Florida Trend articles from June 2008

Florida Trend archives from June 2008

Phosphate.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... I am troubled by the events transpiring in our state and country. Our entire economic policy is being dictated by an environmental agenda that is eroding our independence and strength. It is no longer politically or socially positive to be in...

Peruvian pride.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2008... I was really surprised that you think Peruvians didn't appreciate their food ["Perusing Peru," May, FloridaTrend.com]. There hasn't been one Peruvian that I have met around the world that the first thing they mentioned is how much they miss...

Correction.(Readers)(Correction notice)
June 1, 2008... Brightstar Corp. erred in reporting its 2007 revenue as $480 million. The company's revenue is $4.8 billion, which would put it 4th on our Top Private Companies list.

25 days--2,348 miles.(Corner Office)(Travel narrative)
June 1, 2008... One part of my job that I really enjoy is having the opportunity to travel all over the state. I run into lifelong friends, get to renew acquaintances and make lots of new ones. April was a whirlwind month. As you can tell by the headline on...

A natural trend.(Executive Lifestyles: Premium Spirits)(organic alcoholic beverages)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Organic. Green. Buzzwords you're likely to hear more and more when it comes to cocktails. It's very "now" to use ingredients normally found in the kitchen, from fresh basil and rosemary to fresh-squeezed juices, even cucumbers, in drinks. Many...

New spirits.(Executive Lifestyles: Premium Spirits)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The Millennial Generation--also known as Generation Y--is "coming into the market and going straight to the premiums," says Dori Bryant, writer and owner of Polished Palate, a Tarpon Springs event company that organizes tasting events for...

Most expensive Margarita.(Executive Lifestyles: Premium Spirits)(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Preston's at The Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale on Las Olas Boulevard tops the list with a $65 tequila libation. Here's what goes in it: * Patron Grand Platinum--triple-distilled, top-of-the-line tequila,...

Gin.(Tastings)
June 1, 2008... Gin--Plymouth English Gin is one of the originals, dating back to the 1700s. Its Sloe Gin, however, is new, launched in Miami this May. Made from the sloe berry, it has a different taste profile, adding a very smooth and fruity flavor to the...

Vodka.(Tastings)
June 1, 2008... Vodka--Gold Flakes Supreme is an ultrapremium, quadruple-distilled vodka made with actual, and edible, 24-karat gold flakes that glitter in the bottle. It's produced and bottled in France and just recently available in the U.S. ...

Rum.(Tastings)
June 1, 2008... Rum--OLO It Premium Brazilian Rum is so new to the area that it's only being test-marketed in Tampa right now. It will launch statewide July 1. Two varieties are available: Spiced and Silver. Silver is a crisp white rum crafted in the style of...

Home stretch.(Executive Lifestyles: Getaways: Yoga Retreats)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Visitors to Florida today want more than relaxation: They want inner peace. And here in Florida, the blossoming of the humble Eastern practice of movement and meditation, rhythmic breathing and restraint has...

The non-chains.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining Spirits)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Frank Chivas' first restaurant purchase was prophetic. First the veteran fisherman reconstituted five units of a dying chain, Chicken Delight, as a new chain, Pep's Sea Grill, small no-frills seafooders in seashell...

Domaine Serene Cote Sud Vineyard chardonnay.(WHITE)
June 1, 2008... Oregon $45 The name is French and the vineyard is in Oregon's Dundee Hills, but the passion is from Florida. It belongs to Ken and Grace Evenstad of Naples who bought their first vineyard almost 20 years ago. They specialize in...

Rhum Clement XO.(RUM)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2008... Martinique $140 To impress single-malt and Cognac pals, this rum has a show-off bottle and better stuff inside: The refined taste of a century of tradition on Martinique. It is a rhum agricole, made from fermented cane juice rather...

Albert Dunlap: Businessman, 70.(Icon)
June 1, 2008... * We lived in south Florida, which we liked, but what happened is it got a bit built up. We wanted some land. Well, you know, they sell it by the inch in Boca. So we looked at Ocala and found a place we really liked and bought it. You can have...

