Florida Trend articles from November 2006

Florida Trend archives from November 2006

In the driver's seat.(Corner Office)(Flourida as travel destination)
November 1, 2006... I love to travel, and a trip out West is one I'm always excited to take. The wide open spaces, rugged landscapes and breathtaking views are a striking contrast to Florida's tropical scenery, and I never pass up an opportunity to wear one of my...

Affordable housing.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... My compliments on your Editor's Page comments on housing affordability ["Roofs," September, FloridaTrend.com]. It was well-reasoned and from my perspective much better than the usual discussion we see on this topic. Often, housing affordability...

The Dudas.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I was quite pleased and impressed by your September cover story, "The Duda Way" [FloridaTrend.com]. I especially appreciated the coverage of the Duda family history and heritage. There were, however, significant inaccuracies--the most...

Credit unions vs. banks.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... During my tenure years as a U.S. congressman representing the southeast Florida area, I would encounter constituents who had either just started or had ambitions to start their own small business. As we talked, one of their chief concerns...

School priorities.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... "Splendor in the Class" [September, FloridaTrend.com] reinforces what I have said for years. The middle school concept, sixth through eighth grade, was implemented in the late '70s and early '80s because of the influx of youngsters into...

Prostate cancer.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I enjoyed your recent article on prostate cancer ["Cutting Out Surgery," September, FloridaTrend.com]. Let's hope it compels men to have their PSA tested soon and often. I am one of Dr. Dattoli's patients. Two years ago, I went through his...

Hate groups.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... In "Hate in the Sunshine State" [September, FloridaTrend.com], Amy Keller points to the League of the South as a "hate group." The League of the South I am familiar with is not a hate group, nor does it espouse hatred. It is, in fact, a group...

Made in Florida: wildflower honey Vodka.(Executive Lifestyles: [Wine & Spirits])
November 1, 2006... On 40th Street in Tampa, just northeast of Ybor City, a microdistillery produces handmade vodka called Touch Vodka from Florida wildflower honey. Former investment banker Nick Carbone started the business just over a year ago. His first...

Air of hope: doctors target new treatments.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: [Lung Cancer])
November 1, 2006... Researchers are working on new wags of detecting and treating lung cancer, the most deadly form of cancer in the U.S. Although it's far less common than prostate cancer for men and breast cancer for women, lung cancer is more difficult to...

Spa trek.(Executive Lifestyles: Travel: [Delray Beach Marriott])(Delray Beach Marriott hotel plans N Reagan Spa)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Guests at the Delray Beach Marriott at Atlantic Avenue and the Atlantic Ocean have their choice of more than 100 boutiques, galleries, cafes and restaurants in a brick-paved shopping district just steps away. But the hotel is adding amenities...

Portable health profile.(Travel Aid)
November 1, 2006... Website: portablehealthprofile.com Price: $59.95 to $109.95 Using Critical Access Inc.'s software, travelers store their medical information on a mini-CD or a USB flash device that can be accessed by emergency workers. The devices...

Condo-hotels.(Leisure Trends)
November 1, 2006... Condo-hotels now make up about 18% of all U.S. hotel rooms under development, according to Smith Travel Research. Florida has the highest number with about 31,500 units planned or under construction, followed by Nevada with 30,000. You can...

"Volunteer vacations".(Leisure Trends)
November 1, 2006... "Volunteer vacations" are emerging as a trend for the first time in the National Leisure Travel Monitor produced by tourism consultants Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell/Yankelovich. In the past year, the survey shows, about 6% of leisure...

Clear Registered Traveler.(Business Trends)
November 1, 2006... Clear Registered Traveler, a program that allows airline passengers to pay an annual fee and provide biometric data so they can move to the front of security lines, is accepting registrations for John E Kennedy Airport in New York. Verified...

