Florida Trend articles from May 2004

Florida Trend archives from May 2004

The resources to grow your business.(corner office)(Small Business Administration expo '04)
May 1, 2004... When the U.S. Small Business Administration began guaranteeing loans, Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House and the prime interest rate was 3.25%--not much lower than it is today. Over the past 50 years, the SBA has provided $233 billion in...

Constitutional amendments.(readers)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... In regard to the article "Constitutional Clutter" [March, FloridaTrend.com], I take exception to not only its arrogant and sanctimonious tone, but also to its factual discrepancies. Fred Leonhardt is not an elected official. He is an...

Viatical investments.(readers)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... No amount of new creative window dressing for the viatical industry will change the ugliness of this investment activity ["Cleaning House," February, FloridaTrend.com]. There are better alternatives for policyholders and investors--and serious...

University accountability.(readers)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... In reply to Editor Mark Howard's March column, "Measurement," accountability should require measurement of how well an institution meets its objectives. One (but not the only) objective of the university should be the preparation of the...

Merit scholars.(readers)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... University of Florida freshmen are the fourth-smartest in the nation, declared FLORIDA TREND [March, "Northeast: In the News," Florida Trend.com]. The reason: UF enrolled 224 National Merit finalists last fall, topped only by Harvard, the...

Clarification.(Correction Notice)
May 1, 2004... The three agrotechnology companies mentioned in the Central section of April's Economic Yearbook are in Lake County.

Great escapes.(public people / private passions)
May 1, 2004... MARY TONE RODGERS VP / Senior Financial Consultant, Merrill Lynch / Tampa PASSION: GARDENING Two trips to Impressionist painter Claude Monet's gardens at Giverney in France, pre- and post-restoration, opened Mary. Tone Rodger's eyes...

Field trip: Community Trust Federal Credit Union.(Retail & commercial banking)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Angel Ramirez and Community Trust Federal Credit Union operate at a modest level in the banking strata. Community has just three branches, nine employees, $5.6 million in assets and only this year may get an ATM machine. Nine out of 10...

Golden opportunity: First National Bankshares of Florida.(Gary Tice career growth)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Gary Tice, 56, founded First National Bank of Naples in 1989. He later merged it into EN.B., a Pennsylvania holding company. On Jan. 1, F.N.B. spun off the Florida operation. First National has $3.8 billion in assets, 59 offices from Naples,...

Cultivating a career: Raymond James Bank.(Theresa J. Schefstad)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Theresa J. Schefstad, president of Raymond James Bank, has heard about stopping and smelling the roses. Her standard response: "I would rather plant the bush first." The 46-year-old could fill an English garden with all the planting she's...

Moore Stephens Lovelace.(William Miller Jr. promoted)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... William "Bill" Miller Jr. has been promoted to president of Moore Stephens Lovelace, an Orlando accounting firm. Miller, who was previously head of the firm's accounting and auditing department, replaces Douglas Palmer, who remains chairman.

Tech Data Corp.(Ken Lamneck appointed)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Ken Lamneck has been named president of the Americas region at computer distributor and reseller Tech Data Corp., based in Clearwater. Lamneck had been president of Arrow/Richey Electronics, a division of Melville, N.Y.-based Arrow Electronics,...

Palm Beach Gardens-based Weiss Group.(Harold L. Cochran promoted)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Harold L. Cochran has been promoted to CEO of Palm Beach Gardens-based Weiss Group, an independent rating agency of stocks, insurers, banks and mutual funds. Cochran, who had been senior vice president of business development, replaces Martin...

Winn-Dixie Stores.(Bennett L. Nussbaum appointed)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie Stores has named Bennett L. Nussbaum CFO, replacing Richard R McCook, who resigned after 20 years with the company. Nussbaum was previously CFO at Burger King Corp.

AMDX USA.(Willy Rosell appointed)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Willy Rosell, COO, has been promoted to president of AMDX USA, a medical products manufacturer and subsidiary of Miami-based Pharmed Group Holdings.

Catalina Marketing Corp.(L. Dick Buell appointed)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... St. Petersburg-based Catalina Marketing Corp. named L. Dick Buell CEO. Buell had been CO0 of Food-brands America and replaces Michael O'Brien, a founder of the company who had been interim CEO since November.

