Florida Trend articles from September 2008

Florida Trend archives from September 2008

Preserving Florida history.(FloridaTrend.com: THE WEBSITE OF FLORIDA BUSINESS)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] John Clark of Tallahassee calls himself a preserver of Florida political history, and he has ammassed one of the largest private collections of political memorabilia in the nation. Items range from Dwight D....

A record of success.(Corner Office)
September 1, 2008... For 50 gears FLORIDA TREND has been an authoritative source of facts, figures and the "story behind the story" for Florida business. It is one of North America's oldest regional business publications and among the first to reach its 50-year...

The Ultra Motor A2B.(Executive Lifestyles: Out-of-Office Gadgets)
September 1, 2008... The combination bike/electric scooter is perfect for commuting. Already sold in Europe and India, the A2B will run for 20 miles at 20 mph on a single charge (ultramotors.co.uk). The battery is about the size of a Kleenex box and pops out easily...

Francis Francis X7 and X8 Expresso machines.(Executive Lifestyles: Out-of-Office Gadgets)
September 1, 2008... Illy, the No. 1 European imported coffee brand in North America, is launching a new way to prepare that perfect shot of espresso at home using a patented two-part system. A capsule of precisely measured fine coffee grounds fits into either of...

Nokia N810 Internet tablet.(Executive Lifestyles: Out-of-Office Gadgets)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The pocket-sized device lets users IM, chat online, check e-mails, call via Skype or communicate via Gizmo video chat. A wi-fi version is in the works. Where: Best Buy or nokiausa.com Price: $438 at...

ProTech TXM marine kit.(Executive Lifestyles: Out-of-Office Gadgets)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] XM Satellite Radio recently introduced the First aftermarket solution for plug and play or portable XM2go radios on a boat. The water-resistant housing kit includes a floating remote control. Where: Available in...

Sarasota's '50s architecture.(Executive Lifestyles: Getaways: Design Destination)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For sophisticated tourists, the excitement of 1958 Florida gleams in Sarasota architecture. The Bauhaus beach houses and progressive public buildings that thrilled midcentury America still provide an extra attraction...

A taste of tomorrow?(Executive Lifestyles: Dining and Spirits)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tomorrowland has fascinated us since long before Walt launched Disneyland in 1955. I always wondered what we'd eat in the future, and Walt Disney World in Orlando now serves a helping of brave new food at newly...

Handley pinot noir.(Wine & Spirits)
September 1, 2008... RED California $30 One American corner of Burgundy is in the cool of Anderson Valley, 100 miles north and a decided left turn from Napa. Milla Handley's 2006 is a tapestry of cherries and red fruit dusted with cocoa and cinnamon....

Montaudon champagne brut.(Wine & Spirits)
September 1, 2008... SPARKLING France $30 If you don't know this century-old Reims marque, hang out with it for a while. It's crisp and dry with hints of peach cobbler. Cold gold bubbly will banish the doldrums and tip you off on a great value for...

Gosling's Black Seal rum.(Wine & Spirits)
September 1, 2008... RUM Bermuda $22 Dark as molasses, Goslings' conceals a candy box of caramelly flavors from vanilla to butterscotch. Oak-aged and carefully blended, it's the pride of Bermuda that you can taste in the local fish chowder and salute...

Flavor Palm Beach.(Tastings)
September 1, 2008... Flavor Palm Beach brings prix fixe fun with $20 and $30 three-course meal deals to top Gold Coast tables all month.

Autumn Tides.(Tastings)
September 1, 2008... Santa Rosa welcomes Autumn Tides with a weekend of wine and food seminars and tastings Sept. 12-14.

Tampa lifts the first tasting glasses of fall with Taste of Broadway.(Tastings)
September 1, 2008... Tampa lifts the first tasting glasses of fall with Taste of Broadway at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center on Sept. 13, Vino Las Vegas at the Tampa Theatre Sept. 20 and the All That Glitters benefit at the Pepin Hospitality Center on Sept....

Boxing out Wal-Mart.(DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A plan by Wal-Mart to open a store in downtown Miami--possibly at the bayfront City Square project near the new Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts--has sparked controversy. City Square, designed by...

Jazz Festival.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Sunny Isles Beach Jazz Fest will take place Oct. 17-19 with local and international performers, including Nestor Torres, Nicole Henry, Ed Calle, Roberto Perera and Maryel

InternetCoast.(Players)
September 1, 2008... Mark Wyllie, COO of Compuquip Technologies, has been named chairman of the InternetCoast, an alliance of technology companies and organizations in southeast Florida. Maria Poviones Bishop, director of industry relations for the School of...

Florida International University Foundation.(Players)
September 1, 2008... Joseph L. Caruncho, CEO of Preferred Care Partners, has been named chairman of the Florida International University Foundation. Caruncho, a graduate of FIU, has been a member of the foundation's board since 2006.

