Orlando Business Journal articles from February 2001

Orlando Business Journal archives from February 2001

The mouth that roared.(RDV Sports alleged manipulation of Orlando Sentinel survey)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Did RDV Sports rig a recent Orlando Sentinel Sound Off? A recent telephone poll by the newspaper asked if area residents agreed or disagreed with the notion of spending tax money to build a new arena for the Orlando Magic. The results had the...

Grand plans.(RDV looks at two locations for prototype sportsplex)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Meanwhile, RDV currently is looking at two locations for a prototype sportsplex that could be expanded into a national chain of athletic facilities. One is in the Metro West area of Orlando -- the other is in Grand Rapids, Mich., the...

Mi casa(s) es su casa(s).(Heller family's Colonial Revival-style house)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... While Wayne and Judy Heller of Casa Feliz fame wait for the city of Winter Park to relocate the 1933 Gambles Rogers designed estate home from their property, they are not homeless. Construction was just completed on yet another home for the...

Boy-band brouhaha land in courts.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Promoters squabble over rights to next Orlando boy band. WINTER SPRINGS -- The boy-band kings are at each other's throats. Lou Pearlman, the Orlando promoter credited with ushering such well-known boy bands as The Backstreet Boys and...

The bad news, good news about state's cash crunch.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Tax breaks may shrink, opportunities for public-private deals grow. TALLAHASSEE -- For the last two years, Florida's chugging economy filled state coffers with ever-larger amounts of money. As Republicans are known to do with a...

Class of 2001: Fresh faces, blank slates?(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... TALLAHASSEE -- Meet Sen. Rod Smith, rookie. The Gainesville Democrat, one of 62 freshman faces in the Florida Legislature, never has sponsored a bill, sat on a legislative committee or dealt with special interests. The former state...

Packing up.(U.S. Army's Simulation Training and Instrumentation Command facility in Central Florida)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Moving day is approaching in the Central Florida Research Park. The U.S. Army's Simulation Training and Instrumentation Command and the University of Central Florida's Institute for Simulation and Training will move into a new...

Silicon superiority.(Orlando's efforts to promote and build high-tech community receives mention in New York Times)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Orlando's efforts to promote and build its high-tech community received mention in the New York Times. While the article contained nothing readers of the Orlando Business Journal don't already know, it's gotten reporters elsewhere...

Chickens, rejoice!(National Conference for Community and Justice fund raiser)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... The local chapter of the National Conference for Community and Justice is off the rubber chicken circuit: It has abandoned the traditional annual dress-up-and-eat fund-raiser in favor of a one-night performance at the Bob Carr March 6. ...

CORRECTIONS.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... The list of area mortgage firms incorrectly identified the address for Huntington National Bank. The correct address is 201 W. Canton Ave., Suite 150, Winter Park 32789.

Military, feds, state linking network systems.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Research Park ground zero for one-of-a-kind simulation deal. ORLANDO -- A new network is being born at the Central Florida Research Park. Simulation industry leaders, including university researchers and the Department of Defense,...

JoePix snaps up photo deal with Polaroid.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... ORLANDO -- Disney Imagineer-turned-entrepreneur Michael Tremain is refocusing on your next Kodak moment. With a little help from Kodak competitor Polaroid. JoePix, the Orlando-based business Tremain launched and later sold to a San...

Bank stocks up on new grocery store branches.
February 23, 2001... ORLANDO -- Bank of America will close its approximately 50 remaining branches in Winn-Dixie Stores in Florida over the next two months, at the same time it is beefing up its presence in Publix Super Markets both in Central Florida and around...

Why a $200M resort tax 'surplus' doesn't add up.(Orange County's resort tax collections)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 23, 2001... People looking for a pot of gold in Orange County's resort tax collections might just as well be looking for the end of the rainbow. They'll probably find just as much money. At least, those are the projections from the most recent...

It's alive!(rumor says Six Flags acquiring land in Orlando)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... It's the rumor that will not die. Just like the swallows coming back to Capistrano, the rumor that Six Flags is snapping up land in the Orlando area is making the rounds again. This time, word has it that the company is making offers...

Out, out, ink spot.(local hoteliers remove Orlando Sentinel from hotels)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... The fight over resort tax has cost the Orlando Sentinel. Several local hoteliers, led by the Hyatt Grand Cypress' Jack Hardy, have removed the daily newspaper from their hotels. The reason: They don't feel it is in the best interests of...

Duke-Weeks 'expanding the horizon' in Orlando.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Cutbacks in North and South Florida won't affect local plans. TAMPA -- Duke-Weeks Realty Corp. is not scaling down its development efforts in Orlando and Tampa Bay despite other cutbacks in Florida. "Our goal is to get our arms...