Per diem rates.(Business Trends)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The 2007 per diem rates brought good news for Pensacola, which now can charge federal government workers $94 a night for hotel rooms instead of $68. A sampling of increases, with ranges depending on season: Per Diem Rates City ...

Multiethnic Italian.(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)
November 1, 2006... Grazie 701 Washington Ave., South Beach graziesouthbeach.com; 305/673-1312 The most vibrant example of south Florida's cross culinary culture is surely the 2-year-old Grazie in South Beach. One of the owners, Moshe Petel, is an...

Carrie Meek: [retired U.S. congresswoman, state lawmaker, educator; age 80].(Icon)(Interview)
November 1, 2006... I made very good grades, and I was an athlete--mostly basketball and track and field. During those days, women's sports did not have the kind of atmosphere that it has now. It was pretty much frowned upon outside of African-American...

The shape of things to come.(Trendsetters: [Aerospace and Technology])(University of Florida's Rick Lind and his research on micro air vehicles)(Thumbnail biography)
November 1, 2006... In a field near Gainesville, the University of Florida's Rick Lind and his research colleagues and students fly their very unusual creations--small planes with shape-changing wings modeled on birds and bats, controlled by cutting-edge...

Gary Langton.(Notables)
November 1, 2006... Gary Langton, 46, CEO and co-founder, Quadrant Software, Temple Terrace, a software developer.... You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

Vince Virga.(Notables)
November 1, 2006... Vince Virga, 35, COO and co-owner, Skillstorm, Fort Lauderdale, IT and services to government and commercial organizations. You can reach Mike Vogel at mvogel@floridatrend.com

The right stuff.(Trendsetters: [Aerospace and Technology])
November 1, 2006... Startup: Space Florida, created at the behest of Gov. Jeb Bush by the Legislature this year to replace three state aerospace-related bodies. It's to lead the state's aerospace business development as the nation follows President Bush's space...

Pilot program.(Trendsetters: [Aerospace and Technology])
November 1, 2006... Lutz-based flight simulator maker 0pinicus, $20 million in revenue, is set to boom as the exclusive manufacturer of the simulator for the Eclipse 500, the very light jet promising to revolutionize air travel by opening private jet service and...

Training wheels.(Trendsetters: [Aerospace and Technology])
November 1, 2006... Asked by budding entrepreneurs what it takes to start a business, Daytona Beach simulation firm co-owner Don Ariel answers, "a healthy dose of stupidity." Ariel could pen a business quip-of-the-day calendar--if he weren't busy assuring Raydon's...

In the Rough.(SPORTS BUSINESS)
November 1, 2006... Residents who bought condos overlooking the private golf course at Williams Island Country Club in northeast Miami-Dade once had a spectacular view: The course had abundant trees, 11 lakes and Bermuda grass stretching over 150 acres. These...

The resignation of Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) has fallout beyond who will win his congressional seat this month.(Players)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The resignation of Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) has fallout beyond who will win his congressional seat this month. Foley served on the House Ways and Means Committee, which crafts the nation's tax policies, and his successor will stand little...

Bob Ricker has resigned as CEO of the state-run insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance, effective this month.(Players)
November 1, 2006... Bob Ricker has resigned as CEO of the state-run insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance, effective this month. Citizens' board appointed Vice President of Operations Scott R. Wallace interim CEO. The state Senate must sign off on...

Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.(Players)
November 1, 2006... Alex Soto, president of Badeland insurance agency InSource Inc., has been named the first Hispanic president of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.

Organizational split.(ADVOCACY)(Florida Public Interest Research Group splits into Environment Florida and a consumer unit)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... ORGANIZATIONAL SPLIT--In an effort to clarify its mission and become better-focused, the Florida Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) has split into two units. One, Environment Florida, focuses on environmental work and is headed by Mark...

Training.(AEROSPACE)
November 1, 2006... TRAINING--The Aerospace Resource Center, a new worker training center focusing on the aviation and aerospace industry, is under way in Jacksonville. The center is a joint initiative of Florida Community College in Jacksonville and Brevard...