Apple Organization.(Angelica Langston appointed)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Angelica Langston has been promoted to president of North Miami Beach-based Apple Organization, a public relations firm. With the company since 2000, Langston had been vice president.

Orlando Sentinel.(Charlotte H. Hall appointed)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Charlotte H. Hall, vice president for planning of New York-based Newsday, has been named editor and a vice president of the Orlando Sentinel. Hall replaces Tim Franklin, who is now editor of the Baltimore Sun. Newsday, the Sentinel and the Sun...

Collier Enterprises Real Estate.(Susan Hebel Watts appointed )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Susan Hebel Watts has been named president of Naples-based Collier Enterprises Real Estate division. Watts had been general manager of the Bonita Bay Group in Bonita Springs and replaces Jeff Birr, who resigned.

Scripps Research Institute.(Harry W. Orf appointed)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... La Jolla, Calif.-based Scripps Research Institute has tapped Harry W. Orf as vice president of scientific operations for Scripps Florida, the institute's new Palm Beach County branch. For the past 21 years, Orf was the director of molecular...

Billion-dollar upgrade: Miami's plan to create a '24-hour city' won't come cheap.(Downtown Development)
May 1, 2004... For much of its history, downtown Miami has been a bustling commercial center by day and a ghost town by night. That may change. Miami-Dade County officials, eager to transform Miami's urban core into a vibrant "24-hour city" where...

Kraft Foods.(Coral Gables)(location)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Kraft Foods will move its Latin American division headquarters here from Rye, N.Y. The company says the move will create 107 jobs within the first two years at an average annual salary of $76,000.

Homeless population.(Key West)(National Coalition for the Homeless)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... City and county officials have agreed to build a temporary housing facility for the city's burgeoning homeless population. The so-called "safe zone" will be built adjacent to the county's detention facility on Stock Island. Last year, the...

Florida Marlins.(Miami)(Orange Bowl )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Florida Marlins executives have rejected lands adjacent to the Orange Bowl and the Miami Arena as possible sites for the team's proposed $325-million stadium. Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria says he prefers downtown Miami but will consider other...

Performing Arts Center.(Miami)(new building)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... County officials say downtown Miami's $260-million Performing Arts Center will open in October 2006, nearly two years behind schedule. Officials are worried that cost overruns could push the final price tag to well over $300 million.

Metrorail transit system.(finance)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Florida Department of Transportation has appropriated $100 million to help fund an extension of the county's Metrorail transit system to Miami International Airport. When completed in 2012, the rail line will connect with the Miami...

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings.(case of bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, the parent company of cargo carriers Polar Air Cargo and Atlas Air, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, The company says it hopes to reorganize with fewer airplanes but has no plans to lay off any of...

United Airlines.(service elimination)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... United Airlines has eliminated its last flights from Miami to Latin America, closing its Miami base for pilots and flight attendants. At least 150 workers will be laid off. Another 570 will be offered transfers. United, which has struggled to...

S&P gives Miami bonds A+.(City finances)(Standard & Poor's Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Standard and Poor's has raised Miami's bond rating to A+, underscoring the city's recovery from the brink of financial collapse in 1996. The rating--the highest in Miami's history--will save the city about $6 million a year, officials...

Port of Miami.(economic growth)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Despite skyrocketing costs associated with security, the Port of Miami posted solid growth in 2003, county officials say, with cruise dockings up nearly 9.7% and cargo volume up 3.7%. Total revenue was up 3.5% to $83.5 million.

Televisa.(contracts between Univision Communications Inc. and Televisa S.A.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Mexico's top television network, Televisa, has announced it will set up a base in Miami to gauge a move into the growing Hispanic broadcast market in the U.S. Televisa has a programming agreement with Univision, the leading Spanish-language...

South Florida Urban Initiatives Fund.(a new real estate investment fund)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A new real estate investment fund has been launched in Miami, targeting the region's core urban areas. American Ventures' Philip Blumberg hopes his South Florida Urban Initiatives Fund will raise as much as $100 million to provide developers...

Superintendent John Padget.(Monroe County)(elections)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... In what some call a vote of confidence for Monroe County Schools Superintendent John Padget, voters overwhelming defeated a measure that would have allowed the county's five-member school board rather than county voters to select its...

Town Center One.(new building construction)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The city's first major private development in 15 years the $11.5-million Town Center One--has opened here near downtown. City officials are hoping the 82,000-sq.-ft. office complex will help kick-start the economy in one of Miami-Dade's poorest...

