Florida Trend articles from March 2009

Florida Trend archives from March 2009

Solar power.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... I enjoyed your article on the Gainesville feed-in tariff ["The Sonnenschein State?" February, FloridaTrend.com]. I think you have captured the salient points quite well. I have a couple of additional points regarding the adoption of the solar...

Correction.(Readers)(Correction notice)
March 1, 2009... AppRiver in Gulf Breeze is a $20-million company with 35,000 customers worldwide.

An eye for fashion.(Florida Life: Lifestyles)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Online Resource EyeBuyDirect.com offers a virtual dressing room. Upload a photo of yourself, select the styles you want and the program will try the glasses on your photo. You can share the photo with friends,...

Off to the races.(Florida Life: Getaways)
March 1, 2009... Gentlemen, and ladies, start their engines across Florida for the March string of races that draw millions of dollars in corporate sponsorships and track crowds of up to 30,000 to 40,000. Daytona's stock car frenzy last month was only the first...

Wine & spirits.(Florida Life: Dining)
March 1, 2009... RED Van Duzer pinot noir Oregon $32 Burgundian aroma and earthy flavors of black cherry and spice show off every which way from Van Duzer. The small pinot partisan bottles the grapes a dozen ways to rose, by vineyard, clone...

Abilities of Florida.(Tasting Menu)
March 1, 2009... Abilities of Florida hosts its 20th annual grand tasting with fine food and wine laid out on the diamond at the Rays' Tropicana Field on March 7.

Mary Brogan Museum of Arts and Sciences.(Tasting Menu)
March 1, 2009... Tallahassee celebrates homegrown vines and wines at the Mary Brogan Museum of Arts and Sciences March 21 and 22.

Polished Palate's International Rum Festival.(Tasting Menu)
March 1, 2009... The world's top rums and rum makers come to Tampa's Ybor City March 28 for the Polished Palate's International Rum Festival judging and tasting.

Beach Walk.(Turning Tables)
March 1, 2009... Tim Creehan's Beach Walk reopens this month at Henderson Park Inn on the beach in Destin.

Matthew's.(Turning Tables)
March 1, 2009... Tough times shut Matthew Medure's second Golden Spoon winner in Ponte Vedra Beach; his first, Matthew's, is still cooking in downtown Jacksonville.

Let them eat popsy cakes.(Trendsetters: Entrepreneurs)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jessica Cervantes Popsy Cakes, Miami Jessica Cervantes, 18, grew up hearing family members dream about having their own businesses. She dreamed too, but she was leaning toward becoming a doctor until she...

Thriving on Obsolescence.(Trendsetters: Entrepreneurs)
March 1, 2009... Norberto Ruiz is on his way to finding just how far he can go in a niche. Ruiz, 46, who came to Florida 21 years ago as a jai alai player, founded NR Electronics in 2002 as a supplier of obsolete and spot market electronic components to...

Market forces.(RESEARCH)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] University of Miami faculty regularly produce research with commercial potential: New algorithms that could improve the way e-commerce websites work, for example; new ways of making satellite images of oceans; stem...

Bal Harbour Club.(BAL HARBOUR)
March 1, 2009... The owner of the Bal Harbour Club put the 5.5-acre oceanfront property up for sale for $225 million; an adjoining marina is priced at $60 million. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

HH Condominium Investments, led by Related Group of Florida investor Thomas Daly and former Miami Beach Assistant City Manager Christina Cuervo.(BAL HARBOUR)
March 1, 2009... HH Condominium Investments, led by Related Group of Florida investor Thomas Daly and former Miami Beach Assistant City Manager Christina Cuervo, paid the Related Group $27 million for 101 units--an average of $267,300--in the New Harbour House...

U.S. Century Bank made an unspecified donation to Florida International University.(DORAL)
March 1, 2009... U.S. Century Bank made an unspecified donation to Florida International University to name its 6,000-seat arena the U.S. Century Bank Arena. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

Ryder System.(MEDLEY)
March 1, 2009... Logistics and transportation provider Ryder System (NYSE-R) will eliminate 700 positions, including 60 to 70 in south Florida, and temporarily lay off some 1,300 drivers and warehouse workers and 125 salaried workers. It will also close its...

