows.

Call of the wild.(Trendsetters: Tourism and Entertainment)(Seidler Productions)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Growing up in Tarpon Springs, Robert Seidler "was in love with everything outdoors." He raised turtles and explored local waters. And while he aced standardized tests, he brought home either A's or F's from school. "I was kind of a paradox," he...

Hospitality pitch.(Trendsetters: Tourism and Entertainment)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Lee Weeks Coral Hospitality, CEO, Naples At first: Mississippi-born, raised in Gulf Shores, Ala., on the Florida line, Lee Weeks was a dual business and recreation administration major. He had his sights set on professional baseball...

Concerted effort.(Trendsetters: Tourism and Entertainment)
June 1, 2006... Melissa Giles, 23, an England-born, Miami-raised daughter Of a British concert producer, wanted to be a fashion designer but gravitated to the music business after doing promotions for a record label in high school. In 2002, she founded...

Unintended consequences.(wetland mitigation banks)
June 1, 2006... Policies that let developers compensate for destroying wetlands by buying into "wetland mitigation banks" may have unintended, harmful consequences in urban areas throughout Florida and the nation, according to a new study by researchers at...

National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Nilda P. Peragallo, dean of the University of Miami's School of Nursing and Health Studies, has been appointed to serve on the National Advisory Council to the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Florida Council of 100.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Susan Pareigis, former director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation, has been named executive director of the Florida Council of 100, replacing Charlie Ohlinger. Linda H. South, formerly president of Pagosa Solutions, a workforce strategies...

Tourism de Force.(Tourism-related employment)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Tourism-related employment and spending continue to rebound from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005. Among key findings from a Florida TaxWatch report: * Direct tourism-related employment increased...

Prisons.(Statewide)
June 1, 2006... 2,895 Inmates released from Florida prisons in December 2005 36.7 Average number of months all the released offenders served 83.5% Percentage of sentence violent offenders served before release

Death cycle.(TRANSPORTATION)(motorcyclist death rates)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... DEATH CYCLE--Motorcyclist death rates increased 25%--from 30.8 deaths per 1,000 crashes to 38.8 deaths--after Florida amended its universal helmet law in 2000 to exclude riders age 21 and older with at least $10,000 in insurance coverage....

Going for the green.(HOMEBUILDING)(Florida Home Builders Association)(Florida Green Building Coalition)(partnership created)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... GOING FOR THE GREEN--The Florida Home Builders Association and the Florida Green Building Coalition have created a partnership designed to promote affordable green building. The partnership allows the two groups to unify green building...

Battlefield buy.(LAND PRESERVATION)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... BATTLEFIELD BUY--The state has bought more than 145 acres of the Okeechobee Battlefield through its Florida Forever program for $3.2 million. The Battle of Okeechobee was one of the major battles in the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), a result...

Flameout?(fire-services fee)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... A case involving a fire-services fee has tarnished the administration of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, who had received high marks for bringing a businesslike approach to running the city. In 1998, Miami began charging property owners an annual...

Shrinking.(MANUFACTURING)(labor economics)(Table)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Manufacturing employment in Miami-Bade has taken a hit this year with plant closings and relocations, but a number of large employers remain. Largest Miami-Bade Manufacturers Manufacturer Jobs...

Burger King Chairman and CEO Greg Brenneman has announced his resignation after less than two years at the helm of the Miami-based fast-food giant.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Burger King Chairman and CEO Greg Brenneman has announced his resignation after less than two years at the helm of the Miami-based fast-food giant. Brenneman, the company's 10th CEO in the last 17 years, will be replaced by Burger King...

Florida FTAA.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Latin American specialist Brian Dean has been named executive director of Florida FAA, the group charged with landing the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas in Miami. Dean replaces Jorge L. Arrizurieta, who accepted a position...

R. David Paulison.(Players)
June 1, 2006... R. David Paulison, a veteran of the Miami-Dade Fire Department, has been nominated by the Bush administration for the top post of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Colonial Bank.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Raul G. Valdes-Fauli has been named president/Miami-Dade County for Colonial Bank's South Florida region.

Florida State University.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Leslie Pantin Jr., president of Pantin/ Beber Silverstein Public Relations, has been named to the board of trustees of Florida State University.

Home free?(house construction)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Joe Martinez is under fire for building a 5,300-sq.-ft. home using free services from two contractors and a board member of the powerful Latin Builders Association. While the county's ethics commission has...

Florida International University.(MIAMI-DADE)
June 1, 2006... MIAMI-DADE -- Florida International University has received a $1-million gift from Office Depot to support the university's "Building for Business" campaign for construction of a College of Business Administration complex. The gift will...