A strong mayor? A business group opposes efforts to change Palm Beach County's form of government.(Politics)(Harold Ostrow, Martin Ellis)
May 1, 2004... With 1.2 million residents, a major development deal with the Scripps Research Institute on the horizon and all the problems and issues of a large metropolitan area, Palm Beach County has outgrown its current government structure and needs a...

Daleen Technologies.(Boca Raton)(shares)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Citing the high cost of complying with SEC regulations and documentation requirements, executives with software sales company Daleen Technologies (OTCBB-DALN.OB) have announced plans to buy out shareholders holding fewer than 500 shares and...

Broward County Sheriff's Office.(Broward County)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The State Attorney's Office is looking into the method by which the Broward County Sheriff's Office deems cases closed. Last year, the sheriff's office reported a clearance rate significantly higher than the national average.

Changes in a development's density.(opinions)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... County commissioners may ask voters to weigh in on a plan that would allow voters to decide changes in a development's density. Opponents believe the measure is designed to undercut the effect of a legislative proposal to shift much of the...

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.(Broward County)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... County aviation officials are considering a range of options, including ticket surcharges, for building a "noise bank" to compensate nearby homeowners whose homes may need to be soundproofed or abandoned to accommodate the planned expansion of...

Brenda Snipes.(appointed as elections supervisor)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Brenda Snipes, appointed in November to step in for suspended elections supervisor Miriam Oliphant, has announced plans to run for the job in November.

Graves Museum of Archaeology and History.(Dania Beach)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Over the strong objections of its namesake, the Graves Museum of Archaeology and History board of trustees has voted to sell the museum to The American Maritime Officers. The museum, which has struggled with mounting debt in recent years, was...

99-acre corporate park.(Davie)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Town council members killed a proposal that would have put a 99-acre corporate park on property originally slated for homes following protests from nearby residents.

Ikea.(Davie)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Plans to open the first Florida Ikea furniture store have snagged over mounting objections from residents. A company spokesman told the Miami Herald that the retailer has withdrawn its land-use application for the 310,O00-sq.-ft. store so that...

Moratorium.(urban beautification)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A temporary building moratorium to accommodate a U.S. 441 beautification project has raised the ire of some businesses along the stretch; two companies have sued to prevent the city from enforcing some provisions of the moratorium, during which...

Seminole Tribe of Florida.(coconut creek casino)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Seminole Tribe of Florida has settled a lawsuit with its partners in a $10-million Coconut Creek casino with terms that will leave the tribe as the casino's sole owner.

Luxury condominium project.(Lake Worth)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A proposal to build a five- to six-story luxury condominium project at a 1.5-acre park on the Intracoastal Waterway has drawn opposition from some residents who are circulating a petition to prohibit the city from selling the land without voter...

JFK Medical Center.(Lake Worth)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Anne Boykin, dean of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University and a member of the JFK Medical Center board of trustees for the past five years, has been appointed to a two-year term as the medical center's board...

Hurricane safety standards.(Miramar)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Two homeowners have sued the developer of their subdivision, alleging their homes do not meet the hurricane safety standards required under the South Florida Building Code. The homeowners are seeking class-action status on behalf of similarly...

Scripps Research Institute.(Palm Beach Gardens)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A tentative agreement between city and county officials would give the Scripps Research Institute's Florida center a Palm Beach Gardens address. The deal calls for the city to annex the now unincorporated property shortly after Scripps moves...

The Social Security Administration will take over 22,000 square feet of space on the third floor of the Fashion Mall at Plantation.(Plantation)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Social Security Administration will take over 22,000 square feet of space on the third floor of the Fashion Mall at Plantation, which has struggled to retain and attract tenants in recent years.

Sawgrass Mills.(planning)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The massive Sawgrass Mills outlet mall on Broward County's western edge plans to add a 110,000sq.-ft, promenade designed to attract high-end luxury retailers and elegant eateries.

"Science village".(West Palm Beach)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Austin, Texas-based Cypress Realty will oversee development of the 2,000-acre "science village" to accompany the Scripps Research Institute's Florida research center. The village will consist of homes, commercial and industrial projects and a...

