Orlando Business Journal articles from October 2000

Orlando Business Journal archives from October 2000

Big cheese in California.(Walt Disney World Co.)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... With the opening of a second theme park in Anaheim, many in town believed Central Florida would take a back burner to many of Disney's sales efforts. After all, over the past couple of years, Disney has lavished time and money to market...

Digital aid.(WMFE-TV Channel 24 broadcasting digitally)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... WMFE-TV Channel 24 is getting a little help from Washington the better to begin broadcasting digitally in 2003. The public television station received a $616,269 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The cash is earmarked for...

Florida forfeits cash for kids.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... State didn't spend health care money for uninsured children fast enough. TALLAHASSEE -- Up to $69 million earmarked for uninsured children in this state will have to be returned to the federal government. The chunk of federal cash is...

Lynx, Belz forge expansion plan.(Belz Factory Outlet Mall, and Lynx, the local mass transit agency)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... ORLANDO -- Get ready to bargain shop 'til you drop: Orlando Outlet World Ltd., owner of Belz Factory Outlet Mall, and Lynx, the local mass transit agency, are teaming on a one-of-its-kind expansion on North International Drive. When...

Builder halts operations at Avalon Park.(Renaissance Homes)(Genesis Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Buyers left hanging as company weighs next move. ORLANDO -- The Genesis Group has hit a bump in the residential development road -- and at least some would-be home buyers have been left in the lurch. The company's home-building arm,...

OBJ staff wins 15 awards in Press Club contest.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... The Orlando Business Journal news staff raked in 15 awards from the Florida Press Club this month. * Editor Pat Beall took first place honors in the categories of opinion column writing and criticism writing, as well as a second place...

Second time's the charm.(Blackfin restaurant)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... October is Seafood Month in Florida, a celebration that should come as relief of sorts for Winter Park Village's thoroughly-trashed Kovar's Village Grill. Having taken a critical beating from every reviewer in town, the restaurant has...

More reasons for morning exercise.(Krispy Kreme's in Kissimmee, Florida)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Krispy Kreme's second location in Kissimmee has opened to what is becoming a tradition: Traffic jams as doughnuthungry patrons crowd into the popular store. Kissimmee's Krispy Kreme sold 3,000 dozen doughnuts on opening day and backed up...

Strange attraction.(CyberWorld 3D)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... For those jaded with ritzy theaters and Imax screens, the Imax on International Drive has just the wake-up call: CyberWorld 3D, where wild images developed by different artists are tied together by a character called Phig, borrowing the voice...

Walk with the animals.(Arvida's Victoria Park, the largest planned community in West Volusia)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Arvida's Victoria Park, the largest planned community in West Volusia, has broken ground on 1,859 acres in DeLand. The community of 4,000 residents will include parks, lakes, conservation walks, an 18-hole golf course and a variety of walking...

Crystal clear.(Burdines reopens department store at Altamonte Mall, Florida)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Burdines department store at Altamonte Mall is reopening Oct.28 with a new look. The renovated store has expanded clothing, home and accessory lines, 40 new vendor shops and an expanded ladies' shoe department. And in the home decor...

Black October: Polk loses 766 jobs.(Polk County, FL; Oct. 2000)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 27, 2000... Five plants close, laying off 5 percent of county's manufacturing workforce. HAINES CITY -- And then there were five. On the heels of two major factory shutdowns in Polk County, another three manufacturing plants are closing shop. In...

Predators help fund buyout of new league.(Orlando Predators Entertainment Inc. finances Arena Football League's purchase of the Indoor Football League)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Arena Football snaps up Indoor Football League for $3.6M. ORLANDO -- The rough and tumble Arena Football League is buying the fledgling Indoor Football League. Orlando Predators Entertainment, Inc. is the money man. The corporate...

Dolly saddles up, heads back to O'town with revue.(Dolly Parton plans to open dinner show at Disney World)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Only last May, Dolly Parton was just about run out of town on a rail. Neighbors put up a stink about her planned $20 million dinner theater opening at Sand Lake and Turkey Lake roads -- and the Orange County Commission refused to rezone the...