Recognition.(WORKFORCE)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... RECOGNITION--Florida's workforce training incentive programs rank as the 10th-best nationwide, according to poll results in the July/August issue of Expansion Management magazine. The state's Quick Response Training and Incumbent Worker...

Consolidation.(CIVIL RIGHTS)
November 1, 2006... CONSOLIDATION--The Anti-Defamation League has revamped its Florida operations under one roof. The ADL Florida State Office will provide educational anti-bias programs from its statewide office in Boca Raton.

Targeting Florida.(RETAIL)
November 1, 2006... TARGETING FLORIDA--California-based Melt Gelato & Crepe Cafe is planning to open up to 150 stores in Florida. The company's kiosks, usually located in retail centers and malls, serve gelato, sorbetto, smoothies and other treats.

Raising the curtain: "there are only about 30 performing arts centers in the country, perhaps another 30 elsewhere in the world," says Carnival Center President and CEO Michael Hardy. "This is certainly something very special.".(THE ARTS)
November 1, 2006... Years behind schedule and more than $100 million over budget, Miami-Dade's Carnival Center for the Performing Arts has opened for business. The soaring complex straddling Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami includes a 2,400-seat opera house,...

Miami Heat basketball star Shaquille O'Neal has formed The O'Neal Group, a real estate investment and development company based in Miami.(Players)
November 1, 2006... Miami Heat basketball star Shaquille O'Neal has formed The O'Neal Group, a real estate investment and development company based in Miami. Its first project will be as a partner in Met Miami, a massive mixed-use development in downtown Miami....

University of Miami School of Business Administration.(Players)
November 1, 2006... Paul K. Sugrue has announced his resignation as dean of the University of Miami School of Business Administration after 15 years. You can reach David Villano at villanotrend@yahoo.com

Destination Marketing Association International.(Players)
November 1, 2006... William D. Talbert III, president of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, has been elected to a one-year term as chairman of the Destination Marketing Association International. You can reach David Villano at...

Miami Dade College.(Players)
November 1, 2006... Marielena A. Villamil has been appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to the board of trustees of Miami Dade College. Villamil is president and co-founder of Coral Gables-based Washington Economics Group. You can reach David Villano at...

Herald publisher steps down.(PUBLISHING)(Jesus Diaz of Miami Herald resigned)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Jesus Diaz, publisher of the Miami Herald and Nuevo Herald, resigned last month. Diaz fired two Nuevo Herald writers after it was discovered they had been paid thousands of dollars for work on behalf of Radio Marti and TV Marti, broadcasts...

Costly Victory.(POLITICS )(Alex Villalobos defeated Frank Bolanos in a Republican primary)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Waging the most expensive and contentious re-election campaign in Florida this year, state Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami, defeated school board member Frank Bolanos in a Republican primary. Villalobos has no opponent in the general election....

New homes.(REAL ESTATE)
November 1, 2006... Buoyed by a strong market for high-end condominiums, Miami-Dade County ranked fifth in the nation for adding housing units last gear, according to recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. Four other Florida counties ranked in the top 15. ...

EFE.(CORAL GABLES)(news agency EFE move its operations to Colombia)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Citing a need to be closer to Latin American customers, the Spanish national news agency EFE will move its texts and photo-editing operations from Coral Gables to Bogota, Colombia, affecting about 20 employees. Competitors Reuters, Associated...

Capitalink.(MIAMI)
November 1, 2006... Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services, the venerable Wall Street investment bank chaired by former Ivax Chairman Phillip Frost, has acquired Coral Gables-based investment bank Capitalink and will relocate its combined headquarters to Miami. ...

