Orlando Business Journal articles from November 2000, page 4

Orlando Business Journal archives from November 2000

Oak-bridge.(luxury community started)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Land development has started for the newest luxury community of Oak-bridge in Lakeland. Thirty sites are being prepared for Swim and Tennis Villas, where three- and four-bedroom luxury villas will come in one- and two-story models priced from...

Avalon Park.(landscaping services)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... The developer of Avalon Park in east Orlando and New River Township in Pasco County has formed a landscaping and lawn maintenance firm that will offer services to homeowners of both communities in addition to contracting for the maintenance...

Consolidated Label Inc.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Consolidated Label Inc., a Long-wood-based label manufacturer, finished out its second best month in what is shaping up to be a record year for sales. Joel Carmany, president, says Consolidated saw sales of more than $900,000 in October....

Poole Carbone Eckbert.(financing for International Parts Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Winter Park investment bank Poole Carbone Eckbert closed $4.25 million of Series C Preferred Stock in second-round financing for Jacksonville-based International Parts. The financing will support the expansion of International Parts' online...

Designage Inc.(Andretti Speed Lab)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Designage Inc., an Orlando themed graphics entertainment design/build firm, has been awarded a contract to design, build and install the exterior graphics and interior theming for Andretti Speed Lab, a 100,000-square-foot, $4.5 million...

GROUNDBREAKING.(Stirling International Realty, Seminole Professional Village Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Stirling International Realty and developer Seminole Professional Village Inc. of Lake Mary plan to break ground before the end of the rear on Lexington Park, a $12 million professional office center Stirling will lease and market. ...

ENCOMPASS.(Encompass Services Corp.)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Facilities Systems and Solutions Encompass is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ESR) MSI-Encompass Serves as a Platform Company for Market Leader Encompass Services Corporation The largest national provider of...

ONE HEART.(merger of Florida hospital organizations)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... The three major organizations representing hospitals in Florida announced today their plans to merge into one group effective Jan. 1. The Orlando-based Florida Hospital Association Inc., the Tallahassee-based Association of Community...

PERSONAL ARCADE.(FunCaster forms alliance with Sprint PCS)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... FunCaster.com, a Lake Mary-based wireless entertainment company, formed a partnership with Sprint PCS to provide the phone company with Web-based games for Sprint's Internet-ready phones. "We're able to provide Sprint PCS customers with a...

SLOTTING RIPLEY.(Ripley Entertainment and Mikohn Gaming develop slot machines)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Mikohn Gaming Corp. has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Ripley Entertainment to develop casino slot games based on Ripley's Believe it or Not entertainment company based in Orlando. Says David Thompson, Mikohn's...

HONORED.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Pamela R. McCauley Bell, a tenured associate professor of industrial engineering and management systems at the University of Central Florida, is one of 100 women selected in the national contest of Women at Their Best. Saturn Corp....

LOBSTER FOOTBALL.(Red Lobster holds football promotion)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Red Lobster, an official SEC corporate partner, recently launched an SEC promotion in 150 of its restaurants across the Southeast that will run through Nov. 18. Through the promotion, Red Lobster patrons will receive an SEC football...

BABY JAZZ.(Health Central hospital in Ocoee accepts first abandoned baby)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... A newborn boy found in a restroom at Health Central hospital in Ocoee became the first baby to be dropped off in a "safe zone" under the 2000 Florida law which allows mothers to abandon newborns at hospitals and fire departments without...

STERLING SALES.(sales figures for Galaxy Foods Co.)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Orlando healthy food manufacturer Galaxy Foods Co. realized double-digit sales gains for the second quarter and six months ending Sept. 30. Net sales for the quarter grew 16 percent to a record $12.2 million, compared to $10.5 million...

REAL PARTNERS.(Accseus Corp. partners with Realvest Partners Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... A company formed to license the techniques of high-tech business incubator Central Florida Innovation Corp. has landed Realvest Partners Inc. as a strategic partner. The Maitland commercial real estate broker is the first announced...

PLAY BALL.(Nextel Communications Inc. signs promotional agreement with Sunshine Network to promote Florida Sports News)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Virginia-based Nextel Communications has signed on to be the title sponsor of Sunshine Network's Florida Sports News. For the next two years, the Orlando-based network's show will be known as Nextel Florida Sports News. While financial...