Taking Florida International. (Trendsetters: Trade and Transportation)).(Taking Florida International. (Trendsetters: Trade and Transportation))
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Manny Mencia began in international business development for Florida when Reubin Askew was governor, Telex was the way high-speed written communications went overseas and the trade center of the Americas was... New...

Police protection.(Notables)(RRB Systems International)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Roy Bedard RRB Systems International president Tallahassee Police equipment entrepreneur Roy Bedard, 41, dates his exporting to 1998 in Mexico. In the fragmented U.S. market, a 1,000-person force...

Composite repairs.(Notables)(Ultimate Aircraft Composites)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Aviv Tzur Ultimate Aircraft Composites executive chairman Fort Lauderdale [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Aviv Tzur and co-investors took control in 2003 of Ultimate Aircraft Composites, a repairer of parts made of composite...

Creating a carbon trading hub.(GLOBAL WARMING)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When former British Prime Minister Tony Blair popped into Miami earlier this year for a carbon-trading conference, it was but one indication of the city's emerging role as a hub in the new international market for...

A surprise sale.(BANKING)
June 1, 2008... Leonard Abess Jr. has been a popular man. As chairman and CEO of City National Bank of Florida, he received at least one serious overture each year for the past six years. Each time, Abess spurned the advances. And so it came as a surprise to...

National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.(Players)
June 1, 2008... Christina DePaul has been named president and CEO of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. DePaul was senior vice president of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and dean of the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington. ...

Noven Pharmaceuticals.(Players)
June 1, 2008... Noven Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq-NOVN) has named Peter C. Brandt president and CEO. Brandt, who was a Pfizer executive, DePaul succeeds interim CEO Jeffrey F. Eisenberg, who will remain executive vice president. You can reach Sharon Harvey...

Fresh Del Monte Produce.(Players)
June 1, 2008... Richard Contreras, senior vice president at Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE-FDP), has been promoted to executive vice president and CFO. He succeeds John F. Inserra, who has retired. You can reach Sharon Harvey Rosenberg at...

Celebration of dance.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The annual Florida Dance Festival, hosted by the New World School of the Arts, will take place June 11-21 in Miami Beach and Miami. For information and schedules: floridadancefestival.com or 305/547-1117. You can...

Affordable housing complex.(MIAMI)
June 1, 2008... MIAMI -- A community development group affiliated with the Cuban American National Council has broken ground on an affordable housing complex for the elderly. Located in the Little Havana section of Miami, La Palma Apartments is a HUD project...

Hotel taxes.(MIAMI)
June 1, 2008... Revenue from hotel taxes fell to $5.5 million in February compared to $5.9 million in the year-ago period, a drop of 6.8%. Local tourism officials say February 2007 numbers were boosted by the Super Bowl. You can reach Sharon Harvey...

Monopoly Miami.(MIAMI)
June 1, 2008... Monopoly Miami, a local corporation, has signed a contract to create a special edition, Miami-themed version of the board game Monopoly. A portion of the proceeds will be given to the Miami Design Preservation League, a non-profit group. ...

Miami Dade College.(MIAMI)
June 1, 2008... The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Miami Dade College a $1-million Upward Bound grant to boost the high school graduation rates in Miami-Dade County. The program is designed to provide students with college prep and exposure to...

Coast to Coast Building Products.(MIAMI)
June 1, 2008... PrimeSource Building Products, a wholesale distributor of building materials, is buying Coast to Coast Building Products, a Miami-based distributor of construction materials with warehouses in Pompano Beach, Orlando, Tallahassee and Atlanta....

Ryder System (NYSE-R), a global transportation and supply chain management solutions company, is acquiring nearly all of Miami-based Gator Leasing, a full-service truck leasing, commercial truck rental and fleet services company.(MIAMI)
June 1, 2008... Ryder System (NYSE-R), a global transportation and supply chain management solutions company, is acquiring nearly all of Miami-based Gator Leasing, a full-service truck leasing, commercial truck rental and fleet services company. Ryder will...

Miami-based Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod--one of the largest law firms in the state--has signed a 10-year lease for 115,000 square feet at Brickell Financial Centre, a mixed-use green development that will include more than 1 million square feet of office and retail space.(MIAMI)
June 1, 2008... Miami-based Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod--one of the largest law firms in the state--has signed a 10-year lease for 115,000 square feet at Brickell Financial Centre, a mixed-use green development that will include more than 1 million...