Datamyne.(MIAMI-DADE)
June 1, 2006... Datamyne, a trade database and software company based jointly in Uruguay and Argentina, has established a U.S. headquarters in Miami, employing 25.

Pollo Tropical.(MIAMI-DADE)(new facility)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Miami-based fast-food chain Pollo Tropical, which specializes in Latin-style grilled chicken, has opened a store in North Bergen, N.J., its first foray out of state since a failed multistate expansion a decade ago. Polio Tropical operates 60...

Miami-Dade school teachers.(MIAMI-DADE)(education fraud)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Six Miami-Bade school teachers were fired and 26 resigned amid a growing scandal over bogus continuing education courses. School board officials are still trying to determine how many teachers paid a private company, whose founder is now in...

Urban Development Boundary.(MIAMI-DADE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The Miami-Dade County Commission rejected four of five applications to push the Urban Development Boundary westward toward the Everglades. The only one approved: The city of Hialeah, which envisions 1,100 acres of new office and industrial...

Trend USA.(MIAMI-DADE)
June 1, 2006... Trend USA, the U.S. subsidiary of the Italian maker of glass-mosaic flooring and wall materials, has selected Miami for its U.S. headquarters. The company expects to hire 100 full-time employees over the next three years.

Losing population.(MONROE COUNTY)
June 1, 2006... MONROE COUNTY -- The Census Bureau has reported that Monroe County ranked seventh in the nation among counties losing population, with a decline of 2.16% in the year ending July 2005. An affordable housing shortage, high insurance rates and...

Tax push.(EDUCATION)
June 1, 2006... Miami Dade College is pushing for a half-cent sales tax increase to fund construction and expanded programming. Under the plan, county voters must approve the tax, which would last at least five years and generate an estimated $160 million...

Business aid.(SMALL BUSINESS)(Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program Center)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... As it manufactures and packages high-speed drill systems used for skull and spinal surgery, The Anspach Effort must maintain a sterile environment in order to reduce post-surgical infection risks. But last spring the 25-year-old Palm Beach...

Build till you drop.(CONSTRUCTION)(retail space)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Only Dallas and Chicago have built more retail space in the past year than south Florida, according to Marcus & Millichap. * 11.6 million square feet: South Florida retail construction projects in the pipeline. * 19 square feet: Retail...

McGovern Management.(BOCA RATON)
June 1, 2006... BOCA RATON -- International construction specialist Gene McGovern has launched McGovern Management, a real estate development, design and construction consulting firm targeting the south Florida market. McGovern is co-founder of construction...

Sun Capital Partners.(BOCA RATON)
June 1, 2006... Private investment firm Sun Capital Partners has opened an office in Shenzen, China, to support and facilitate sourcing activities there.

Devcon International Corp., a Delray Beach-based security, construction and materials firm, has completed its $65.5-million acquisition.(DELRAY BEACH)
June 1, 2006... DELRAY BEACH -- Devcon International Corp., a Delray Beach-based security, construction and materials firm, has completed its $65.5-million acquisition of Hollywood-based Guardian International.

Trade Center Development Corp.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
June 1, 2006... FORT LAUDERDALE -- A new company called Trade Center Development Corp. has a $250-million plan to build World Trade Center complexes in Fort Lauderdale and China that would link the Asian, Florida and Latin American markets, according to the...

Alec Bradley Cigar Corp.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
June 1, 2006... The Alec Bradley Cigar Corp. has divested itself of its cigar operations and assumed the operating business of Online Vacation Center, an internet-based vacation seller that now becomes a publicly traded business.

Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union.(MIRAMAR)
June 1, 2006... MIRAMAR -- Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union plans to offer bilingual mortgage documents and educational materials designed to help Spanish-speaking homebuyers. Eastern Financial is working with VMP Mortgage Solutions and Freddie Mac to...

Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Lisa Bright takes over from Doug Hutchinson at the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. Bright was previously a member of the Delray Beach CRA, where she helped lead the city's emergence as a national model for redevelopment.

Cingular Wireless.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Mark Austin has been promoted to executive director of network operations for Cingular Wireless' south Florida region.

Innkeepers USA Trust.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Dennis Craven is CFO of Innkeepers USA Trust, a Palm Beach-based hotel real estate investment trust.

Victoria Peaper.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Victoria Peaper has joined Wilmington Trust FSB Florida's North Palm Beach office as vice president and fiduciary adviser.

Orange Bowl Foundation.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Peter W. Roulhac has become the first managing director of the Orange Bowl Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Orange Bowl Committee. Roulhac previously served 11 years as vice president and director of community development at Wachovia...

