Orlando Business Journal articles from June 1997

Orlando Business Journal archives from June 1997

Out of the loop? State project to bypass health insurers. (Florida's new Medicaid program)
June 13, 1997... A cost-saying measure passed by state lawmakers could rewrite the way Tallahassee doles out $6.7 billion in Medicaid-money - and put hundreds of thousands of dollars into Orange County hospitals. Terms of the two-year pilot project call for...

It's grand, it's pink, it's Harris Rosen's last resort. (hotelier Harris Rosen's planned resort in Orlando, FL)
June 13, 1997... Harris Rosen is drawing up blueprints for what he says will be his last, best hotel. When built, the 1,500 room, $150 million resort will be one of the three largest hotels in Central Florida, trailing only Walt Disney World Dolphin (1,509...

All that glitters: local gold sales under scrutiny. (investigation of American Coin Collectors Inc.)
June 13, 1997... Has a local coin company's pot of gold run dry? More than 100 investors across the country have filed complaints with the Economic Crimes Division of the Florida Office of Attorney General against American Coin Collectors Inc., a mail-order...

Chiles tosses $15M local tourist tax exemption. (Florida Governor Lawton Chiles)
June 13, 1997... With a multimillion-dollar stroke of the pen, Gov. Lawton Chiles has vetoed a bill that would save area hotels around $15 million a year should Orange County pass a new sales tax. The move is an apparent setback for backers of a seventh cent...

KUA puts expenses under microscope. (Kissimmee Utility Authority)
June 13, 1997... Utility reduces rates in face of deregulation By forging a purchasing alliance with Orange County, the Kissimmee Utility Authority just slashed the cost of its pens, note pads and other office supplies by nearly 65 percent. And instead of...

Seminole businesses, residents just say no to 'porno park.' (opposition to the planned rezoning of adult entertainment sites in Seminole County, FL)
June 13, 1997... Proposed adult entertainment zoning draws fire A move by Seminole County to locate new and several existing adult entertainment and sexually oriented businesses to one of two industrially zoned sites is drawing fierce opposition from business...

Colonial Bank's Brinkley favors tractor pulls over culture. (Pres. and CEO Charlie W. Brinkley Jr.)
June 13, 1997... In an effort to learn more about the cultural arts, Colonial Bank's Florida President and CEO Charlie W. Brinkley Jr. bought season tickets to the Bob Carr Broadway Series last fall. His wife, 38-year-old Sherry Brinkley, was out of town for...

Growing through TEAMwork. (TEAM program for chief executive officers)
June 13, 1997... The Executive Achievement Model helps CEOs build their small businesses At 8:30 on a Wednesday morning, facilitator Brett Fadeley and The Executive Achievement Model creator Dwain DeVille meet with a group of four CEOs focused on growing...

HMOs forcing state to discard Medicaid bids? (health maintenance organizations; Florida)
June 6, 1997... Lawyered to a standstill say officials In a startling about-face, the state is planning to drop competitive bidding for Medicaid contracts this year, a key element in a highly publicized plan to save taxpayers an estimated $58.4 million in...

Nyet worth: Moscow circus stranded, penniless.
June 6, 1997... The famed Moscow Circus survived the perils of communism and the frozen tundra of Russian winters, but two months in sunny Orlando may have killed it off. The circus - at least $1 million in debt took down its big top near International...

State clamps down on Altamonte company's stock sales. (Legend Sports)
June 6, 1997... Florida securities officials are locking horns with Altamonte Springs-based Legend Sports and its parent company, LSI Holdings Inc., over $16.8 million in securities and loans heavily marketed to retirees. Since November of last year, lawyers...

County up in arms over topless bars. (Seminole County, Florida)
June 6, 1997... Seminole County is going to war. On the heels of filing two suits against adult nightclubs, the county is weighing adoption of one of the toughest adult entertainment ordinances in the state. "The county in essence has declared war," says...

GOAA looks for concrete answers to tunnel troubles. (Greater Orlando Aviation Authority)
June 6, 1997... The walls are finally tumbling down, but not as easily as Orlando International Airport officials thought they would. Greater Orlando Aviation Authority officials are scratching their heads over how extra concrete - tons of extra concrete...

Nursing home ratings come under fire.
June 6, 1997... Nursing homes that have maintained "superior" ratings from state inspectors for years are suddenly finding themselves labeled with the lowest state rating possible. Administrators say the real changes in ratings are state-driven. Tallahassee,...

Legislature attaches conditions to Enterprise Florida funding.
June 6, 1997... This session's stormy relationship between Florida lawmakers and the state's principal economic development organization has settled into an uneasy truce. The Legislature, which initially threatened to gut funding for Orlando-based Enterprise...

Angst-A-Go-Go Fashions: cut form a different cloth.
June 6, 1997... Nothing about local designer Jodi Thomas quite fits. She gave up on school at 16, but held onto the much tougher goal of owning her own business. She is a fashion designer who is unapologetically anti-fashion. And without a marketing budget...

Audio, Suncom harmonize operations for wider audience. (Audio Communications Network Inc; Suncom Communications LLC)
June 6, 1997... Audio Communications Network Inc. is playing its Muzak for a much wider audience these days. The Orlando company, which owns background music franchises, recently completed its acquisition of Suncom Communications LLC of Charlotte, another...

Designing for a dynasty. (Orlando Museum of Art; VOA Associates Inc)(Focus: Commercial Real Estate & Construction)
June 6, 1997... VOA Associates helps museum showcase Chinese history Deciding how to best exhibit two 9-foot-tall, 19,000-pound stone lions was just one of the many obstacles awaiting the interior design team for the Orlando Museum of Art's Imperial Tombs of...

Networking pays off for Gerrity Equity Advisors. (real estate broker Michael J. Gerrity)(Focus: Commercial Real Estate & Construction)
June 6, 1997... Networking has paid off big time for Maitland commercial real estate broker Michael J. Gerrity. A five-minute telephone call four months ago to a Washington, D.C., broker has landed Gerrity's firm, Gerrity Equity Advisors, the largest office...

A creative mission. (Knight Images; small business strategies)
June 6, 1997... Design firm advises clients to 'think outside the box' Knight Images looks like an exciting place to work. The company has a cool downtown office filled with stylish furniture, lamps and artwork. Employees, all younger than 40, are busy...

Time to bail out Moscow's big top. (Moscow Circus)
June 6, 1997... Orlando hasn't exactly rolled out the welcome mat for the Moscow Circus. The least we can do is throw them a life preserver. Oh sure, I know, businesses fold every day. Entertainment venues are inherently risky ventures. Why should the...