Miami's PineBank, under a cease-and-desist order for failing to comply with federal bank secrecy laws.(MIAMI)
November 1, 2006... Miami's PineBank, under a cease-and-desist order for failing to comply with federal bank secrecy laws, will be acquired by Miami's Hemisphere National Bank. You can reach David Villano at villanotrend@yahoo.com

Morgan Stanley.(MIAMI)
November 1, 2006... Morgan Stanley will open a private wealth management office in Miami to serve high net worth clients and institutions in Latin America. The office will be headed by Ernesto A. de la Fe, former head of Latin American business development for...

Four Miami bankers have been convicted in a $170-million bank fraud scheme.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
November 1, 2006... Four Miami bankers have been convicted in a $170-million bank fraud scheme. Brothers Eduardo and Hector Orlansky face up to 30 gears each in prison. R. Peter Stanham and Ariadna Puerto, also former executives with Miami's E.S. Bankest, face...

Annual salary of county commissioners.(MIAMI-DADE)
November 1, 2006... For the eighth time in more than 40 years, county voters have defeated a ballot measure to increase the $6,000 annual salary of county commissioners. The latest proposal called for an $83,000 raise. You can reach David Villano at...

Nokia.(MIAMI-DADE)
November 1, 2006... Finland-based cell phone giant Nokia, with about 44,000 workers worldwide, has selected Miami for its Latin American regional headquarters. About 40 workers will relocate from Texas; another 50 jobs will be added locally over the next 18...

Pan American Hospital.(MIAMI-DADE)
November 1, 2006... Pan American Hospital, struggling to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, has announced it will lay off about 10% of its non-nursing workforce of 600. You can reach David Villano at villanotrend@yahoo.com

Raul Martinez, mayor of Hialeah from 1981 to 2005, has partnered with advertising executive Alejandro "Alex" Fernandez.(MIAMI LAKES)
November 1, 2006... Raul Martinez, mayor of Hialeah from 1981 to 2005, has partnered with advertising executive Alejandro "Alex" Fernandez to form Martinez & Fernandez Public Relations. You can reach David Villano at villanotrend@yahoo.com

Tourism service workers.(MONROE COUNTY)
November 1, 2006... Citing housing costs, more than 60% of tourism service workers in the Florida Keys anticipate leaving the island chain by 2011, according to a study by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. Twenty percent of the workers say they will...

Keep on Truckin'.(PACESETTER)
November 1, 2006... For 25 years, James Hammel has been trying to get a bigger bite of the Florida truck-leasing market As president and CEO of family-owned Gator Leasing, Hammel goes head to head with Penske and Ryder, both Fortune 500 firms, in search of...

Coral Springs Medical Center and Weston Regional HealthPark.(LEADER BOARD)
November 1, 2006... Patrick Maloney has been appointed CEO of Coral Springs Medical Center and Weston Regional HealthPark. He joined the North Broward Hospital District in 1999 and has held several leadership positions, most recently as interim CEO.

Regent Bank.(LEADER BOARD)
November 1, 2006... Davie-based Regent Bank named Neill LeCorgne president and chief operating officer. LeCorgne, who joined the bank in 2005, has more than 22 years of banking experience.

Southern District of Florida.(LEADER BOARD)
November 1, 2006... Miami attorney Leyza Florin Blanco has been named president-elect of the Bankruptcy Bar for the Southern District of Florida. Blanco is a member of Katz Barron's restructuring and creditor rights department.

Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council.(LEADER BOARD)
November 1, 2006... Jorge M. Perez, CEO and chairman of the Related Group, a Miami-based developer, is chairman of the Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council. He has been a member of the council since 1999.

Building growth.(CEO SPOTLIGHT)(Bob L. Moss)(Brief article)(Thumbnail biography)
November 1, 2006... Bob L. Moss, 59 President, Moss & Associates, Fort Lauderdale Founder: Since founding Moss & Associates in 2004, Bob Moss has built one of Florida's largest and fastest-growing construction services companies. It employs 310. ...