Fuzzy math.(Orange County, FL tax surplus rather skimpy)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 27, 2000... Don't get too excited about the reported resort tax surplus now being touted -- you know, the resort tax that could be used to back $100 million in county bonds to fund a new arena. Don't believe everything you read, cautions the Orange...

Seeing Spots.(Florida amusement park slashes entry fees and looks to expand)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 27, 2000... Back on International Drive, FunSpot is offering up a deeply discounted prepaid pass. It costs $20 and can be exchanged for a $30 arm band. And if someone -- or more than likely, a guest service company -- buys more than five, they get the...

Quick idea.(convention center poses as possible battleground for Universal and Disney)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
October 27, 2000... Why not get Universal and Disney to start a bidding war for the name of the convention center? Disney surely would love the exposure across the street from Universal's next round of expansion and Universal would pay millions to keep that from...

Finally, the latest Internet rumors.(new theme park rides)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Screamscape murmurs have it that Universal Orlando is working on plans for another roller coaster, this time in Jurassic Park. It could include a 90-degree drop. From Thrilride.com, one posting has the Hall of Presidents changing into...

Anemic earnings gain strength in second quarter.(Health Options Inc.; AvMed Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... TALLAHASSEE -- Managed care may be on the mend. Although Florida's health maintenance organizations lost a combined $12.7 million in the second quarter of this year, it's clear that the HMOs are stemming their losses: In the same period...

Escrow giving you a headache? Bank offers remedy.(First Commercial Bank of Florida)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 27, 2000... Since opening in April 1999, First Commercial Bank of Florida has found that property managers, title companies, attorneys, accountants and other businesses that manage escrow funds "are a big part of our client base," says Tom Ter Beek, the...

All in a name.(Bank of Central Florida follows marketing trend)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Bank of Central Florida President Donald Stewart recently checked some industry data and found that the country has about 100 banks with the word "business" in their names. Some are new banks that have opened during the past several...

On board at BankFirst.(Richard Baldwin)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... BankFirst appointed Richard Baldwin chairman of its Winter Park board of directors. Baldwin is the founder of Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Cemeteries and Homes. He also was a founding director of National Bank of Commerce in Winter Park,...

Task force may get north part of light rail on track.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... ORLANDO -- Some are betting that light rail still has some steam left in it. Despite a resounding failure to secure public and political backing for the first, southern leg of a proposed light rail system, a task force made up of...

In the middle of the 'stroke belt,' some new help.(Halifax Medical Center stroke center)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... DAYTONA BEACH -- Halifax Medical Center just expanded its NeuroScience Center to include the region's first comprehensive stroke center. The new program, in the works for almost two years, is part of the Duke University Medical...

Working to prevent teen pregnancies.(Community Health Centers Inc. federal grant)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Community Health Centers Inc. just got a $500,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will be used to develop pregnancy prevention education programs and to provide family planning services to...

Central Florida stocks.(Zacks Investment Research Inc. service)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... This is not your grandfather's stuck 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...

Tupperware Corp.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... NYSE:TUP SPLITS: NONE Tupperware Corp. reports holstered revenue. The Kissimmee manufacturer and distributor of plastic housewares announced third quarter earnings of 8 cents per share, contrasted so the previous third quarter...

HTE Inc.(and Tyler Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... NASDAQ: HTEI SPLITS: 19-JUN-98 [2:1] Tyler Technologies Inc. (NYSE: TYL), the Dallas-based firm which previously sought a merger with HTE Inc. (NASDAQ: HTEI), has set she stage for a proxy fight with the Lake Mary software company....

Small city, adult issues Face mayoral candidates.(Casselberry, Florida)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... CASSELBERRY -- Casselberry is the missing link in Seminole County's otherwise united front on zoning adult entertainment. The upcoming mayor's election may change all that. Among the campaign issues: A proposed land-use rule that...

Nothing but blue skies for new home sales staff.(Stirling Realty; Vance Realty)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... The residential business is popping out all over. Realtors and housing developments are reporting record home and site sales for the first nine months of this year. Realty Executives, whose Orlando area office is based in Longwood,...

Resale slump?(The Orlando Regional Realtor Association statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 27, 2000... Meanwhile, despite some ups and downs, Orlando's home resale market continues to chug along. The Orlando Regional Realtor Association reports that resales fell by a 2 percent margin, or 30 homes, last month over September 1999's numbers,...