Brothers Carlos and Jorge de Cespedes, founders of medical supply company Pharmed (now in bankruptcy), were sentenced to nine years in prison for defrauding Kendall Regional Medical Center and for tax evasion.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... Brothers Carlos and Jorge de Cespedes, founders of medical supply company Pharmed (now in bankruptcy), were sentenced to nine years in prison for defrauding Kendall Regional Medical Center and for tax evasion; the judge also ordered them to pay...

iStar FM Loans.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... Lender iStar FM Loans has filed to foreclose on 5.46 acres owned by New York-based Midtown Equities just east of the developer's Midtown Miami condo and retail project. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

McClatchy Co. is giving Miami developer Pedro Martin until June, with an option to extend until the end of the year, to complete the purchase of 10 acres of parking lots surrounding the Miami Herald's bayfront headquarters.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... McClatchy Co. is giving Miami developer Pedro Martin until June, with an option to extend until the end of the year, to complete the purchase of 10 acres of parking lots surrounding the Miami Herald's bayfront headquarters. The closing date for...

Whole Foods supermarket pulled out of MDM Development Group's Met Miami real estate development.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... Whole Foods supermarket pulled out of MDM Development Group's Met Miami real estate development, where it was slated to become downtown Miami's first major supermarket. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

Norwegian Cruise Lines will get priority access to two large-ship berths and upgrades to the terminals at the Port of Miami.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... Norwegian Cruise Lines will get priority access to two large-ship berths and upgrades to the terminals at the Port of Miami, in exchange for guaranteeing a minimum of $98 million in port fees over 10 years. You can reach Rochelle...

Jackson Health System.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... Nurses at Jackson Health System agreed to forgo cost-of-living raises and instead have their union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), work with Jackson to set nurse-to-patient ratios for each of its departments. This is the...

Comprehensive development plan.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... The Florida Department of Community Affairs rejected the city's proposed amendments to its comprehensive development plan, ruling that allowing more residential development along the Miami River would threaten maritime businesses. You can...

Florida Gaming Corp. (OTCBB-FMGM), which owns Miami Jai Alai, acquired 11 acres from Miami-Dade County.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... Florida Gaming Corp. (OTCBB-FMGM), which owns Miami Jai Alai, acquired 11 acres from Miami-Dade County. Miami Jai Alai will expand its casino. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

Home builder Lennar Corp. (NYSE-LEN) formed a fund to buy distressed residential real estate.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... Home builder Lennar Corp. (NYSE-LEN) formed a fund to buy distressed residential real estate. Rialto Capital Management is run by Jeffrey Krasnoff, former CEO of Lennar spinoff LNR. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com...

Singer Island-based Welcome Bay paid around $13 million to purchase 60 units at Hyperion Development Group's Marinablue condo.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... Singer Island-based Welcome Bay paid around $13 million to purchase 60 units at Hyperion Development Group's Marinablue condo--an average of $217,000 a unit. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

Container carrier APL Ltd. is moving its Central America Express and CX2 service to the Port of Miami from Port Everglades.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... Container carrier APL Ltd. is moving its Central America Express and CX2 service to the Port of Miami from Port Everglades. It will be the only port of call for the service. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

Ocean Bank filed a foreclosure lawsuit.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... Ocean Bank filed a foreclosure lawsuit against Miami-based Dorado Homes Development. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

2010 NFL Pro Bowl.(MIAMI)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 2010 NFL Pro Bowl will take place at Dolphin Stadium. The game will be played one week before the Super Bowl; it has been played in Honolulu since 1980.

Blue and Green Diamond condominiums.(MIAMI BEACH)
March 1, 2009... The Blue and Green Diamond condominiums emerged from bankruptcy protection that developer New Florida Properties sought in 2002. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

Developer R. Donahue Peebles filed for bankruptcy protection for the Royal Palm Hotel, six years after he opened the South Beach property with the help of city subsidies.(MIAMI BEACH)
March 1, 2009... Developer R. Donahue Peebles filed for bankruptcy protection for the Royal Palm Hotel, six years after he opened the South Beach property with the help of city subsidies. He is currently in a feud with real estate investor Guy Mitchell, who...

