South Florida Business Journal articles from August 1997

South Florida Business Journal archives from August 1997

Back from the brink: turnaround vet putting Rose back on the road. (Crisis manager John Grigsby; Rose Auto Stores)
August 22, 1997... John Grigsby works in a world of anxious employees, impatient creditors and worn office furniture. Since taking over Rose Auto Stores in late May; the 57-year-old turnaround specialist has been brushing off the outstretched hands of...

While RCA deal is signaling a fresh start for Boca Research. (Thomson Consumer Electronics deals with Boca Research for modems)(Back from the Brink)
August 22, 1997... Troubled modem maker Boca Research is showing signs of life with a deal to build Internet access devices for Thomson Consumer Electronics, the national company that manufactures and markets all RCA and GE brand consumer electronic products....

Dade chambers move to resuscitate ruined BBB. (Dade County Chambers of Commerce accepts Better Business Bureau)
August 22, 1997... The disgraced Better Business Bureau of South Florida soon could be back in business. That's the mission, in part, that a group of Dade County chamber of commerce executives accepted on Tuesday. Members of the Coalition of Dade County...

Lefmark revs up for its biggest mall project yet; the 650,000-square-foot power center will combine existing Home Depot and Target outlets with 20 new stores and restaurants.
August 22, 1997... A Miami firm that breathed new life into old malls in Kendall and Delray Beach is hatching plans for its largest project yet - this one in northern Broward County. Lefmark Florida hopes to start construction late this year on Springs Gate...

Miami Jewish Home moving to add Alzheimer's facility in Pembroke Pines; home would lease 26 acres at South Florida State Hospital.
August 22, 1997... PEMBROKE PINES - Miami Jewish Home and Hospital for the Aged at Douglas Gardens in Miami is looking to expand services to southwest Broward County. Executives are working with state officials on a land deal to construct a 100-unit assisted...

Balanced-budget bill prompting HMOs to hike commercial rates; bill eased rules that had HMOs keeping commercial rates low to qualify for Medicaid and Medicare patients. (health maintenance organizations)
August 22, 1997... Two provisions in the recently passed bill to balance the federal budget could result in higher premiums for companies that enroll their workers in HMOs. The bill eliminates requirements that managed care companies enroll a certain number of...

New chapter for magazine publisher - Chapter 7; previous owners are taking back their two publications as B.C. Holdings goes bankrupt.
August 22, 1997... The magazine that has covered the Sunshine State from one retirement community to the next for 50 years is facing its own retirement - maybe permanently. The owners of Florida Retirement Lifestyles magazine filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Aug....

This old hotel; Groden/Stamp restorations range from a hurricane-ravaged home for TV's 'This Old House' top entire hotels in the Deco district. (Groden/Stamp Construction Inc.)(Real Estate Monthly)
August 22, 1997... Inside The Tiffany Hotel, drills are buzzing, hammers are pounding, and broken chunks of decades-old sheetrock crackle underfoot. It's August. Completion is expected Nov. 1. Not one room is finished. An outsider might wonder: Can the renovation...

Luxury rentals giving condos competition. (construction of luxury rental apartments)(Real Estate Monthly)
August 22, 1997... For years, financing wasn't available for construction of luxury rental apartments, even though the demand was there. Today, high-rise and garden-style apartments with rents as high as $3,000 are coming out of the ground to serve the needs of...

Stamping out mail woes; two businessmen irked by poor bulk mail service licked the problem by starting their own direct-mail operation. (Nordis Network)(Small Business Strategies)
August 22, 1997... Ron Selinger and Sid Bloom turned mail-induced frustration into opportunity. In 1990, the Plantation businessmen launched Nordis Network, a two-man finn that sold plastic discount cards to schools and youth groups. Sales grew, but Selinger...

Rx for ailing Boca Research: diversify; new products and alliances may make up for losses, layoffs and cutbacks from two 'horrible' quarters at the modem maker.(Small Business Strategies)
August 22, 1997... When quarter-end production deadlines hit modem manufacturer Boca Research, everyone from the accounting department to the top executives jumps on the assembly line to got the orders out. That was the case recently when CEO Anthony Zalenski...

Legal ads losing their luster? Proposed limits could make those late-night TV ads for lawyers a lot duller.
August 8, 1997... Proposed limits could make those late-night TV ads for lawyers a lot duller If a task force of Florida lawyers has its way, television ads for lawyers will become less dramatic, pictures of clenched fists will be outlawed and the legal...

West Palm getting new flea market; Uptown-Downtown Flea Market to debut Nov. 1 with New York City street theme.
August 8, 1997... Uptown-Downtown Flea Market to debut Nov. 1 with New York City street theme The Factory Stores at Palm Beach will unveil a new addition this fall that combines flea-market sensibilities with the flavor of old time New York City. The...