Housing prices.(MIAMI)
June 1, 2008... Housing prices dropped 21.7% in Miami over the past year, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. You can reach Sharon Harvey Rosenberg at rosenbergtrend@yahoo.com

The Sonesta has canceled its management contract with Dezer Properties, which owns Trump International Beach Resort, located north of Miami Beach.(SUNNY ISLES BEACH)
June 1, 2008... SUNNY ISLES BEACH -- The Sonesta has canceled its management contract with Dezer Properties, which owns Trump International Beach Resort, located north of Miami Beach. Sonesta, which managed the 390-room resort, had unsuccessfully tried to buy...

CEO sales force.(ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] When Nova Southeastern University President Rag Ferrero Jr. agreed to become chairman-elect of the Broward Alliance, many expected he would make waves quickly. True to form, in April Ferrero and the Alliance trotted...

Dycom Industries.(Players)
June 1, 2008... H. Andrew DeFerrari was named CFO of Dycom Industries of Palm Beach Gardens, replacing Richard L. Dunn. He was previously vice president and chief accounting officer. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Cleveland Clinic Florida.(Players)
June 1, 2008... Cleveland Clinic Florida has made the following appointments: Dr. Steven Wexner, chief academic officer; Dr. Juan Nogueras, chief medical officer; Dr. Mark Sesto, chairman of the division of surgery; and Kerry Major, R.N., chief nursing...

Sun Capital Partners.(BOCA RATON)
June 1, 2008... BOCA RATON -- Sun Capital Partners has added Toronto-based Timothy's Coffees of the World, with 166 retail stores and a wholesale division, to its portfolio. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Small-business lending volume.(BROWARD COUNTY)
June 1, 2008... Small-business lending volume dropped 27%, the steepest drop in the south Florida district, for the first half of the fiscal year, You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Single-family home sale prices.(BROWARD COUNTY)
June 1, 2008... Single-family home sale prices dropped 16% in the Broward County area, with a 23% drop in volume. In the Boca Raton/Palm Beach area, prices fell 15%, with a 21% drop in volume for the year ended in March, according to the Keyes Co. You can...

Regency Centers.(COCONUT CREEK)
June 1, 2008... COCONUT CREEK -- Regency Centers has acquired 10.87 acres for a shopping center, expected to include a Kohl's department store. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.(CORAL SPRINGS)
June 1, 2008... CORAL SPRINGS -- The city received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest honor for performance excellence. It was one of five business and community and civic organizations nationwide to receive the award. You...

Oceans Casino Cruises.(DANIA BEACH)
June 1, 2008... DANIA BEACH -- Oceans Casino Cruises has suspended operation of its gambling ship in Madeira Beach, citing increased competition and slower tourism. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Boy Scouts of America will spend $12 million to redevelop its 107-acre Camp Seminole.(DAVIE)
June 1, 2008... DAVIE -- Boy Scouts of America will spend $12 million to redevelop its 107-acre Camp Seminole, damaged during Hurricane Wilma in 2005. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Majestic Commodity Corp.(DELRAY BEACH)
June 1, 2008... DELRAY BEACH -- The National Futures Association has permanently barred Majestic Commodity Corp. from membership, citing deceptive sales solicitations. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Sheraton Yankee Trader.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
June 1, 2008... The Sheraton Yankee Trader will close for renovations and reopen in February 2009 as the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The hotel will lay off 218 employees as it undergoes $65 million in renovations. You can reach Ellen Forman at...

BFWest.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
June 1, 2008... BFWest, a unit of Builder-Financial Corp., has sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Transplant House.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
June 1, 2008... Construction has begun on Transplant House, a medical facility accommodating organ transplant patients and their families. It is located near Broward General Medical Center and affiliated with the University of Miami and Broward Health. ...

AutoNation.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
June 1, 2008... AutoNation reported net income from continuing operations in the first quarter declined to $56 million from $83 million in the year-ago period. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

A state appeals court gave the city the right to force the owners of the Mach building at 1843 Harrison St. to make way for the redevelopment.(HOLLYWOOD)
June 1, 2008... HOLLYWOOD -- A state appeals court gave the city the right to force the owners of the Mach building at 1843 Harrison St. to make way for the redevelopment of the adjacent Great Southern Hotel. You can reach Ellen Forman at...