For the history books.(ARTS)
June 1, 2006... The Historical Society of Palm Beach County has launched a $9-million fund-raising campaign for its museum. The 8,000-sq.-ft. museum is scheduled to open in late 2007 inside the historic 1916 courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach.

Top concerns.(GROWTH)(survey reports)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Nearly four out of five Palm Beach and Martin County residents cite rapid growth among their biggest concerns, according to a survey by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Fighting crime and protecting natural resources...

Digital broadcasting 101.(EDUCATION)
June 1, 2006... Boca Raton's Florida Atlantic University plans to broadcast programs over WXEL Public Broadcasting's digital audio channel. Programs may include music produced by students and faculty through FAU music labels, interviews with FAU artists and...

Tech Village Partners resubmitted a development of regional impact application for the 4,763-acre Vavrus Ranch in Palm Beach Gardens near the Mecca Farms site that had been proposed as the location for Scripps Florida.(biotech and research space)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... PALM BEACH GARDENS -- Tech Village Partners resubmitted a development of regional impact application for the 4,763-acre Vavrus Ranch in Palm Beach Gardens near the Mecca Farms site that had been proposed as the location for Scripps Florida. The...

Civic center.(PALM BEACH GARDENS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... PORT ST. LUCIE -- A planned $25-million civic center in Port St. Lucie is intended as the cornerstone of a new city center development. The center --completion is expected in 2008--will include a theater, banquet hall, lobby, multipurpose...

Navarro Lowrey plans to construct a $20-million Class "A" green office building with materials that contain more than 40% recycled content.(building constructed in recycled content)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... WEST PALM BEACH -- Navarro Lowrey plans to construct a $20-million Class "A" green office building with materials that contain more than 40% recycled content. Dubbed EcoPlex, the 100,000-sq.-ft., four-story project will be located at Centrepark...

Paxson Communications Corp.(WEST PALM BEACH)
June 1, 2006... Paxson Communications Corp. is changing its name to Ion Media Networks.

Oasis Outsourcing.(WEST PALM BEACH)
June 1, 2006... Providence, R.I.-based Nautic Partners bought West Palm Beach-based professional employer organization Oasis Outsourcing from H.I.G. capital for an undisclosed amount.

EnerFuel.(WEST PALM BEACH)
June 1, 2006... EnerFuel, a subsidiary of Enerl (OTCBB-ENEI) has moved its headquarters from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach. The company will employ 16 with an average salary of $60,000.

On the move.(Tampa Church of Scientology expands)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Three years after purchasing and renovating two old cigar factories in Ybor City to house a headquarters and an information center, the Tampa Church of Scientology is expanding eastward. In April, the Scientologists paid $620,000 for an...

Stepping up to the plate.(SPORTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Baseball fans turned out in droves to watch their favorite Major Leaguers this spring. A record 1.6 million fans helped five teams top the 100,000-attendance mark. Spring training attendance for teams who practice in southwest Florida: ...

Financial Services Roundtable.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Thomas A. James, chairman of Raymond James & Associates, is chairman-elect of the Financial Services Roundtable, which represents 100 of the largest financial services companies in America.

Southern Strategy Group.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Amy Maguire, former director of Orlando Regional Health Care System government relations department, is heading up lobbyist Southern Strategy Group's new Tampa office.

PMSI-Tmesys.(Players)
June 1, 2006... PMSI-Tmesys, a Tampa company that supplies pharmaceutical and medical services and supplies to the workers' comp and catastrophic care industries, has promoted Mark Hollifield to senior vice president and chief operating officer.

HSN.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Doug Lebda, chief operating officer of IAC/ InterActiveCorp, is overseeing the domestic operations of HSN after longtime President Marty Nealon resigned in early April.

EarthMark Cos.(Players)
June 1, 2006... Ed Hill, former president of central Florida operations for Arvida/St. Joe, was named president and chief operating officer of EarthMark Cos. in Fort Myers.

Eyeing the GOP.(Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau bids for republican national convention)(Grand Old Party )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau is making a bid for the 2008 Republican National Convention. The convention demands at least 20,000 hotel rooms and a facility capable of seating at least 20,500 people. A site selection committee will...

MarineMax.(CLEARWATER)
June 1, 2006... CLEARWATER -- MarineMax has purchased Surfside-3 Marina, a major marina operator in New England, for $47.3 million in cash and stock.

Tech Data.(CLEARWATER)
June 1, 2006... Tech Data has opened a 4,500-sq.-ft. demonstration center where clients and customers can test the computer products the company markets.