Holding steady.(MIAMI-DADE EMPLOYMENT)
September 1, 2008... Miami-Dade County lost 2,900 non-agriculture jobs--a decline of 0.3% on a year-over-year basis as of June. Employment in the construction industry declined 14.4%, and retail industry employment fell 1.5%, according to figures from the Beacon...

355 Alhambra Circle.(CORAL GABLES)
September 1, 2008... Boston-based AEW Capital Management, a pension fund adviser, purchased 355 Alhambra Circle, a 16-story office building in Coral Gables. The property was previously owned by J.R Morgan Investment Management. Sale terms were not disclosed.

The Colonnade.(CORAL GABLES)
September 1, 2008... Led by ING Clarion, a group of European investors has purchased The Colonnade, a premier office building.

Burger King.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2008... Four south Florida franchise owners representing 57 Burger King restaurants have sued Miami-based Burger King (NYSE-BKC), alleging that the company has violated the franchise agreement. The suit was sparked by the company's demand that the...

City National Bank of Florida.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2008... TheStreet.com Ratings, which independently ranks financial services companies, mutual funds and stocks, has given Miami-based City National Bank of Florida an A+ rating, the firm's highest grade for financial stability. Less than 1% of banks...

Hyatt Regency Miami.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2008... The Hyatt Regency Miami has become a designated member of the Florida Green Lodging Program, which requires members to use various green practices. The designation enables the Hyatt Regency to receive business from individuals and organizations...

Economic stimulus package for Florida manufacturers.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2008... Enterprise Florida and the World Trade Center Miami have created an economic stimulus package for Florida manufacturers seeking to enter the export market for the first time. Qualifying companies will be offered various perks, including a $625...

Port and zoning protections for the Miami River.(MIAMI)
September 1, 2008... The Florida Department of Community Affairs has objected to Miami's push to remove port and zoning protections for the Miami River. In proposed amendments to Miami's comprehensive land-use plan, the city had downplayed the role of the marine...

Marina Grande.(NORTH MIAMI BEACH)
September 1, 2008... New York-based IStar FM Loans, filed a foreclosure suit against Marina Grande, a 468-unit condo project in North Miami Beach, according to the South Florida Business Journal. The unfinished project was developed by Boca Developers.

Reduced ritz.(TOURISM)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Palm Beach County tourism officials are stepping up their game. In the past, the county's image as a playground for the rich and famous was enough to ensure a steady stream of tourists. But as other Florida cities...

The 1928 hurricane.(ARTS & HISTORY)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum in West Palm Beach is marking the 80th anniversary of the 1928 hurricane that killed between 2,500 and 3,000 people. "The Storm: 1928 Remembered," running...

Geo Group.(BOCA RATON)
September 1, 2008... The Geo Group, a correctional facilities operator, will manage the Joe Corley Detention Facility in Texas.

Q.E.P. Co.(BOCA RATON)
September 1, 2008... Tool and flooring manufacturer Q.E.P. Co. plans to buy back up to $2 million of its common stock.

Bluegreen Corp.(BOCA RATON)
September 1, 2008... Timeshare company Bluegreen Corp. will be acquired by Las Vegas-based Diamond Resorts for about $500 million.

DayJet.(BOCA RATON)
September 1, 2008... DayJet, the on-demand air carrier, added 14 destinations, including Orlando and St. Petersburg.

Florida Atlantic University.(DANIA BEACH)
September 1, 2008... Florida Atlantic University will keep its SeaTech program here, rejecting a proposal to combine it with the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce.

Cross Match Technologies.(Players)
September 1, 2008... Cross Match Technologies, a Palm Beach Gardens biometrics company, appointed James Grau to succeed retiring James W. Ziglar as president and CEO. Grau was a group president at London-based Smiths Group.

Broward General Medical Center.(Players)
September 1, 2008... James G. Thaw is the new CEO at Broward General Medical Center. He was previously CEO of Lafayette General Health Systems.

American Airlines cut 79 jobs and six of its 16 flights from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, citing high fuel costs.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
September 1, 2008... American Airlines cut 79 jobs and six of its 16 flights from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, citing high fuel costs. Separately, United Airlines and Midwest Airlines are ending service to the Fort Lauderdale airport for similar...

AutoNation.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
September 1, 2008... AutoNation is cutting 1,300 jobs and $100 million in light of higher fuel prices and ongoing economic difficulties. The company's second-quarter profit fell 33%. Meanwhile, Bill Gates' Cascade Investment fund has purchased 10 million shares of...

St. Regis beachfront hotel.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
September 1, 2008... The St. Regis beachfront hotel will become a Ritz-Carlton, the 10th in Florida.