Palm Beach Opera.(West Palm Beach)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Palm Beach Opera has agreed to sell a 3.2-acre downtown tract once set aside for a $100-million, 1,500-seat performance center for $16 million. Proposed buyer BAP Development of Miami wants to build two 20-story condominium towers on the...

From kids to copy paper.(Retail)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... DELRAY BEACH -- Office Depot (NYSE-ODP) plans to acquire 124 former Kids "R" Us stores for $197 million and assume leases on the stores not owned by parent Toys "R" Us. The company plans to convert up to 60 of the stores into new Office Depots...

Palm beach county wages.(Wages)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 1, 2004... The average annual salary in Palm Beach County tops the state average of $31,500: Average Wages--Select Occupations Accountant $51,730 Admin./Executive Assistant $33,860 Computer Systems Analyst ...

Transition: Andy Barnes hands leadership of the St. Petersburg Times to Paul Tash.(Media)
May 1, 2004... As majority owner of the St. Petersburg Times, Nelson Poynter wanted to ensure that the newspaper he had built over more than three decades would remain independent and not subject to the financial demands of a newspaper chain. Poynter left his...

Assistant City Manager Garry Brumback.(Clearwater)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Assistant City Manager Garry Brumback was suspended for five days in March without pay for acting in an unprofessional manner, city officials say. Brumback sent an e-mail to the Draconian Times, an underground online publication produced by...

FindWhat.Com.(Thomas Global Register joint venture)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... FindWhat.Com (Nasdaq-FWHT) has launched a joint venture with New York-based Thomas Global Register, a publisher of global business-to-business internet directories, to create ThomasB2B.com. FindWhat.com will provide technology and other support...

Former Owens-Brockway factory.(Lakeland)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Fibertech, based in Salt Lake City, has bought the former Owens-Brockway factory in Lakeland, where it plans to employ 300 to 400 to manufacture specialty glass products starting in early 2005.

Fueling growth.(Population)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 1, 2004... POPULATION FUELING GROWTH By 2025, 4.8 million people are expected to call an eight-county portion of southwest Florida home. That's up more than 1 million residents, or 32%, from the current population. Here's where the...

Thumbs down.(Downtown Revitalization)(Clearwater)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... CLEARWATER -- Clearwater residents shot down six of 11 proposed charter amendments in March, including a plan to build a marina, amphitheater and garage at Coachman Park, key goals for the city's revitalization efforts downtown. The defeat...

Eckerd.(acquisition)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... J.C. Penney is selling its 2,775-store Eckerd drugstore chain to both CVS Corp., which is based in Rhode Island, and the Canadian Jean Coutu Group for $4.52 billion. The 1,000 employees at Eckerd's Largo headquarters will be employed with the...

Madison BancShares.(acquisition of Madison Bancshares Group Ltd. )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... New Orleans-based Whitney Holding Corp. has acquired Palm Harbor-based Madison BancShares (Nasdaq-MDBS) in a cash and stock deal worth about $61 million. Parent of Madison Bank, Madison BancShares has about $200 million in assets and three...

Florida Institute for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging.(contract)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Toshiba American Medical Systems has picked the Florida Institute for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging as the only facility in the nation to test patients for osteoporosis using state-of-the-art, 3-D scanning technology. With the technology,...

Medical Education Technologies.(contracts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Medical Education Technologies will provide Canada's Department of Defense and a German anesthesiologists group with 30 Emergency Care Simulators each. The ECS units simulate breathing, bleeding, talking, blinking and other physiological...

First Advantage Corp.(acquisition of Landlord Protect, Proudfoot Reports )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... First Advantage Corp. (Nasdaq-FADV), an employee and apartment resident screening firm, recently acquired two firms: Landlord Protect, a New Jersey-based resident screening company, and Proudfoot Reports, an employee screening firm based in...

Iler Wall & Shonter Insurance.(acquisition)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... BB&T Insurance Services of Raleigh, N.C., has bought Iler Wall & Shonter Insurance in St. Petersburg for an undisclosed price. BB&T Corp., parent of BB&T Insurance, announced it was buying Republic Bancshares of St. Petersburg for $436 million...

American Collegiate Financial Services.(St. Petersburg)(headquarters shifted)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... American Collegiate Financial Services, a student loan consolidator, is moving its headquarters from Seminole to St. Petersburg. The company is planning to add 300 full-time jobs with an average annual wage of $50,000, according to St....