Tallahassee: Intangibles tax spells tangible troubles.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... ORLANDO -- Michael Bobroff can only dream about what would have been. If Florida had no intangibles tax, the Orlando area would have been the home to one of Ford Motor Co.'s major financial centers. "When Ford executives started...

Hikes in auto rental fees now on collision course.(MetroPlan Orlando)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 23, 2001... ORLANDO -- Having trouble paying for road improvements? Whack the tourists. At least that's the idea some cash-strapped transportation planners are pushing in the Legislature. But lawmakers have been slow to embrace the idea, and...

Healthy advice: Leave these laws alone.(health insurance reform at top of legislative list)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... TALLAHASSEE -- Health insurance reform tops the legislative wish list of state officials this year -- but small business owners wish lawmakers would just lay off. "Frankly, we're just seeking stability in policy this year," says Bill...

Looking for a few good finance options.(Florida House Speaker Tom Feeney interview)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Tom Feeney already made headlines in his new post earlier this year, when he agreed to convene a special session of the House to decide the Florida electoral college delegates. The domestic agenda facing Feeney as the legislative session...

McKay: Keep tourist taxes earmarked for tourism.(State Senate president John McKay)(Brief Article)(Interview)
February 23, 2001... A quiet, deliberate man who shuns publicity, Bradenton Republican John McKay shows no signs of abandoning his low profile even as he assumes the most high profile of political posts: State Senate president. Indeed, McKay insisted on...

Polluters seeking permits face scrutiny.(Florida state Department of Environmental Protection)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... TALLAHASSEE -- Companies with marred environmental track records may find themselves in the slow lane after the legislative session. The state Department of Environmental Protection has proposed legislation -- dubbed performance based...

Just a few unanswered questions about bullet trains.(financing for statewide high-speed passenger train)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 23, 2001... TALLAHASSEE -- When it comes to the statewide high-speed passenger train, Florida legislators have more questions than answers: Who pays for it? And how? Although 2.9 million voters approved the billion-dollar train last November,...

Plotting a course for the state's CFO.(chief financial officer)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... TALLAHASSEE -- In business, the chief financial officer is the person who handles the money. In Florida's government, the chief financial officer is... well, no one really knows. This session, the Florida Legislature hopes to figure...

Milking a cash cow: The search for venture capital.(building high-tech industries in Florida)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 23, 2001... TALLAHASSEE -- The effort to build high-tech industries in Florida is fueled by investment dollars. And business advocates hope expanding a 2-year-old legislative initiative to encourage technology investment will rev up the state's high-tech...

CHAD ERIC WATT.(Florida Digital Network, XO Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Five years after landmark legislation deregulated the local telephone industry, the home-field advantage remains strong for incumbent phone companies. Companies looking to break into the local phone game have found it hard to compete on...

Bromwell: Leaping into smart cards.(Les Bromwell, Chief Executive Officer and president of Leapfrog Smart Products)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Profile: Dr. Les Bromwell CEO and president of Leapfrog Smart Products - Maitland company that manufactures "Smart cards" Lowdown: Bromwelll landed on the lilypad of Leapfrog as an angel investor. He became chairman of its Leapfrog Global...

TEST DRIVE: Slim Olympus DS-320 digital voice recorder.(with viaVoice Version 8.0 speech recognition software)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... The Slim Olympus DS-320 digital voice recorder, coupled with IBM's new ViaVoice Version 8.0 speech recognition software, promises a shortcut to transcription. The recorder, available in April, is easy to use, records for five hours and...

Recoton Corp.(stock watch)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 23, 2001... NASDAQ: RCOT Stock Watch After skidding to a new 52-week low of $6 late last year, Lake Mary-based Recoton is bouncing back - well. Sort of. The new and improved share price of $10.75 is still a long way from the electronic...

It's always the quiet ones: Capitol's most influential.(Tallahassee, lobbyists)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Who pulls the strings in Tallahassee this spring? Some are obvious. Speaker of the House Tom Feeney and Senate President John McKay clearly come loaded with clout. But insiders polled by Orlando Business Journal turned up 25...

Pass on business knowledge through mentoring.(Peter Drucker comments)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Sharing experiences can help younger entrepreneurs see the bigger picture. One of the most influential and important relationships we can have in business is one with a mentor -- someone who is more experienced, has been over the...