DRIVING FORWARD.(Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co. sells 66-acre site to Metropolitan Contractors Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Daytona Beach-based Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co. announced the $8 million sale of a 66-acre site, located in the southwest quadrant of the LPGA Interchange on Interstate 95, to Metropolitan Contractors Inc., a Birmingham, Ala.-based...

AND THE WINNER IS.(Volusia County, Florida experiences software problem in vote counting)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... The Volusia County Supervisor of Elections office says a "minor problem" with its tabulation software wreaked havoc on hundreds of votes in DeLand's voting precinct 216. According to Dave Byron, Volusia County's community information...

ACT duo: Business relationship thrives as 'wonderful marriage'.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... ORLANDO -- In the motion picture Being John Malkovich, people somehow journeyed inside the brain of the character actor -- seeing what he saw from inside his head. Picture instead a pair of executives so perfectly matched -- so "yin and...

Internet start-ups with a niche can still land funding.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Brett Rosen left a secure job in February with what he calls "a compelling business idea" on how to make his way in the Internet world. Giving a financial gift was "convoluted and loaded with paperwork," he says. And when his research...

New tech venture to create' connected communities'.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... JACKSONVILLE -- For the past four years, PTC Computer Solutions specialized in high-end, e-commerce Web site design. Now, the nine-employee company is opening a new market. PTC President David Parker introduced NetNeighbor, a company...

Kos acquires rights to new drug technology.(Kos Pharmaceuticals receives rights from Purdue)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... MIAMI -- Kos Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KOSP) announced that Purdue Research Foundation, an affiliate of Purdue University, has granted the company exclusive commercialization rights to a technology invented at Purdue for the development of...

Taking the lead.(technology industry in Florida)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... TAMPA -- Tampa Mayor Dick Greco can't take all the credit for bolstering the city's support of high-technology and e-commerce. Dr. Linda McClintock-Greco, his wife, is the power beside the throne in Tampa's efforts to come to grips with...

Stress in the workplace.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... One of the primary characteristics of happy, productive, successful people is that they see themselves in a future that feels positive and attainable. Your personal vision is a way to see into the future and link yourself to a future...

Keep it clean: Don't waste time searching for misplaced papers.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... When is the last time you saw the surface of your desk? Is it cluttered with correspondence and reports, stacks of unread periodicals, sticky notes, message slips and piles of files from your multiple projects? Has it spilled over onto the...

Workplace fun can chase away holiday doldrums.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Holiday stress and holiday blues are such well-known terms now that they probably should be in the dictionary but aren't. They are, however, in the professional books of mental health practitioners. After all, from Oct. 31 to Jan. 2 is...

Fun activities help busy execs find workload relief.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Everybody knows what it's like to be inundated with too much paperwork, too many deadlines and not enough time to get it all done. To find temporary reprieve from the stress of everyday work life, these executives turn to a number of...

Everyday life offers lessons to learn -- if we heed them.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... How many times have you said this to yourself: "I can't believe this is happening to me again?" Perhaps it was a once sparkling relationship that suddenly blew up in your face or maybe it was a "sure thing" business deal that suddenly...

Laughter can be inexpensive cure for workplace ills.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... How do the people in your office see their work environment -- as fun or a drag? Do you know people who sit around feeling bored and unproductive, and who spend their time calling friends who also are bored at work? The sad part is that...

Blank check.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Who says Florida's voters aren't willing to write a blank check or two? Florida's ballots for president may have been subject to a recount, but the state's other election results quickly came through loud and clear -- particularly...

Florida voters held the White House lease in their hands.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... Sometime around 2 a.m., the Willie Logan effect began kicking in. Logan, of course, is the state lawmaker who, after a fallout with Florida's Democratic party, struck a bit of fear into its liberal heart by suggesting that maybe, just...

Bird-brained research should be put on ice.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... On the South Georgia islands of the south Atlantic, a flock f penguins struts around in their adorable little tuxedos, sliding on ice, eating fish and doing the penguin thing. Suddenly, the roar of helicopter blades fills the air. A few dozen...