SPS Technologies Corp.(FORT LAUDERDALE)
September 1, 2008... SPS Technologies Corp. settled a $10-billion trade secret case against Motorola.

FPL.(JUNO BEACH)
September 1, 2008... FPL (NYSE-FPL) has received the go-ahead from the Florida Public Service Commission to build three solar power plants in DeSoto, Martin and Brevard counties.

Bankrate.(NORTH PALM BEACH)
September 1, 2008... Bankrate (Nasdaq-RATE) plans to repurchase up to $50 minion of its stock.

Robert Montgomery.(PALM BEACH)
September 1, 2008... Attorney Robert Montgomery died Aug. 3 at 78 of complications related to cancer. Montgomery won a $11.3-billion suit as Florida's lead attorney against the tobacco industry. He took on many high-profile cases, representing Kimberly Bergalis,...

Vita Health.(PALM BEACH COUNTY)
September 1, 2008... The Health Care District has approved Vita Health, a shared-cost plan to provide universal health coverage for residents who earn less than 300% of the federal poverty level. Applicants must live in Palm Beach County and have been without...

Goodwin Biotechnology.(PLANTATION)
September 1, 2008... Goodwin Biotechnology, a manufacturer of biotechnology drugs, aims to develop a radiopharaceutical product to treat cancer.

Pediatrix Medical Group.(SUNRISE)
September 1, 2008... Pediatrix Medical Group is acquiring Maternal Fetal Diagnostic Center of Atlanta, a physician group that provides services to women with complicated pregnancies.

Norwegian Cruise Line.(SUNRISE)
September 1, 2008... Norwegian Cruise Line is opening a 25,000-sq.-ft. sales office here, with the Miami-based company slated to create as many as 140 jobs.

B/E Aerospace.(WELLINGTON)
September 1, 2008... B/E Aerospace won a $200-million contract from Embraer to supply interiors for the Brazilian company's executive jets.

MetCare Health Plans.(WEST PALM BEACH)
September 1, 2008... Humana has agreed to purchase MetCare Health Plans, a wholly owned subsidiary of Metropolitan Health Networks, for about $14 million.

Rock Legal Services.(WEST PALM BEACH)
September 1, 2008... Rock Legal Services has expanded its offices and plans to add three or four positions to its staff of 10.

Quenching Florida's thirst for long-term water solutions: reservoirs are economical, environmentally friendly.(QA Ask the Expert)
September 1, 2008... In the midst of Florida's rainy season, it's difficult to believe that most of our state faces a critical, chronic water shortage. As residents, we must recognize now that this state of dehydration is destined to get worse. We need to get...

Tech data turnaround.(MANAGEMENT)(Company overview)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Robert M. Dutkowsky was appointed CEO of Clearwater-based computer distributor Tech Data two years ago, the company was losing $100 million a year. Now, profits at Florida's largest public company are...

Sarasota snapshot.(Southwest)
September 1, 2008... 141 Average number of days homes were on the market in June, up 5.2% from the 134 days a year earlier 386 Homes sold in June, down 10.4% from the 431 sold a year earlier Source: Sarasota Association of Realtors

Alico.(Players)
September 1, 2008... Dan Gunter is the new CEO of Alico, a land management company based in LaBelle. He replaces John R. Alexander, who remains chairman. Gunter had been president and COO.

Checkers Drive-In Restaurants.(Players)
September 1, 2008... Tampa-based Checkers Drive-In Restaurants has added two executives to its senior management team: Valerie McCartney, director of franchise development (western U.S.), and Diane Phibbs, director of franchise sales and support.

Mathews Construction.(Players)
September 1, 2008... Robert Humpel was promoted from regional director to vice president of southwest Florida operations for Mathews Construction in Punta Gorda.

Understanding relationships.(ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT)
September 1, 2008... "Supporting Evidence," an exhibition of artwork by Joyce Ellen Weinstein, is on display through Oct. 26 at the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg. Weinstein's works focus on the understanding of human relationships. Information:...

WCI Communities.(BONITA SPRINGS)
September 1, 2008... WCI Communities filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month. Prudential Florida WCI Realty, WCI Mortgage and some joint ventures associated with WCI were excluded from the filing. Jerry Starkey is out as CEO.

Gevity.(BRADENTON)
September 1, 2008... PEO Gevity is seeking proposals from potential buyers. One possibility might be General Atlantic Service, a Connecticut company that owns 9.5% of Gevity.

Frito-Lay.(FORT MYERS)
September 1, 2008... Frito-Lay is building a 35,000-sq.-ft. distribution facility at Westbury Park.

South LaBelle Village.(LABELLE)
September 1, 2008... City commissioners approved plans for Bonita Bay Group's South LaBelle Village, a 1,018-acre development of regional impact that could include as many as 2,500 homes.