SMALL BIZ Snapshot.(Joe DeAngelo's Sorrento's Pizza)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... For more than 20 years. Joe DeAngelo has been tossing pizzas. After all, it's in his blood. Since 1979, his family has owned Orlando landmark Sorrento's Pizza. But for the past five years, DeAngelo has been out on his own, selling pizza...

Keep your portable from being stolen.(laptop computers)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Probably the best thing about having a notebook computer is its portability. But with that portability comes the threat of theft. How do you keep your notebook from becoming mobile with someone other than yourself? One way to deter...

Arm yourself with info before changing phone service.(Brief Article)(Column)
February 23, 2001... Need DSL? Our Internet service makes lightning look slow and Wal-Mart look expensive. Looking for local phone service? We have that, too, with prices and service that will shock you. Welcome to BitWits' Cheap Talk 'N Data. We've...

On The Move.
February 23, 2001... ADVERTISING Sally Snelling, principal with Snelling Diversified Advertising Inc. in Daytona Beach, has joined Benedict Advertising as an account coordinator, and Linda Bouffard, formerly an account executive at Ogilvy & Mather Inc.,...

BIRTHDAYS.
February 23, 2001... Rupert Meghnot, president, virtual entrepreneur/simulation, Entertainment Group Inc.; 42, on March 2. Rich DeVos, Orlando Magic/RDV Sports owner; 75, on March 4. Tom M. Trainer, executive vice president, Bowyer-Singleton &...

Daytona Beach Community College.($600,000 in grants)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Daytona Beach Community College recently received more than $600,000 in grants to fund programs ranging from work force development and information technology training to scholarships for minority students, assistance for health career...

Rollins College.
February 23, 2001... Rollins College in Winter Park received a CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education) district III Award of Excellence for the design and implementation of its news Web page, Rollins This Week, which is designed, edited and...

Commerce thru Digital Technology.(contract with Cardservice Unlimited)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Commerce thru Digital Technology, a Web-based management information service, has chosen Orlando-based Cardservice Unlimited as its exclusive provider of Web-based services, including credit and ATM/debit card processing, check guarantee...

Cold Air Distributors.(leases office space)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Cold Air Distributors leased 8,400 square feet of warehouse/office space at American Industrial Center in Longwood for three years. Robert Blackwell of American Real Estate & Financial Services represented the landlord. Ron Mull of Brown...

All Star Cheer Gym.(warehouse lease)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... All Star Cheer Gym leased 8,225 square feet of warehouse and office space at the American Industrial Center in Longwood for five years. Robert Blackwell of American Real Estate & Financial Services represented the landlord. Michael Heidrich...

Stanek Vinyl Windows.
February 23, 2001... Stanek Vinyl Windows leased 6,700 square feet of warehouse and office space at American Industrial Center in Longwood for three years. Robert Blackwell of American Real Estate & Financial Services represented the landlord. Ron Mull of Brown...

CA Meyer Paving and Construction Co.(leasing space)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... CA Meyer Paving and Construction Co. leased 3,509 square feet at 1801 Lee Road in Winter Park for five years. Tim Perry of Welsh Cos. represented the owner, Florida Office Associates. ComTech Properties represented the tenant.

Crescent Resources Inc.(leasing contracts)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Crescent Resources Inc. has three new tenants for The Crescent at Primera and three tenants for Two Resource Square at Central Florida Research Park. LAMCO Advisory Services has leased 7,200 square feet in Primera Four; Matthew McKeever of...

Strictly Commercial Inc.
February 23, 2001... Sarah Castor of Strictly Commercial Inc. represented Huntington Banks in the lease of 36,000 square feet of office space for 10 years at Capital Plaza in downtown Orlando. Catherine Reeves of Highwoods Properties represented the owner.

IKON Office Solutions.(leasing space)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... IKON Office Solutions has leased 20,400 square feet of warehouse space at 3100 Pennington Drive in Orlando for five years. Craig Duke and Jeff Gindi of Duke Properties negotiated the deal.

Construct Two Group.(power plant deal)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Construct Two Group, a minority-owned construction management firm in Orlando, was awarded the $2.1 million central energy plant project at Jones High School by Orange County Public Schools. Construction has been fast-tracked to be completed...

Keene Construction Co.
February 23, 2001... Keene Construction Co. of Maitland was awarded a $2.9 milllon project, Five Corners Plaza in Dixie Manor, by M.C. Realty Group. The project, anchored by a Publix grocery store, is scheduled to open in early fall. Keene Construction also is...

Advanced Xerographics Imaging Systems.(begins construction on new headquarters)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Advanced Xerographics Imaging Systems (AXIS), a laser printing and mailing service bureau in Orlando, started construction of its new 65,000-square-foot corporate headquarters in the Lee Vista Center near Orlando International Airport. R.M....