Kash n' Karry Food Stores.(new name Sweetbay Supermarkets)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Kash n' Karry Food Stores is changing its name to Sweetbay Supermarkets in an effort to attract more shoppers. The chain is remodeling its existing 103 stores over the next three years.

WellCare Health Plans.(acquisition of Harmony Health Systems)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... WellCare Health Plans has acquired Harmony Health Systems, the largest Medicaid managed care company in Illinois, with 85,000 members. WellCare has revenue of more than $1 billion and operates Medicare and Medicaid managed care plans in...

Gaining ground: Central Florida employers find partners in south Florida in an effort to hold down healthcare costs.(Health Care)
May 1, 2004... A group of central Florida employers is looking to south Florida to recruit help in negotiating with drug makers, insurers and pharmacy managers to control rising healthcare costs. As many as 24 of the largest employers in Miami-Dade,...

Dixon Ticonderoga.(acquisition)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Jarden Corp.'s plans to buy pencil maker Dixon Ticonderoga (Amex-DXT) for about $5 a share fell apart in late March, Dixon reported. Jarden, based in Rye, N.Y., makes kitchen matches and plastic cutlery, among other consumer goods.

Boeing Co.(All Points Logistics partnership)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Boeing Co. has named All Points Logistics of Gainesville, Ga., its partner under NASA's mentor-protege program. The program encourages prime contractors to "adopt" small businesses to help them succeed. Boeing is the first prime contractor at...

Tupperware Corp.(new call center)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Tupperware Corp. (NYSE-TUP) opened a "test" call center in the Philippines. The company says the move enables it to limit its vulnerability should something happen to its Orlando call center and allows it to more conveniently staff phones 24...

Priority Healthcare.(planning to double the workforce)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Priority Healthcare (Nasdaq-PHCC), a distributor of specialty drugs for people with chronic diseases, may more than double its workforce in the next five years as part of a $3-million expansion. The company plans to add 450 employees, mostly...

Harris Corp.(acquisition of ImageLinks Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Harris Corp. (NYSE-HRS) bought ImageLinks Inc. for an undisclosed amount. ImageLinks is an aerial and satellite imagery company originally spun off from Harris in 1996. Harris had retained partial ownership before buying the rest of the...

Cruises Only.(National Leisure Group Inc. lay offs)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... National Leisure Group of Woburn, Mass., laid off 104 workers at its Cruises Only travel agency. The layoffs include 53 in sales in Orlando, 18 in sales in other Florida cities and 33 administrative positions. National Leisure Group, which...

Construction on 1-4.(Orlando)(planning of rebuilding of downtowns)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Construction on 1-4 through Orlando has ended after 2 1/2 years. Planners anticipate only minor work except for an interchange at John Young Parkway, already in progress, and the rebuilding of the interchange between the East-West Expressway...

Ripley Entertainment.(planning)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Ripley Entertainment plans to build a $200-million hotel, water park and aquarium in Ontario, Canada, near Niagara Falls. The hotel and indoor water park resort, dubbed the Great Wolf Lodge, will be the first phase, with completion expected in...

Barnie's Coffee & Tea Co.(opening of franchise)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Barnie's Coffee & Tea Co. has signed a master franchise agreement to open retail locations throughout China. The agreement calls for Barnie's stores to open in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong over the next two years.

Vue at Lake Eola.(reconstruction, condominium development)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Another condominium development is planned for downtown: The Vue at Lake Eola will be a 323-unit, 35-story tower just north of the former Four Points Sheraton that is being converted into The Metropolitan at Lake Eola condominiums. The...

Wide World of Sports complex.(renovations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Walt Disney World has launched the first expansion of its 7-year-old Wide World of Sports complex. The new 20-acre section will include four baseball fields with outfields that can be configured for soccer, football or other field sports....

Meypack Packaging Systems USA.(opening of new facility)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Meypack Packaging Systems USA has opened a production facility building automated packaging machinery for food-processing companies. The company, backed by a German equipment manufacturer, was started by Gary Hunt and Peter Welch, both of whom...

Bombardier Motor Corp. of America.(planning to build a distribution facility)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Bombardier Motor Corp. of America, an affiliate of Bombardier Recreational Products, will build a distribution facility for its new line of light aircraft engines at Space Coast Regional Airport, creating about 25 jobs.