Building on success.(Fannie Hillman and Associates contribution to Habitat for Humanity)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Fannie Hillman and Associates has done a bang-up job this year. Not only has the Winter Park-based real estate firm reported 183 sales of homes or homesites for a total of $84.8 million so far this year, but Fannie Hillman is also $16...

Got a PC? Get your own launch site, too, says CCT.(Command and Control Technologies Inc. software)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... With a handful of personal computers and software from Command and Control Technologies Inc. -- and a rocket -- you, too, can open up your very own personal launch pad. So says Kevin Brown, CCT's vice president of business development....

Software for earth-bound destinations.(Radixx software for Flightserv.com)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Radixx, an Orlando-based software company, will provide an online reservation system for flightserv.com, an Atlanta company that is planning an expansion into large jet passenger charter service. "It is easy to use by consumers," says...

Jumping into partnerships.(Leapfrog Smart Products Inc. and Advantor Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Leapfrog Smart Products has contracted to integrate its "smart card" technology into security products now being offered by Orlando's Advantor Corp. "Partnerships such as these are paramount to the success of both companies," says Dan...

Hedinger, Stebbins pair on newscast.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... ORLANDO -- Some familiar TV faces will soon be in new places. Beginning next year, long-time newsman Bud Hedinger, anchor of WKCF-TV Channel 18's Original 10 O'clock News will be paired with well-known weekend weatherman Marty Stebbins of...

Bombarded by patent suit, business fights back.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 27, 2000... Big businesses take aim at each other in California, Orlando lawsuits. PALM BAY -- Canadian watercraft manufacturer Bombardier Inc. and its Palm Bay subsidiary are in Orlando Federal Court, the latest chapter in an ongoing legal war with...

Gallagher, Cosgrove spar over windstorm policies.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... TALLAHASSEE -- An often-nasty campaign for Florida Insurance Commissioner is heading into its last week with Republican Tom Gallagher and Democrat John Cosgrove each saying he has the right stuff for resolving the state's crisis in...

Nothin' but net: YMCA getting $1M from Osceola.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 27, 2000... KISSIMMEE -- The Osceola County YMCA Family Center just got a $1 million matching grant from Osceola County government to update the 25-year-old recreational complex. The money, which the YMCA must match with another $1 million, will be...

Feds: Cornell museum is grand.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 27, 2000... The Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College has netted a $91,076 grant from the federal Institute of Museum & Library Services. The Cornell Museum is one of only 13 university art museums in the nation and one of only two art museums...

Dialing in.(Utilities Commission donates phones)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Orlando Utilities Commission has donated 92 surplus cell phones to the Safehouse of Seminole for victims of domestic abuse. The cell phones can reach 911 operators without account activation. OUC recently replaced the analog phones with...

Red relief.(Red Cross aids in Florida flood)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Red Cross chapters across the state, including Central Florida, have launched a statewide fund-raising campaign to help pay for the relief efforts aimed at those who suffered losses in South Florida's recent flooding. Damage assessments...

HUD budget hike: Missing a golden opportunity?(Department of Housing and Urban Development)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... The real estate industry applauded the 16 percent budget hike Congress granted the Department of Housing and Urban Development, saying the increased funding for community development block grants and housing assistance vouchers will help more...

Credit gap.(business lending to women)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Women own 38 percent of all small businesses in the United States but receive only 12 percent of all the credit provided to small firms, reports a new study conducted by the Milken Institute for the National Women's Business Council. ...

Heading overseas.(Overseas Private Investment Corp invests in African plan)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... The Overseas Private Investment Corp. will provide $1 million to the Peoples Investment Fund for Africa, a microfinancing program for African small businesses that will match OPIC's money with loans from individual Americans. OPIC is a...

A new team.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... The Information Technology Association of America will be the Department of Labor's partner in helping employers find workers for high-tech jobs. The partnership "brings an unprecedented channel for communication between government and...

Hungry eyes?(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Members of the Volusia County Council, DeBary City Council and representatives of Florida Power Corp. toured Orlando's Lucent Technologies plant, the better to learn more about the microchip manufacturing industry. Volusia actively is...