Realvest Partners Inc.(negotiates land sale)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Realvest Partners Inc. of Maitland recently negotiated the sale of three sites at Northlake Park in Lake Nona. Steve Ruoff, vice president at Realvest, negotiated the sale for the seller, Lake Nona Land Co. The buyer, DeLuca Enterprises,...

SOS Development.(acquires land from Balles Properties)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... SOS Development bought a 1.03-acre commercial site for $360,000 to be used for a Sonic Drive-in restaurant to open just south of Old Winter Garden Road on Kirkman Road. The seller was Balles Properties Inc. and Cynthia Denny. Paul Hoffman, of...

Treasure Island Enterprises.(Treasure Island Enterprises land acquisition from Crownpointe Commerce Park L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Treasure Island Enterprises purchased .95 acres of industrial land in Crownpointe Commerce Park on Sand Lake Road for $164,224. The seller was Crownpointe Commerce Park LLC, which was represented by Lyle N. Nelsen of Rebman Properties. Elmer...

South Orange Partnership.(Orlando Medical Plaza sold)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... About 75 percent of the Orlando Medical Plaza has been sold to its neighboring property owner, the 1405 South Orange Partnership. The plaza, built in the 1970s, is across the street from Orlando Regional Hospital's new M.D. Anderson Cancer...

Bowyer-Singleton & Associates.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Bowyer-Singleton & Associates reports a 16 percent increase in revenue over 1999, meeting its business goal for 2000. The employee-owned consulting engineering firm expanded its employee base to more than 130 employees, adding 23 people.

Your Logo By LeftHand Productions.
February 23, 2001... Your Logo By LeftHand Productions, a marketing communications firm in Melbourne, was selected by Intersil Corp. to supply their corporate e-store.

Cuellar, Sachse & Hawe Advertising.(new location)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Cuellar, Sachse & Hawe Advertising has moved to 830 Clay St. in Winter Park.

Comprehensive Energy Services Inc.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Comprehensive Energy Services Inc. is providing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning at ORH Information Services at 2052 Mercy Drive in Orlando. Under its contract with Argus Constructors, CES is installing four 30-ton Liebert units,...

EL HOMBRE DEL REPO.(Corona Cigar Co. adds El Repo cigar to product offering)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Jeff Borysiewicz of Corona Cigar Co. has added the El Repo cigar to his company's lineup of fine cigars. The El Repo, made by a Nicaraguan tubacalera that had its cigars repossessed, is the most unique cigar the Ocoee company sells, says...

Chugging along.(Action Products International Inc. to develop Thomas the Tank Engine toys)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Action Products International Inc. licensed an old favorite -- Thomas the Tank Engine -- for a new line of creative toys. Thomas the Tank Engine is featured in the Thomas & Friends video series and children's books, as well as the film Thomas...

New on board.(David Sifford joins Raven Moon International Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... David Sifford, former president of King World Entertainment, joined the advisory board of Heathrowbased Raven Moon International Inc. Raven Moon produces family entertainment programs. While at King World, Sifford was responsible for...

Well dressed.(Walt Disney Co. and J.C. Penney Company Inc. agreement)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... The Walt Disney Co. inked a licensing agreement with J.C. Penney Co. to manufacture children's clothing. Disney's arrangement with J.C. Penney is a first for the Burbank, Calif.-based company. It's also part of the entertainment giant's...

Suing.(Dan Davis sues Orange County over moratorium)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Aura Nightclub owner Dan Davis sued Orange County in Orlando federal court over a late-night entertainment moratorium. Aura wants an Orlando federal judge to declare the moratorium unconstitutional. On Feb. 13, the county established...

Billion-dollar baby.(Arvide Realty Services sales figures)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 23, 2001... Arvida Realty Services, a business unit of The St. Joe Co., has released its year end 2000 figures for gross sales volume, and the cheers can be heard up and down the Interstate 4 corridor. Last year, Arvida increased its gross sales...

Heading west.(Commercial Net Lease Realty Inc. opens office in Phoenix)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Orlando-based Commercial Net Lease Realty Services Inc. opened a new regional office in Phoenix, Ariz. David Bunch, vice president of real estate, will head up the office. The new office will allow CNL to serve the entire West Coast, from...

Paying off.(Bairnco Corp. dividend)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Bairnco Corp. (NYSE: BZ) declared a quarterly cash dividend. The Orlando manufacturing concern will pay 5 cents per share on March 30 to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 5.