Firmenich.(LAKELAND)
September 1, 2008... Firmenich, a Swiss fragrance company, is adding a 12,000-sq.-ft. building to its Lakeland operation. The company will also add 80 jobs.

Becoming an incorporated city.(LAKEWOOD RANCH)
September 1, 2008... Fishkind & Associates is studying the feasibility of Lakewood Ranch becoming an incorporated city. Results of the $35,000 study, paid for by local business and community leaders, will be released later this fall.

Opinicus.(LUTZ)
September 1, 2008... Opinicus, a flight-simulator manufacturer, has been selected to build flight deck simulators for an Italian air force training program.

University of Florida's College of Dentistry.(NAPLES)
September 1, 2008... The University of Florida's College of Dentistry is building a $5.4-million dental clinic on the campus of Edison College.

TGR Financial.(NAPLES)
September 1, 2008... TGR Financial is opening a new bank, First National Bank of the Gulf Coast, in January.

Image campaign.(NORTH PORT)
September 1, 2008... City officials have agreed to pay $92,000 to a Tennessee-based marketing company to create an image campaign for the city.

Polk Community College's Supply Chain Management Institute.(POLK COUNTY)
September 1, 2008... Polk Community College's Supply Chain Management Institute has a won a $1.2-million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to expand the institute's curriculum, establish a high-tech training lab and fund scholarships.

Medical office building.(ST. PETERSBURG)
September 1, 2008... Construction is under way on a $6-million, 21,000-sq.-ft. medical office building in the city's Grand Central district.

Seminole Electric.(TAMPA)
September 1, 2008... Spain-based solar power plant maker Renovalia has signed an agreement with Seminole Electric to build a solar power plant in Florida and sell the electricity to the Tampa utility. The announcement came after Gov. Charlie Crist's 12-day trade...

IRX Therapeutics.(TAMPA)
September 1, 2008... IRX Therapeutics, a University of South Florida pharmaceuticals spinoff, announced it raised $25 million through a preferred stock offering.

Charles Stark Draper Laboratory.(TAMPA BAY)
September 1, 2008... Governments from both sides of Tampa Bay are chipping in incentives to entice Massachusetts-based Charles Stark Draper Laboratory to open research labs in St. Petersburg and at USF in Tampa. The incentives so far total $30 million, including...

The makings of a medical city.(HEALTHCARE)
September 1, 2008... A "medical city" in southeast Orlando will include a cluster of facilities for research, education, treatment and commerce. The site is part of the 7,000-acre Lake Nona development. Here's how things are shaping up: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

DRS Technologies.(BREVARD COUNTY)
September 1, 2008... The optronics division of DRS Technologies has won a $56-million contract to supply parts for Army helicopters. It's part of a larger agreement worth more than $416 million.

Daytona Beach International Airport.(DAYTONA BEACH)
September 1, 2008... Daytona Beach International Airport passenger traffic decreased 27% in June compared with the same month the year before.

Vintage Props & Jets.(NEW SMYRNA BEACH)
September 1, 2008... Vintage Props & Jets temporarily ceased its passenger operations until further notice.

Orange County Convention Center.(ORANGE COUNTY)
September 1, 2008... The Orange County Convention Center is using a new web-based service to keep track of its contractors and vendors and make sure their registrations and licenses are current. This is the first program of its kind in Florida in partnership with...

Hilton Orlando.(ORANGE COUNTY)
September 1, 2008... The first hotel that will be directly connected to the convention center, the 1,400-room, 19-story Hilton Orlando, held its topping-off ceremony on schedule for opening in mid-2009.

Pleasure Island nightclub complex.(ORANGE COUNTY)
September 1, 2008... Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island nightclub complex closes Sept. 27 to make way for restaurants and shops.

Cameron Kuhn.(ORLANDO)
September 1, 2008... Developer Cameron Kuhn has turned over some of his downtown properties to his former investors and sold off others in the face of the real estate downturn. He retains ownership of much of Church Street Station.

Advanced Care Scripts.(ORLANDO)
September 1, 2008... Omnicare of Covington, Ky., has acquired Orlando-based pharmacy services business Advanced Care Scripts.

Simulation & Training Technology Center.(ORLANDO)
September 1, 2008... The Army has named Col. Craig Langhauser director of the Simulation & Training Technology Center at Central Florida Research Park.

Smart City.(ORLANDO)
September 1, 2008... Smart City, a telecommunications technology provider, has sold its local business, except its operations at the Orange County Convention Center, to Hargray Communications Group.

Black Plague.(ORLANDO)
September 1, 2008... UCF professor Henry Daniell and his team have developed a promising vaccine that fights the Black Plague. The vaccine could be used in a bioterror attack.