PRC.(MARGATE)
June 1, 2008... MARGATE--PRC of Plantation will close its call center here, with 424 employees, as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. It hopes to absorb most employees elsewhere in the company. You can reach Ellen Forman at...

Spirit Airlines.(MIRAMAR)
June 1, 2008... MIRAMAR -- Spirit Airlines will begin service between its Fort Lauderdale base and Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, this month. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Dreams Inc.(PLANTATION)
June 1, 2008... Dreams Inc.'s profits rose 17% to $2.4 million in the third quarter, with a 47% increase in revenue to $36.5 million. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Motorola.(PLANTATION)
June 1, 2008... Motorola laid off 355, part of a previously announced $500-million cost-cutting initiative. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Vector Products.(PLANTATION)
June 1, 2008... Black & Decker will close Vector Products as part of a 700-employee layoff. The closure will affect 48 employees, including 12 who were offered positions elsewhere in the company. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

U.S. Engineering Contractors Corp.(POMPANO BEACH)
June 1, 2008... POMPANO BEACH -- U.S. Engineering Contractors Corp. has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

Bioheart.(SUNRISE)
June 1, 2008... SUNRISE -- Bioheart, a biotechnology firm, widened losses to $18.1 million in 2007, from $13.2 million in 2006. You can reach Ellen Forman at formanftrend@gmail.com

JupiterPointe Club & Marina.(WEST PALM BEACH)
June 1, 2008... WEST PALM BEACH -- Development firm Main Street has begun construction on JupiterPointe Club & Marina, a 10-acre complex designed to accommodate 250 to 300 boats, in addition to a 6,000-sq.-ft. members' clubhouse. The project is targeted for...

The next step.(DESALINATION)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Gerald Seeber took over as general manager of Tampa Bag Water, the agency's much-criticized, long-delayed Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant had just become fully operational, producing 25 million gallons of...

Aerosonic Corp.(Players)
June 1, 2008... Douglas Hillman is the new president and CEO of Aerosonic Corp., a Clearwater maker of aircraft instrumentation. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Manatee Community College.(Players)
June 1, 2008... Lars Hafner, previously the provost at St. Petersburg College, has been named president of Manatee Community College. He replaces Sarah Pappas, who retires June 30. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Goodwill Industries-Suncoast.(Players)
June 1, 2008... Deborah A. Passerini has been named executive vice president and CO0 of Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, a $45-million non-profit based in St. Petersburg. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Neostyle.(BRADENTON)
June 1, 2008... BRADENTON -- Neostyle, an eyeglass frame maker and designer, has opened a distribution headquarters downtown. Nancy Engel, executive director of Manatee County's Economic Development Council, says the firm anticipates employing 25 there within...

Precision Alliance Co.(BROOKSVILLE)
June 1, 2008... BROOKSVILLE -- Precision Alliance Co. has told Hernando County officials that it hopes to attract a cluster of high-tech machine tool companies to the county. Precision executives say the plan would help create 4,000 high-paying jobs. You...

Resort at Marina Village.(CAPE CORAL)
June 1, 2008... CAPE CORAL -- The Resort at Marina Village, a 19-story condo/ hotel project under construction at Tarpon Point Marina, is on schedule to open next year. The resort will be managed by FoG Myers Beach-based SunStream Management. You can...

Frontier Airlines.(Fort Myers)
June 1, 2008... FORT MYERS -- Frontier Airlines will cease service at Southwest Florida International Airport for the summer. The airline had been providing eight flights a week between Fort Myers and Denver. You can reach Art Levy at...

Dredging project.(Lee County)
June 1, 2008... LEE COUNTY--A $3.2-million dredging project at Blind Pass has been approved, state Sen. Mike Bennett says. The work, which is expected to start in August and end in February, includes dredging Blind Pass between Captiva and Sanibel islands. ...

Work begins on new museum.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After seven years of debate over location and design, officials have broken ground on a $31-million Tampa Museum of Art downtown by the Hillsborough River. Operating from an interim space, the museum will host "Art...