Double-digit slip.(International Assets sales figures)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 23, 2001... International Assets (NASDAQ: IAAC) announced revenue for the first fiscal quarter ended Dec. 31 fell 60 percent to $1.4 million. Trading revenue decreased by 77 percent, representing a decline in both the number of shares traded and a...

On the mend.(H.T.E. Inc.'s revenues)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 23, 2001... Software manufacturer H.T.E. reports a somewhat rosier quarter-to-quarter picture. Revenue for the fourth quarter increased to $15.4 million compared to $15.1 million in the third quarter. Net income increased from $183,000 during the...

Seeing red.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... The Orlando Predators are back in the red after releasing their fourthquarter financials. The Arena Football League team reported a loss of $311,462 during the quarter ended Dec. 31. That's compared with a profit of $284,191 for the same time...

Who won.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... The cofounders of Orlando-based DigitalOwl captured a regional award for women entrepreneurs. Kirstie Chadwick and Robin Phelps won the Working Woman magazine Entrepreneurial Excellence Award for venture capital-backed companies in the...

Wholesale news.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Bellsouth Corp.'s Orlando-based wholesale and business unit is taking the wraps off plans for a more aggressive foray into the wholesale services market. BellSouth Interconnection Services reports it will introduce new pricing plans, as...

EPIK to IP.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Orlando-based EPIK Communications Inc. announced plans to begin offering Internet protocol services. The company, a subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries Inc., will offer dedicated Internet access, virtual private networks, Ethernet...

But did they see it coming?(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... Volusia County's Planning and Land Development Regulation Commission voted to deny construction of a new church near Cassadaga, a small Central Florida town famous for its homegrown business: The community's members have made a living for...

Closed for business.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... A 10-mile stretch of Interstate 4 remained closed as firefighters battled an 11,000-acre blaze in Polk County. A total of 1,230 fires have scorched 83,150 acres from the beginning of the fire season Jan, 1 through Saturday, according to the...

DISCREDITED?(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... The American Bar Association's Council on Legal Education and Accreditation declined for a second time to accredit Barry University's Orlando law school, leaving the fate of its students in the air. More than 100 graduates of the law school...

CHOCOLATE & CHAMPAGNE.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... The 2001 Chocolate, Champagne & Casino Night raised more than $100,000 for the American Diabetes Association. The event, sponsored by DePrince, Race & Zollo Inc., was Feb. 17 at Maison and Jardin Restaurant in Altamonte Springs. It...

2001: OBJ's 100 most influential businesspeople.
February 23, 2001... * Jim Bacchus, lawyer, Greenberg Traurig, former Congressman: Walks softly and carries the biggest of sticks: As one of only a handful of judges on the World Trade Organization appellate board, his decisions regularly impact businesses...

And 16 Young Turks to watch for local leadership.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... * Suzy Allen, director of project development, Metro Orlando Film & Television Commission; Economic Development Commission of Mid-Florida Inc. * Jeff Brock, president, Realty Capital Advisors. * Krishna Gidwani, HlBdirect.com, and...

Welcome mat.(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... There is an old adage most often attributed to Mark Twain that goes: There are two things you should never see while they are being made -- sausage and laws. Perhaps Florida voters saw enough of both when they approved term limits. ...

NASCAR, chariot races, bull fights: the same game.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... I've never been a NASCAR fan. For me, sitting around for four hours watching cars go in circles is much like sitting on my front porch watching the grass grow. Either way, I'd be asleep in minutes. But, still, I had an admiration for...

Turtle fuss is much a-stew about nothing.(Brief Article)
February 23, 2001... South Florida has a weak link in the food chain. Last April, employees of the Miami Seaquarium ate part of a rare leatherback turtle that had been killed in a boat collision. I talked to Russ Rector, president of the Dolphin Freedom...

McCree.(profile of McCree General Contractors and Architects)(Company Profile)(Statistical Data Included)
February 23, 2001... 75 Years of Design-Build Excellence McCree's In-house and Team Design-Build Focus Has Proven to be the Right Ingredient for Almost a Century of Success! The New Year marks a significant milestone for McCree General Contractors and...

What Happens When the Business You Have a Contract With Files Bankruptcy.(Brief Article)(Column)
February 23, 2001... You may have a contract with another business to sell goods to them or to render services to them over a period of time. If that other business files bankruptcy, this has important effects on the contract. The business that files...

Technology Beyond Borders -- Limits from the U.S. Perspective.(regulations affecting businesses with foreign trade activities)(Column)
February 23, 2001... Worldwide demand for technology and military products has created significant business opportunities. But there are U.S. laws and regulations that can directly affect the performance capabilities of U.S. companies and their non-U.S....