CENTRAL FLORIDA'S LARGEST SIMULATION COMPANIES.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

CENTRAL FLORIDA'S LARGEST FITNESS CLUBS.(Brief Article)
November 10, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

Where in the world is Yang?
November 3, 2000... Exec is gone; in Orlando, some wonder where Splendid China profits are. ORLANDO -- Amid allegations of financial mismanagement, the former president of the struggling Splendid China attraction has been sent back to mainland China. ...

Minority firm under county microscope.
November 3, 2000... ORLANDO -- Orange County Chairman Mel Martinez has asked the county attorney and comptroller's office to investigate unanswered questions linked to a recently fired minority recruitment firm. At issue is whether KNA Services Inc. sought...

Local bank gets big slice of ChampionsGate.
November 3, 2000... A word to a friend leads to lucrative partnership for developer, lender. KISSIMMEE -- It's worth $430 million to the local economy. It's a boon to Colonial Bank. And none of it was planned. "It all happened by accident," says...

Who's No. 1? Not Orlando.
November 3, 2000... At least, that's the upshot of an analysis of the bids submitted for the Florida A&M Law School. Of course, the study was conducted by Ernst & Young LLP, under the direction of the Greater Tampa Chamber. And -- surprise! The study shows...

Book him.
November 3, 2000... No, no, not him. Ric Keller, the congressional candidate whose current TV ads slam opponent Linda Chapin for creating cushy jails, declined to talk to OBJ about why he once filed suit over bad conditions in those same jails. Falsely...

Gem of a role.
November 3, 2000... Local actor/producer Todd Thompson, a principal of Central Florida-based independent movie production company Stars North, just returned from the Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, N.C., where he taped an episode of Dawson 's Creek. ...

On board at Admiralty.
November 3, 2000... Randy Burden and two other Central Florida region directors of Admiralty Bank have been appointed to the board of directors of the bank's parent, Admiralty Bancorp of Palm Beach Gardens. Pat Mathes, president of Mathes Management in...

Healthy moves.
November 3, 2000... Look for Nashville, Tenn.-based Medical Properties of America to put down local roots. The company, which buys, owns and manages specialty health care facilities -- think outpatient surgery centers -- says there's an "imbalance" in the...

Welcome mat.
November 3, 2000... Opryland Hotel Florida has hired its first general manager. Taking over the reins as senior vice president and general manager of the Osceola County hotel is John P. Caparella Jr., previously executive vice president of planning, development...

Red, hot and building.
November 3, 2000... The latest new home sales report from Home Builders Weekly is hot off the press and shows little cooling in the new homes market. Ten of Central Florida's top home builders closed transactions for 637 new homes between Sept. 25 and Oct....

Making inquiries.
November 3, 2000... A three-member panel of inquiry charged with investigating a complaint filed against a member of the 1st District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission includes Ava Doppelt of Orlando, a former president of the Florida Association...

Wakeup call.
November 3, 2000... Verizon Florida Inc. received a wakeup call in the form of a class action suit filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court. The suit alleges unjust enrichment, deceptive and unfair trade practices, and negligent misrepresentation. The...

Associate love.
November 3, 2000... Canton Fields ranked No. 1 among midsize law firms and No. 3 among 165 national law firms surveyed in The American Lawyer's annual midlevel associate survey of more than 3,200 third- and fourth-year associate attorneys. The associates...

Trading resumes in Phoenix stock.
November 3, 2000... Software firm's losses grow in recently revised earnings reports. HEATHROW -- Stock in Phoenix International Ltd. has resumed trading, the company is poised to settle a class action suit with disgruntled shareholders, and a sale is in...

Cookie roulette could produce healthy returns.
November 3, 2000... ORLANDO -- Becky Cherney sweetened an invitation-only meeting among doctors and executives from local hospitals, health care plans and pharmaceutical companies with a plate of homemade cookies. The Central Florida Health Care Coalition's...

Irritation turns to inspiration for media maven.
November 3, 2000... Search engine lets digital, film pros track ORLANDO -- Sometimes, frustration does more than drive a person up a wall. It drove John Pokorny right into a new business niche. Annoyed at not being able to effectively find information...

Swirlie, twirly Wet 'n Wild ride a trip to nostalgia.
November 3, 2000... In middle school, the very worst thing kids could do to another kid was give him a 'swirlie': a group of adolescent boys would pick up another guy, stick his head in a toilet and flush. Few actually got one, although many were threatened....