Grinding it out: after losing less money this quarter, Brothers Coffee is already eyeing 1998. (interview with Brothers Gourmet Coffee CEO Donald D. Breen)(Interview)
August 8, 1997... After losing less money this quarter, Brothers Coffee is already eyeing 1998 Earlier this week, Brothers Gourmet Coffee announced a 38 percent improvement in second quarter results from continuing operations. The second quarter loss was down...

New state HMO watchdog can bark, but can't bite. (Florida's HMO Ombudsman Committee; health maintenance organization)
August 8, 1997... Candidates for the HMO Ombudsman Committee hear that their role is to educate, not handle complaints If a group of HMO Ombudsman Committee wannabes had designs on being in-the-trenches problem solvers, their hopes quickly were dashed this...

Furniture stores flock to Pembroke Pines center; the Pembroke Entrance center will boast four furniture stores when construction is finished.
August 8, 1997... The Pembroke Entrance center will boast four furniture stores when construction is finished PEMBROKE PINES - With all those brand-new houses just waiting to be filled with furniture, it's surprising that more retailers haven't carted their...

Before selling his program, trainer has to sell himself. (Mark Andrew Success Programs' founder Mark Bellio)(includes related article on solutions for slow sales)
August 8, 1997... Mark Bellio does anything to get the sale - so he can teach others how to do anything to get the sale PLANTATION - Mark Bellio knows that to clinch a deal. you have to go the distance. On a recent Friday afternoon, he was on the phone with...

More IPOs coming to market; ex-CenTrust board member seeking $30 million to expand kidney dialysis provider.... (initial public offering; Milton J. Wallace; Renex Corp.)
August 8, 1997... Ex-CenTrust board member seeking $30 million to expand kidney dialysis provider... A Dade County lawyer/businessman caught up in one of the biggest savings-and-loan scandals of the early '90s is looking to investors for money. Milton J....

Miami software firm wants to prove it's a CAD; Deneba Software unveils bargain-priced entry into computer-aided design market.
August 8, 1997... Deneba Software unveils bargain-priced entry into computer-aided design market A Miami software firm is using 3-D glasses and bargain pricing to go after the $10 billion computer-aided design market. Deneba Software this week unveiled its...

Aging baby boomers firm up fitness trainers; trainers team with doctors in developing programs that build from fitness to wellness. (Esquerre Fitness Group)(Health Care Monthly)
August 8, 1997... Trainers team with doctors in developing programs that build from fitness to wellness A decade ago, fitness meant a relatively taut abdomen. A fitness club was a place whore you did squats. And a fitness consultant was the guy leading your...

While stores say ab fad helping to boost home equipment sales.(Health Care Monthly)
August 8, 1997... Advertisers, take note: People do watch those infomercials. And as makers and vendors of fitness equipment can attest, many of those glued to the tube watching them are aging, sagging baby boomers willing to invest hundreds or even thousands of...

Mega-malls duel in the everglades: new Dolphin Mall ready to challenge Sawgrass Mills.
August 1, 1997... Armando Codina and Michael Swerdlow will use more than outlet stores to attract shoppers to the $220 million Dolphin Mall in western Dade County. The developers plan a roller coaster and a log-flume ride. And they're negotiating to lease...

Want a piece of Dennis Max's pie? Restaurateur setting $4.83 million IPO. (Max's Grille; initial public offering)
August 1, 1997... Dennis Max and Butt Rapoport, two of South Florida's most successful restaurateurs, will serve up something altogether new this fall: A chance to own a piece of their most popular concept, Max's Grille. Max and Rapoport are directors of...

Got a bad body and no credit? No problem. (Jayhawk Acceptance Corp.)
August 1, 1997... Finance company helps people buy the surgery of their dreams Some folks finance a flashy car. Others borrow to buy a big house. Laura just needed to pay for a $5,000 tummy tuck. Rose, on the other hand, wanted to build credit. She financed...

Uncertainty and rumors dogging CompScript's stock performance. (CompScript Inc.)
August 1, 1997... BOCA RATON - Brian Kahan can't understand why his company's stock has dropped from $7 a share in June to less than $5 a month later. "We are confounded," the chief executive of CompScript told analysts and shareholders during a conference...

Luxury resort plan combines two South Beach hotels. (Shore Club and Sharalton renewal)
August 1, 1997... Two South Beach hotels will get a massive make over if a developer's plans for a luxury hotel become reality. A group of investors plans to turn the Shore Club, 1901 Collins Ave., and the Sharalton, 110 20th St., into a 340-room hotel. The...

Disney reveals magic spells to health care execs. (Disney Institute's health care programs)
August 1, 1997... Quality program teaches how to give good customer service and put on a show Editor's note: Reporter Susan R. Miller recently attended Disney's new quality program for the health care industry. Here is her report. With health care...

Hard-drivin' man. (Future Tech International/Pres Louis Leonardo)
August 1, 1997... How did Miami's Future Tech become the No. 1 hard-drive supplier in Latin America? President Louis Leonardo has a one-word explanation: respect. Business is booming at Future Tech International, a Miami-based company that grew quickly from a...