Incentives to vote.
October 27, 2000... The Melbourne / Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is pushing hard to round up support for the proposed tax abatement for Melbourne. The City Council voted earlier this year to place a referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot to let the voters decide...

Under construction.
October 27, 2000... First Federal Savings Bank's main office is undergoing renovations. The new bricks arrive as the bank has embraced "clicks": online banking. The 3-month-old venture can be found at 1stfederal.com, where even those not enrolled in Internet...

Stop right here.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... The Hudson Institute, along with the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce's Workforce 20/20, has named among the top five One-Stop Career Centers in the nation. The centers were created in response to changes in welfare as an effort to...

It takes a Village to build a school.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Efforts to retain employees lead to charter school serving three counties. LADY LAKE -- The days of the company store are long gone, but in today's highly competitive business climate there are companies more than willing to provide...

Close to home, exec grows biz.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... DAYTONA BEACH -- Though she has spent much of the last year shepherding the final stages of tracks that International Speedway Corp. is developing near Chicago and Kansas City, Lesa Kennedy confesses that her heart has not strayed far from...

Meeting planners get place to Polk round.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... LAKELAND -- Don't let the farmland flavor of Polk county fool you. This area really knows how to get down to business. Sure, it's not the first place you might think of when planning a convention, but the region slowly is building a...

Rolling.
October 27, 2000... An estimated 10,000 freewheeling types are expected to converge on Eustis this Nov. 4, the better to take part in that town's first ever Lakefront Bikefest. The two days of festivities are cosponsored by Dixie Biker Illustrated, a trade...

Home run.
October 27, 2000... Polk County has a history of sports legends having streets and public facilities named for them, but they never formally have been honored locally. That changed earlier this month as the Polk County Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first...

Plugging into the idea of combining 'Net, phones.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... It may be that e-business is the wave of the future, but using the old-fashioned phone is still smack-dab in the present. Trouble is, with so much Internet dependency, most businesses must support and maintain both a phone network and an...

Bright ideas for squeezing savings from light bills.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 27, 2000... HOUSTON -- It's easy to remember to turn the lights off at home before leaving. But it's important for businesses to remember to do the same. Commercial office buildings are high-energy users -- often due primarily to massive cooling and...

Ready to teleconference? A little caution is in order.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Every year, more businesses opt for teleconferencing over in-person meetings. And it's easy to understand why. The average upper-level business executive attends 62 meetings every month, including 12 that require travel, according to NFO...

Breaking through the same old computer jargon.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Buying a computer can be as difficult as buying a car. You'll see and hear a lot of different offers, but no matter how much you compare them, you still may not be truly certain that you've gotten a good deal. There are two reasons for...

Driving and dialing: Why it's hazardous to health.
October 27, 2000... Your sales star may have a knack for negotiating deals on a cell phone while driving down I-95, but think about the liability if the discussions end in a wreck. Many companies are encouraging employees to use cellular phones to make...

Small businesses discover the joys of committing to the 'Net.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Georgia wedding photographer Jana Lowe used to spend a lot of time lugging her portfolio to meet with potential clients. But for the past three months, she hasn't had to make those treks, thanks in large part to a 3-month-old Web site that...

On The Move.(hirings and promotions)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... ACCOUNTING Mike Harding was promoted to managing partner of the Orlando Assurance and Advisory practice, and partner-in-charge of the North Florida Tech.com practice with jurisdiction over the offices in Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville....

BIRTHDAYS.
October 27, 2000... Laura Kline, controller, Bowyer-Singleton & Associates Inc., 40, on Oct. 27. Sigrid Tiedtke, co-founder Enzian Theater, Florida Film Festival; 46, on Oct. 27. State Rep. Fred Brummer, House District No. 28; 55, on Oct. 28. Hal...

T&G Contructors.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... T&G Contructors, an Orlando based general contractor, was recognized by Central Florida Magazine as one of the "Top 100 Companies for Working Families." T&G also was awarded the "Gold S.T.E.P Award" by Associated Builders & Contractors for...

Edwards Construction Services Inc.(ABC Merit award )(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Edwards Construction Services Inc. received the prestigious ABC Merit award for new construction projects in the $20 million to $50 million category for their Solivita project, located in Poinciana, just south of Orlando.