Alvah H. Chapman Jr.(MIAMI-DADE)
March 1, 2009... Former Knight Ridder Chairman and Miami Herald President and CEO Alvah H. Chapman Jr., one of south Florida's most respected corporate and community leaders, died of pneumonia at age 87. His contributions to the area included leading the "We...

County's housing agency.(MIAMI-DADE)
March 1, 2009... The Department of Housing and Urban Development, which seized control of the county's housing agency in 2007 after the Miami Herald uncovered a series of problems, returned it to county control. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at...

St. Thomas University.(MIAMI-GARDENS)
March 1, 2009... St. Thomas University has put the naming rights to its law school up for sale for $10 million. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

City National Bank of Florida.(Miami-Dade: Players)
March 1, 2009... City National Bank of Florida named Jorge Gonzalez president. Formerly Wachovia's regional president for southeast Florida (the bank's top executive in the state), Gonzalez replaces Leonard Abess Jr., who stays on as CEO. You can reach...

Tere Blanca.(Miami-Dade: Players)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tere Blanca, former senior managing director of Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, has started her own commercial real estate brokerage. Blanca is also chairwoman of the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County's development...

Atle Brynestad.(Miami-Dade: Players)
March 1, 2009... SeaDream Yacht Club owner and chairman Atle Brynestad took over as CEO from Larry Pimentel. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

Adler Group.(Miami-Dade: Players)
March 1, 2009... Robert Smither became CFO of the Adler Group real estate company. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

Turnberry Bank.(Miami-Dade: Players)
March 1, 2009... Turnberry Bank named Joshua E. Young, a former associate at the law firm Arnstein & Lehr, executive vice president and general counsel. You can reach Rochelle Broder-Singer at miamiATS@gmail.com

Office Depot.(BOCA RATON)
March 1, 2009... Office Depot (NYSE-ODP) agreed to have M.H. Alshaya Co. sell its products and services under the Office Depot name at four new retail stores in Kuwait City and Dubai. Office Depot also won Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold...

Biotest Pharmaceuticals.(BOCA RATON)
March 1, 2009... Biotest Pharmaceuticals, a unit of Dreieich, Germany-based Biotest AG, will proceed with an expansion of its research and development work and plasma protein production and hire 50 employees following approval for a tax incentive of up to...

GL Homes.(BOYNTON BEACH)
March 1, 2009... Sunrise-based GL Homes, citing favorable factors in its niche, began selling homes in its 1,100-home Valencia Reserve, a 55-and-older community. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

Alliance Entertainment.(CORAL SPRINGS)
March 1, 2009... CD and DVD distributor Alliance Entertainment is laying off 462 as parent Source Interlink consolidates such operations in Kentucky. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

Artist Enrique Martinez Celaya.(DELRAY BEACH)
March 1, 2009... World-renowned artist Enrique Martinez Celaya has moved his studio from Los Angeles. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

Citrix Systems.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
March 1, 2009... Software company Citrix Systems (Nasdaq-CTXS) says it plans to cut 10% of its 5,000-member global workforce after announcing a drop in 2008 profit to $178 million from $214 million in 2007. Citrix employs 1,800 in south Florida. You can...

J.J. Taylor Cos.(FORT PIERCE)
March 1, 2009... Jupiter-based J.J. Taylor Cos., the second-largest beer distributor in Florida, plans to move 70 jobs to its new facility in Fort Pierce. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

Settlement Benefits Association.(GREENACRES)
March 1, 2009... Financial services company Settlement Benefits Association moved its headquarters from Tampa and will hire three employees. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

New York investor Wilbur L. Ross bought a majority stake in First Bank and Trust Co. of Indiantown, which has $83 million in assets.(INDIANTOWN)
March 1, 2009... New York investor Wilbur L. Ross bought a majority stake in First Bank and Trust Co. of Indiantown, which has $83 million in assets. Ross acquired the shares from Linda M. Post, widow of the bank's former chairman. American Banker magazine...

Indiantown Nonprofit Housing.(INDIANTOWN)
March 1, 2009... Through a $140,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin counties, the largest in foundation history, future affordable housing projects built by Indiantown Nonprofit Housing will be constructed to green standards. ...