Longboat Key Club.(LONGBOAT KEY)
June 1, 2008... LONGBOAT KEY -- Loeb Partners Realty, which owns the Longboat Key Club, plans to invest $500-million in the property. Improvements would include a 222-room hotel, condominiums, additional meeting space and a refurbished golf course. You...

Paul J. Marinelli.(NAPLES)(Barron Collier Cos.)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Paul J. Marinelli, president and CEO of the Barron Collier Cos. since 1997, died April 10, while undergoing medical testing in New York. He was 52 and is survived by his wife and three children. He played a role in many developments, including...

Collier Enterprises has installed a 24-foot lighthouse on Naples Bay.(NAPLES)
June 1, 2008... Collier Enterprises has installed a 24-foot lighthouse on Naples Bay at the Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Clayton Wilcox, Pinellas County's school superintendent since 2004, is stepping down to become a vice president at textbook publisher Scholastic Corp.(PINELLAS COUNTY)
June 1, 2008... PINELLAS COUNTY -- Clayton Wilcox, Pinellas County's school superintendent since 2004, is stepping down to become a vice president at textbook publisher Scholastic Corp. His contract as superintendent wasn't due to expire until 2011. The school...

Cincinnati Reds.(SARASOTA)
June 1, 2008... SARASOTA -- The Cincinnati Reds have ended their 10-year spring training affiliation with Sarasota and Ed Smith Stadium. The team will train instead in Goodyear, Ariz., which spent $33 million to lure the Reds away. You can reach Art Levy...

Danka Office Imaging.(ST. PETERSBURG)
June 1, 2008... Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA is buying Danka Office Imaging for $240-million. Danka's headquarters will remain in St. Petersburg, where it employs 300. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Raytheon plant.(ST. PETERSBURG)
June 1, 2008... Residents living near the Raytheon plant in the Azalea neighborhood have filed two class-action suits, claiming the company has polluted groundwater with toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride. Raytheon, an electronics and communications...

City's largest public housing complex.(ST. PETERSBURG)
June 1, 2008... Graham-Rogall, the city's largest public housing complex, has been sold to condominium developer KEGB for $12-million. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Lear Corp.(TAMPA)
June 1, 2008... Lear Corp., an auto parts maker with factories worldwide, has eliminated 100 jobs at its Tampa plant. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Florida Communications Group, a Media Genera subsidiary, has offered buyouts to about half of its 1,326 employees at its properties.(TAMPA)
June 1, 2008... Florida Communications Group, a Media Genera subsidiary, has offered buyouts to about half of its 1,326 employees at its properties, including the Tampa Tribune, Hernanclo Today, WFLA-Channel 8 and TBO.com Also, Media General shareholders...

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.(TAMPA)
June 1, 2008... Tampa's Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is installing more than 3,000 Las Vegas-style slot machines, the first Vegas-style slot machines to be installed in the state outside of south Florida. You can reach Art Levy at...

Army Gen. David Petraeus will lead the U.S. Central Command.(TAMPA)
June 1, 2008... Army Gen. David Petraeus will lead the U.S. Central Command, based in Tampa. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Shedding light.(EDUCATION)
June 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] They mar not know it, but cell phone users are quite familiar with technology developed at the University of Central Florida. Professors there designed LED display screens that can be viewed in direct sunlight....

Craig Miller.(Players)
June 1, 2008... The board of Lake Mary-based Ruth's Chris Steak House fired Chairman and CEO Craig Miller, citing the company's falling stock price. You can reach Diane Sears at dianetrend@aol.com

Lockheed Martin.(Players)
June 1, 2008... Lockheed Martin has named Sondra Barbour chief information officer and vice president of enterprise services. She replaces Joseph Cleveland, who retired. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You can reach Diane Sears at dianetrend@aol.com

Joe Kittinger.(Players)
June 1, 2008... Famed Altamonte Springs aviator Joe Kittinger has been honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, joining John Glenn and Nell Armstrong. You can reach Diane Sears at...

Smart City Networks.(Players)
June 1, 2008... Paul Ashley, president of Smart City Networks, announced his retirement from the 330-employee company effective July 1. You can reach Diane Sears at dianetrend@aol.com