Checking out.
November 3, 2000... Could there be a new grocery store coming to the Little Lake Bryan area? All signs point to one. Very quietly, Regency Realty of Jacksonville has put up a leasing information sign on a plot of land across the street from Orlando Premium...

If the boots fit.
November 3, 2000... With the presidential election coming up next week, it seems only fitting that one would look at George W. Bush's tourism record in Texas. According to people in the know, he's been widely accepted as a friend of the industry as governor...

Health Central promises: This won't hurt a bit.
November 3, 2000... Tired of sitting in a hospital waiting room, waiting for an admissions clerk to sign you in? Health Central to the rescue: Armed with 50 pagers, the hospital has borrowed a page from busy restaurants, allowing patients to sign in, then...

Double duty.
November 3, 2000... Cynthia Nash has joined the Orange County Medical Society as its new executive director -- but she also is keeping her old job as the head of the Lake County Medical Society. Nash has been with the 120-member Lake County Medical Society...

Cities, towns line up for $60M in roadway cash.
November 3, 2000... ORLANDO -- It's still too little, but it's not too late: Although only $60 million in roadway funds are available under a new state initiative, Central Florida groups are lining up to get a much-needed shot at the cash. Last year, the...

HMOs struggle with rising costs, public cynicism.
November 3, 2000... ORLANDO -- Health maintenance organizations in Florida may be charging higher premiums these days, but they're also spending more on health care and administrative costs. And those factors will continue to keep health plan profits down for...

Trinidad added to list of Galaxy's offshore buyers.
November 3, 2000... Galaxy Foods Co. is expanding its international product distribution into Trinidad through an alliance with Ryco Limited Distribution. Galaxy's Veggie brand products initially will be available at local grocery stores and supermarkets in...

Turkey time.
November 3, 2000... VOA Associates Inc. has been busy of late with various projects around the world. The latest: interior design services for the new Istanbul Convention & Exposition Center, a 75,000-square-foot, $12 million facility in Turkey. VOA served...

Orbital Sciences Corp.
November 3, 2000... Officials there say the remotely managed mission demonstrated the Florida spaceport's growing capabilities to support all types of launch operations. The Pegasus was developed and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp. It carried a 275-pound...

Team players.
November 3, 2000... Jim Shipley has done a number of interesting things during his business career: owner and operator of radio stations, head of a regional advertising agency and president of an RCA distributorship -- just to name a few. But his latest...

Aquent links local talent with plenty of 'non-jobs'.
November 3, 2000... ORLANDO -- When free-lance graphic designer Joe Jurewicz moved from New York to Orlando four weeks ago, he needed work fast. He called Aquent Partners. Two days later, Aquent, a firm that pairs free-lancers with companies looking for...

First National heads for the 'net, looks to expand.
November 3, 2000... First National Bank of Central Florida is ramping up its plans for 2001, includeing opening an office in Orlando's Bay Hill area and an Internet banking program. Those steps should help contribute to another year of strong percentage...

Big deal for Wachovia.
November 3, 2000... Just 10 days after it entered Central Florida and put its signs on the former offices of National Bank of Commerce in Winter Park, Wachovia Corp. announced its biggest deal yet in Florida. Wachovia, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., said on...

Whatever will it take to make a Bohemian work?
November 3, 2000... A strong commitment to downtown Orlando, says Grand Bohemian GM. ORLANDO -- Stuart Newmark has his work cut out for him. Opening a hotel -- any hotel -- in any location is a challenge. But Newmark is the newly appointed general...

Businesses begin to balk at campaign donations.
November 3, 2000... WASHINGTON -- Harry Freeman, a former executive vice president with American Express, says a new poll supports what he saw firsthand at the financial services giant: Corporations give campaign contributions because they fear politicians will...

Central Florida stocks.
November 3, 2000... This is not your grandfather's stock table: Orlando Business Journal and Zacks Investment Research have teamed to provide a different view of local stocks, based on their performance when compared to market expectations. Years of...

Local philanthropists receive kudos, recognition.
November 3, 2000... The National Society of Fund Raising Executives' Central Florida chapter will host the 2000 National Philanthropy Day Awards Breakfast on Nov. 15. Among those to be honored: * Al and Nancy Burnett will receive the Outstanding...