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.(Real Estate)
November 1, 2006... Bascom Palmer Eye Institute recently opened a 7.4-acre campus in Palm Beach Gardens, tripling the size of its former facility. The new campus includes the Maltz Center, a 40,000-sq.-ft. patient care medical office building, and the Frankino...

Kolter Communities won seven awards at the 2006 PRISM Awards.(Real Estate)
November 1, 2006... Kolter Communities won seven awards at the 2006 PRISM Awards, a competition sponsored by the Gold Coast Builders Association. The honors were for the developer's southeast Florida communities: Domani in North Palm Beach, San Matera The Gardens...

Mei.(Real Estate)
November 1, 2006... Construction is under way on Mei, a 21 -story Miami Beach luxury condominium with 134 residences whose co-developers are Mitchell Schneiderman and Kevin Maloney, principals of PMG Collins LLC and local developer Bruce M. Goldstein of Hollywood....

Villa Alhambra.(Real Estate)
November 1, 2006... Fort Lauderdale-based Weitzer Communities has begun construction on Villa Alhambra, a four-story complex with 35 residences in downtown Coral Gables. The development recently received city approval.

Pembroke Park Place.(Real Estate)
November 1, 2006... Sales are under way for Pembroke Park Place, an affordably priced condominium community in Pembroke Park. The complex will comprise three midrise residential buildings with 168 units.

Jupiter Country Club.(Real Estate)
November 1, 2006... Toll Brothers recently introduced Jupiter Country Club, a 480-acre community with an 18-hole Greg Norman signature golf course as its centerpiece. The Jupiter development will have 362 single-family luxury homes and 166 two- and three-story...

PDA--meetings & events.(SF extra *: South Florida)(Calendar)
November 1, 2006... PDA--Meetings & Events Date Event Location Nov. 2 Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Radisson Hotel Miami "Sand In My Shoes" Award Nov. 3-5 West Palm Beach Antique ...

Battling blight.(REDEVELOPMENT)(Intown Partners plans redevelopment of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Intown Partners is setting out to transform Boynton Beach's blighted Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor. The company's $400-million master plan will draw on the strengths of its allies: Delray-based Intown Development Group, national...

Boca Raton Community Hospital.(BOCA RATON)
November 1, 2006... Boca Raton Community Hospital is hoping to raise $250 million to build facilities for a joint medical program. Its goal is to transition from a community hospital with decades-old facilities to a cutting-edge teaching hospital on Florida...

Real Mex Restaurants.(BOCA RATON)
November 1, 2006... An affiliate of Sun Capital Partners has bought Real Mex Restaurants, a casual chain that includes the El Torito, Chevys and Acapulco brands. The chain has 196 stores in 13 states and 50 franchised locations in the U.S., Middle East and Japan....

Siemens.(BOCA RATON)
November 1, 2006... Siemens plans to add four office buildings totaling about 193,000 square feet to its west Boca Raton campus. The addition will more than double existing office space on the 40-acre campus in the midst of a growing shortage of prime locations....

BankAtlantic.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
November 1, 2006... BankAtlantic has formed a commercial mortgage banking division to offer fixed-rate mortgages for acquiring and refinancing income-producing real estate. The bank appointed Neil Efron as senior vice president of the new division. You can...

Sunair Services.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
November 1, 2006... Sunair Services plans to sell its high-frequency radio subsidiary to a private investor group for $5 million. The company plans to focus on its core pest control and lawn-care services business. You can reach Jennifer LeClaire at...

Komori.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
November 1, 2006... Printing press manufacturer Komori is locating a parts distribution and sales and service training facility in Fort Lauderdale. The facility will employ about 35 people over the next three years with an average salary of $60,000. You can...

AutoNation.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
November 1, 2006... AutoNation plans to buy the only Land Rover dealership in Broward County from Steve and Tom Shelton. AutoNation will move the nation's 15th-largest Land Rover dealership, which generated about $63 million in sales last year. Terms were not...