The name of FPL Group's FPL Energy subsidiary has been changed to NextEra Energy Resources to better reflect its mission of generating power, including solar and wind power, at facilities in 25 states and Canada.(JUNO BEACH)
March 1, 2009... The name of FPL Group's FPL Energy subsidiary has been changed to NextEra Energy Resources to better reflect its mission of generating power, including solar and wind power, at facilities in 25 states and Canada. It also made an agreement with...

Loggerhead Club & Marina-Lantana.(LANTANA)
March 1, 2009... Jupiter-based Seven Kings Holdings, a marina development company, reopened Loggerhead Club & Marina-Lantana after upgrading facilities. There are now 12 marinas under the Loggerhead brand. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com...

EIG Services.(NORTH PALM BEACH)
March 1, 2009... EIG Services, a unit of Reno, Nev.-based workers' comp insurance and services company Employer Holdings, plans to lay off 87 beginning this month as part of a corporatewide 14% workforce cut. You can reach Mike Vogel at...

Motorola.(PLANTATION)
March 1, 2009... Motorola plans to lay off 77 workers this month. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

Tri-Rail.(POMPANO BEACH)
March 1, 2009... Tri-Rail reported a 23% increase in ridership in 2008 to a record 4.3 million riders, the third consecutive year of double-digit growth. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

Liberty Medical Supply.(PORT ST. LUCIE)
March 1, 2009... One of St. Lucie County's largest employers, Liberty Medical Supply, a subsidiary of Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based Medco Health Solutions, plans to hire up to 800 employees, mostly for call center work, at four facilities in the city. You can...

Vero Beach Municipal Utilities.(VERO BEACH)
March 1, 2009... Vero Beach Municipal Utilities says falling fuel costs will lead to a 5% reduction in customer electric bills. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

Campus Management.(WEST PALM BEACH)
March 1, 2009... Administrative and academic software products and services company Campus Management in Boca Raton will add 60 jobs after being awarded up to $300,000 in tax and job incentives from the state and Palm Beach County. You can reach Mike Vogel...

Rochoet.(WEST PALM BEACH)
March 1, 2009... Rochoet, a precious metals trading, manufacturing and supply company, relocated its headquarters to West Palm Beach from New York, moving two employees and hiring 12 locally. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

Riverside National Bank.(Southeast: Players)
March 1, 2009... Vernon D. Smith, 64, founder of Fort Pierce-based Riverside National Bank, retired as the bank reorganized its management and cut its workforce by 4%. He will remain on the board. John Williams, president of the bank's central Florida region,...

eDiets.(Southeast: Players)
March 1, 2009... eDiets (Nasdaq-DIET) named Kevin N. McGrath, former president and CEO of Minnesota-based Digital Angel, president and CEO. Predecessor CEO Stephen Rattner becomes executive vice president of corporate services. You can reach Mike Vogel at...

Broward Center for the Performing Arts.(Southeast: Players)
March 1, 2009... Kelley Shanley has been appointed president and CEO of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, replacing Mark Nerenhausen, who left to run the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Shanley had been executive vice president and general...

Take Stock in Children.(Southeast: Players)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Maria A. Sastre, a former executive with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, was elected president and CEO of Take Stock in Children in Fort Lauderdale. Association moved its headquarters from Tampa and will hire three...

Stephen Meyer.(Southwest: Players)
March 1, 2009... Stephen Meyer has joined DataMentors, a Tampa-based database preparation company, as vice president of technical services. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Isaac Turner.(Southwest: Players)
March 1, 2009... Isaac Turner, 51, has been named Venice's city manager, replacing Marly Black, who left last August. Turner had been city manager of Ormond Beach. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Naples Museum of Art.(Southwest: Players)
March 1, 2009... Michael Culver is the Naples Museum of Art's new director and chief Turner curator. Culver, a painter, was previously director and curator of the Ogunquit Museum of American Art in Maine. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Tropicana.(BRADENTON)
March 1, 2009... Amid declines in orange juice retail sales, Tropicana is eliminating up to 60 jobs at its juice plant. The company also cut 40 jobs last October. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Chasco Marine and Manufacturing.(BROOKSVILLE)
March 1, 2009... Chasco Marine and Manufacturing, a parts maker for the aerospace industry, has moved into a 24,800-sq.-ft. facility in the Hernando County Airport Industrial Park. The move will allow the company to expand to 27 employees from 17. You can...