Mad Cow Theatre.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Mad Cow Theatre was named Arts Innovator of the Year by the United Arts of Central Florida for their work on The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov.

Altamonte Spring's Central Development.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... The City of Altamonte Spring's Central Development Plan won an award of merit from the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association.

ROLL, GATORS ROLL.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Clever Covers Inc. is betting that college sports fans of all stripes will want to put their money where their tires are. The College Park firm recently won permission from the University of Florida to manufacture specialty hubcaps featuring...

CVC & Associates Inc.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... CVC & Associates Inc. was awarded a $950 million contract for the Westshore Quality Inn in Tampa to renovate the building. The company also was awarded a $378.5 million contract for the Dolphin Beach Resort in St. Petersburg.

Foster Conant & Associates.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Foster Conant & Associates has been contracted to conduct a design study for Stetson University's North Amelia Avenue campus. The purpose of the study is to create a master plan for phased construction of suggested improvements, establish...

DEATHS.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
October 27, 2000... Chris Rolle, a prominent Orlando health care attorney, died unexpectedly Oct. 19 of a heart attack. He was the chairman of the health law practice group of Broad and Cassel, chairman of the Florida Bar's health law certification...

TRIBUNE BEATS STREET.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Although Tribune Co., parent to Orlando Sentinel, reported lower third-quarter earnings, it managed to beat the Street's expectations by a penny. The Chicago-based newspaper group -- the third largest in the country -- earned $73.6...

RISING PROFITS.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... HCA-The Healthcare Co. (NYSE: HCA) posted revenue of $4.1 for the third quarter ending Sept. 30, up 5 percent from the same time period last year. Net income for the quarter totaled $174 million, or 31 cents per diluted share, compared...

BOUGHT AND SOLD.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... It's official: RFScientific Inc. of Orlando has been acquired by R.F. Technology Inc. of Tampa. The 17-year-old Orlando company specializes in the design and manufacturing of fixed earth stations and mobile satellite communications. ...

LIFTOFF.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Command and Control Technologies of Titusville sold launch range software, assorted hardware and support services to NASA's Wallops Flight in Virginia for $250,000. The company's new Spaceport RangeNet is the only commercial range safety...

MAGICAL.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... A new study ranked Orlando 15th in a poll of 64 cities supportive of National Basketball Association teams. Scarborough Sports Marketing found that 12 percent of residents in the Orlando area are avid professional basketball fans. The...

CASH FOR COMMUTERS.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... The Transportation Appropriations Act was signed into law, solidifying $7.5 million for Central Florida mass transit projects. U.S. Rep. John Mica managed to salvage $3 million of former federal light rail funds to help plan, develop and...

PARTNERS.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Orlando-based Fairfield Communities Inc. is talking merger again. A proposed merger between the time share concern and Carnival Corp. fell apart earlier this year. But now, Fairfield is in preliminary talks with an unnamed firm, company...

HONCHOS HEAD WEST.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... A delegation of economic development leaders head west Oct. 30 to California's Silicon Valley, where they will speak with 500 targeted company representatives on the virtues of relocating to Central Florida. The tag team includes...

MAKING THE GRADE.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Four Central Florida hospitals were named as top hospitals in the country by National Research Corp. Florida Hospital, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach and Holmes Regional Medical Center in...

JUST SAY NO.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... The state cut $500,000 in funding to the Osceola County Health Department, wiping out its eight-bed program that treats alcoholics and drug addicts. In addition, the Osceola County Jail lost all state funding for its $80,000 drug treatment...

JAILED.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... The owner of a Winter Park trade school was charged with bilking students out of as much as $10,000 for worthless training. Roger Lazaro Bombalier of Fern Park was charged with racketeering and 40 counts each of organized fraud and grand...

FRESH DATA.(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... AT&T will open an Internet data center in Orlando in December in response to exploding regional demand for high-speed Web hosting and e-commerce services. Although the 50,000-square-foot facility won't open until the end of the year,...

NEW SPIRIT.(Spirit Airlines announces new discount flight routes)(Brief Article)
October 27, 2000... Spirit Airlines announced it would start four daily low-fare flights between Washington, D.C., Fort Lauderdale and Melbourne. It is the first time the carrier has offered low fares to travelers destined for the nation's capital Spirit's...