Pembroke Pines Mitigation Bank.(PEMBROKE PINES)
November 1, 2006... The state's first wetlands mitigation bank, Pembroke Pines Mitigation Bank, has been turned over to the city of Pembroke Pines. The five-year project restored 450 acres of wetlands and was handled by The Wetlandsbank Group. Mitigation banking...

Boca Raton-based Regent Bank Chairman, President and CEO Cyril Spiro is relinquishing one of his titles.(Players)
November 1, 2006... Boca Raton-based Regent Bank Chairman, President and CEO Cyril Spiro is relinquishing one of his titles. Neill LeCorgne takes over as the bank's president. He will also be chief operating officer, LeCorgne joined Regent in early 2005 as...

West Palm Beach-based healthcare services firm Metropolitan Health Networks' CFO, David Gartner, stepped down in October.(Players)
November 1, 2006... West Palm Beach-based healthcare services firm Metropolitan Health Networks' CFO, David Gartner, stepped down in October. He plans to pursue other business opportunities. No successor has been named. You can reach Jennifer LeClaire at...

BankAtlantic made several organizational changes designed to help manage the Fort Lauderdale-based bank's growth.(Players)
November 1, 2006... BankAtlantic made several organizational changes designed to help manage the Fort Lauderdale-based bank's growth. Broward County President Chuck Mohr assumed the newly created position of director of in-field operations. Regional manager Ken...

West Palm Beach-based Jacuzzi Brands has named Thomas Waldin to replace retired Chairman David Clarke.(Players)
November 1, 2006... West Palm Beach-based Jacuzzi Brands has named Thomas Waldin to replace retired Chairman David Clarke. Waldin has served as a Jacuzzi director since 2003 and was previously president and CEO of a water treatment products company. You can...

Fort Lauderdale-based investment banking firm Farlie, Turner & Co. has added Maria Moores as a senior analyst.(Players)
November 1, 2006... Fort Lauderdale-based investment banking firm Farlie, Turner & Co. has added Maria Moores as a senior analyst. Moores was a corporate finance analyst for Stephens Inc., an investment bank headquartered in Little Rock, Ark. You can reach...

Transitioning to teaching.(EDUCATION)(finance of Florida Atlantic University)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Florida Atlantic University's College of Education will receive $1.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education's Transition to Teaching program. The money will enable Broward, Palm Beach and Okeechobee counties to add fully certified...

Accelerating costs.(AUTO OWNERSHIP)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Detroit, Philadelphia and Los Angeles are the most expensive places to own and operate a typical 2007 midsize vehicle, but West Palm Beach is No. 5. The common denominator among the most expensive cities? Insurance. You can reach...

DHB Industries.(POMPANO BEACH)
November 1, 2006... The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed securities fraud charges against two former officers of protective body armor maker DHB Industries. The company has also acknowledged the unreliability of its own former financial statements. ...

New public university in Port St. Lucie.(PORT ST. LUCIE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, is pushing for a new public university in Port St. Lude within the next five to 10 years. Pruitt, Senate president for the next two legislative years, argues that the region's growth, along with its foray into...

Martin Memorial Health Systems.(PORT ST. LUCIE)
November 1, 2006... Martin Memorial Health Systems plans to build an 80-bed hospital in the Tradition area of west Port St. Lucie. You can reach Jennifer LeClaire at jenniferleclaire@jenniferleclaire.com

Port of Palm Beach.(RIVIERA BEACH)
November 1, 2006... The Port of Palm Beach is operating at a loss for the first time in a decade. The port expects to post a $775,000 loss for the year ended Sept. 30. Fiscal predictions for next year are worse, with anticipated losses of $940,000 because of debt...

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center.(STUART)
November 1, 2006... Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center has completed a $6-million expansion that includes a 750,000-gallon Game Fish Lagoon. The exhibit highlights the importance of habitat protection and conservation programs. You can reach Jennifer...