Disabilities council awarded $900,000.
November 3, 2000... The Florida Development Disabilities Council of Tallahassee will get $900,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor to help enhance employment opportunities statewide for people with disabilities. The council was one of 23 programs in the...

Quest boosts disabled voters' participation.
November 3, 2000... Quest Inc. has been helping its disabled clients get involved in the political season. The nonprofit agency has been informing its clients about national political issues and teaching them how to vote by providing them with nonpartisan...

Frontline Outreach rakes in $32,000.
November 3, 2000... MSI-Encompass's recent HVAC Seminar and Golf & Tennis Benefit Tournament netted $32,000 for Frontline Outreach. MSI-Encompass CEO William Dillard presented the money on Oct. 27 to Arto Woodley Jr., president of Frontline Outreach. The...

First Industrial keeps up expansion pace balance.
November 3, 2000... TAMPA -- Three years after entering the Tampa Bay market, First Industrial Realty Trust Inc. now looks to expand its building inventory beyond its current 2.5 million square feet. The Chicago-based company is considering repositioning...

Winn-Dixie buys Mississippi grocery stores.
November 3, 2000... JACKSONVILLE -- This year has been a period of closing stores and buying new ones for local grocery company Winn-Dixie Stores (NYSE: WIN). Recently, the company announced it will buy 72 grocery stores from the Jitney-Jungle Cos. in...

'Bottom line' election draws in small biz.
November 3, 2000... NFIB doubles campaign contributions since last presidential election. WASHINGTON -- The National Federation of Independent Business's political action committee raised $8 million for the 2000 election -- a small sum compared with the $3...

Do not cell out: If you must talk, please park first.
November 3, 2000... I was horrified to read recently about a Phoenix postal worker run over by a woman talking on a cell phone while driving. The postal worker died her second day on the job. The driver fled and was later arrested by police. Don't kid...

Patent office trying to streamline rules for biz.
November 3, 2000... TAMPA -- The United States Patent and Trademark Office is changing patent protection rules for new inventions. The streamlining could not have come at a better time, says Martin A. Traber, head of the Foley & Lardner Florida corporate...

South Florida tech alive and well.
November 3, 2000... This is a good news/bad news story. The tri-county area of South Florida - Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties - hosts a number of high-tech companies, ranging from dot.coms and Internet to software, hardware, electronic,...

Jacksonville tech growth changed by mergers, AOL.
November 3, 2000... For the past five years, the technology sector in Jacksonville has seen phenomenal growth that doesn't appear to be slowing down. The landscape is scattered with a growing number of software companies, ranging from two- to five-person...

Central Florida has blueprint for tech.
November 3, 2000... In Central Florida, where tech offshoots from such industry giants as Lockheed Martin and Harris Corp. are common, it's not unusual to find an entrepreneur with a vision. But Darrell Kelley, an engineer-turned-executive director of the...

Tampa area looks beyond short-term challenges.
November 3, 2000... While Florida wrestles with its high-tech image, the technology market sector shows no signs of cooling off in Tampa Bay. A falling stock market, mergers of major corporations and legal threats by investors in a major company do not...

BIRTHDAYS.
November 3, 2000... Mercedes McCall, president, Banco Popular of Florida 47, on Nov. 6. Lee Constantine state representative (R-Altamonte Springs) and candidate for Florida Senate; 48, on Nov. 6. Sumner Hutcheson III, CEO, American Red Cross of Central...

The Apartment Group of Florida.
November 3, 2000... The Apartment Group of Florida negotiated the $33.55 million sale of three rental apartment communities in Tallahassee totaling 758 units. The Apartment Group represented the seller, Equity Residential Property Trust of Chicago.

Wuesthoff Medical Equipment.
November 3, 2000... Wuesthoff Medical Equipment's Orthotic & Prosthetic program has been certified by the Board for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification. The Wuesthoff program specializes in braces for patients who are suffering from spinal injuries, scoliosis,...

Harbco Construction Co.
November 3, 2000... Harbco Construction Co. has been awarded contracts for work on five local projects. The company is building a 20,000-square-foot, $1.2 million project at the International Plaza shopping center at 11025 International Drive for GMR...