Economic development zones.(COLLIER COUNTY)
March 1, 2009... County commissioners, along with officials from the Economic Development Council of Collier County, are working to create "economic development zones" to attract and support targeted industries, including computer software and services, health...

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida.(HENDRY COUNTY)
March 1, 2009... North Fort Myers-based Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida has received $2 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to build 14 housing units for low-income people with disabilities. You can reach Art Levy at...

Verenium.(HIGHLANDS COUNTY)
March 1, 2009... Verenium, a Massachusetts biotech company, announced plans to build a $250-million "cellulosic" plant that will convert inedible plants to ethanol. Executives expect the facility to start producing fuel in 2011. You can reach Art Levy at...

440 uncounted ballots.(HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY)
March 1, 2009... More than two months after the November 2008 election, elections workers uncovered 440 uncounted ballots from two Temple Terrace precincts. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Hillsborough Community College.(HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY)
March 1, 2009... The U.S. Department of Labor awarded Hillsborough Community College a three-year, $500,000 grant to expand job training programs for manufacturing workers. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Affordable housing opportunities.(HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY)
March 1, 2009... Funded by a "neighborhood stabilization" grant from the federal government, the county's Affordable Housing Office has $19 million to spend toward boosting affordable housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income families. You can...

Conner Preserve.(LAND O'LAKES)
March 1, 2009... A 2,980-acre nature preserve, called Conner Preserve, has opened near the Connerton development. The property, owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, had been a ranch. It includes sandhill ridges, marshes, pine flatwoods and...

Nielsen.(OLDSMAR)
March 1, 2009... Nielsen plans to lay off another 90 workers from its global operations center. In all, more than 350 Nielsen employees have lost jobs at the facility since 2007. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Downtown's retail problems continue: retail center BayWalk is in foreclosure, although its theater, restaurants and many of its shops remain open.(ST. PETERSBURG)
March 1, 2009... Downtown's retail problems continue: Retail center BayWalk is in foreclosure, although its theater, restaurants and many of its shops remain open, and the city's waterfront Pier attraction has been forced to cut rents to keep struggling...

Economic stimulus package.(TAMPA)
March 1, 2009... Mayor Pam Iorio has outlined how much the city wants out of the federal government's economic stimulus package: $720 million. Proposed projects include an expansion of the reclaimed water system, an affordable housing project and improvements...

CAE USA.(TAMPA)
March 1, 2009... CAE USA, which makes aviation simulators, has won $40 million worth of contracts from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin. You can reach Art Levy at alevy@floridatrend.com

Optigrate.(Central: Players)
March 1, 2009... University of Central Florida optics and laser spinoff company Optigrate has named Alexei Glebov president and CEO, bringing him from Silicon Valley's photonics industry. Glebov has filed more than 30 patents. You can reach Diane Sears at...

Rollins College.(Central: Players)
March 1, 2009... Tom Kruczek has left his post as executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College to take a similar position at Syracuse University in New York. The college is searching for a...

Orlando Science Center.(Central: Players)
March 1, 2009... JoAnn Newman is the new president of the Orlando Science Center. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You can reach Diane Sears at dianetrend@aol.com

Melbourne-based Harris Corp. (NYSE-HRS) is evaluating what do to with its 56% ownership in 2-year-old Harris Stratex Networks (Nasdaq-HSTX).(BREVARD COUNTY)
March 1, 2009... Melbourne-based Harris Corp. (NYSE-HRS) is evaluating what do to with its 56% ownership in 2-year-old Harris Stratex Networks (Nasdaq-HSTX). It's considering spinning off the company, making a secondary public offering or selling all or par of...

First Green Bank.(LAKE COUNTY)
March 1, 2009... Newly chartered First Green Bank plans to encourage sustainability by offering lower interest rates for commercial projects that meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standards. The bank will also reward its employees with no-interest...