South Florida Business Journal articles from August 2001

South Florida Business Journal archives from August 2001

Seminole chairman works on comeback.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Seminole leader James Billie may be suspended, but he is not licking his wounds. Licking his chops may be closer to it. At nightfall, he returns from a musical performance in St. Petersburg to a house full of children. Two are his own...

I scream, you scream, they bark.(ice cream store)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Dogs today march to a different scooper. If you are a puppy owner looking for a cool treat, forget about Baskin Bobbins, Ben & Jerry's, or Dairy Queen. The new hot doggie in-treats are Ice Pups, according to Kimberly Cohen, president and...

Apollo blasts off with exit from Crocker's Koger.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Ask Koger Equity CEO Tom Crocker about selling $306 million in office parks to the REIT's second-largest shareholder, and he'll say the motivation is cash for real estate acquisition. Ask officials for that shareholder, New York...

Codina ready for 'Water World II'.
August 31, 2001... Codina Group faces renewed questions about the impact its 6.2 million-square-foot Beacon Lakes complex will have on MiamiDade County's water supply when it returns to an environmental board on Sept. 13. The Environmental Quality Control...

State merger volume heaviest locally, study says.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... But deal value here slips South Florida saw more announced merger and acquisition activity than any other region in Florida in the second quarter An Aug. 20 study tracking the activity revealed that the 67 transactions in South...

Luxury brokers sell in slowdown.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... You won't see an economic slowdown by looking at the market for high-priced homes in South Florida It's "fabulous," said Tim Elmes of the Tim Elmes Group of Wimbish-Riteway, a South Florida real estate brokerage. "We had a home for $3.96...

Couple hit Smith, Raborn & Co. with civil law suit.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... A retired couple in Delray Beach has filed a civil suit against Smith, Raborn & Co., maintaining that the money management firm breached its fiduciary duty on their portfolio that suffered heavy losses in technology stocks last year. In...

SunTrust quietly boosts Miami deposits, loans.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... For SunTrust Banks, this year's big story has been an unsuccessful bid to buy Wachovia Corp. So, SunTrust isn't surprised that this ongoing trend in Miami-Dade County hasn't received bulletin-like attention: Data from regulators and...

Dialtone Internet gets busy signal from clients.
August 31, 2001... Alvaro Albarracin is used to being first. As a 13-year-old in Cartagena, Colombia, he did what most teen-agers around the world do. He asked his parents for spending money. After all, he reasoned, his family owned five beauty salons in...

Management turns to union avoidance training.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Faced with the unenviable task of cutting jobs in a souring economy, managers across South Florida and the nation are hunkering down and preparing themselves for increased union activity, say several labor attorneys and union activists. ...

Amerijet files for Ch. 11.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Amerijet International, a Fort Lauderdale-based cargo airline, said it has filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The company said it took the action based on several factors, including Federal Express...

Dycom earnings fall.(Dycom Industries)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... Palm Beach Garden-based Dycom Industries (NYSE: DY) reported net income for the fourth quarter ended July 28 of $13.6 million or 32 cents a share as compared to net income of $21.6 million or 51 cents a share for the same quarter a year...

Heico below earnings call.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... Heico (AMEX: HEI) of Miami and Hollywood reported earnings 2 cents a share below Wall Street expectations. The firm's third quarter earnings were $4 million or 18 cents a share compared with a quarterly profits of $4.7 million or 22 cents a...

Claire's reports loss.(Claire's Stores)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... Claire's Stores of Pembroke Pines (NYSE: CLE) reported a second quarter net loss of $5.9 million or 12 cents a share, compared to earnings of $17.1 million or 34 cents a share for the same quarter a year prior. The company attributed the...

PartsBase warned of delisting.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Boca Raton-based PartsBase (Nasdaq: PRTS) has received a delisting warning notice from Nasdaq, according to the company. The firm's common shares may be delisted because they have not maintained a minimum bid price of $1 over the last 30...

Staffing firm to go public.(Cross Country )(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Boca Raton-based Cross Country has set its estimate price range and number of shares as the second health care staffing firm in the past week to see action in the market for initial public offerings, according to a report by CBS Marketwatch....

LocalBusiness.com returns.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... LocalBusiness.com, a business news site and portal on the Web that closed and filed for bankruptcy protection in April, is planning a come-back, according to a notice posted on the company's Web site. "Through the help of several...

Weingarten buys second plaza.(Weingarten Realty Investors acquires Boca Lyons Plaza from Connecticut General Life Insurance Co.)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Weingarten Realty Investors, a Houston-based real estate investment trust, sealed a $18.6 million deal Aug. 17 for the Boca Lyons Plaza in suburban Boca Raton, according to county court records. The seller was Connecticut General Life...

Kirschen new CEO at Intraco.(Tarek Kirschen, Intraco Systems)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Tarek Kirschen has been appointed CEO and a director at Intraco Systems (OTC BB: INSY). He replaces Jack Berger, who has resigned as president and director. The Boca Baton-based firm specializes in speech recognition technology. Kirschen...

Arvida sees sale of golf club.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Arvida/JMB Partners of Fort Lauderdale maybe close to selling its 36-hole, Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed Weston Hills County Club. George Casey, president for South Florida operations at Arvida, said talks are under way on an exclusive...

Arena chief takes Tampa job.(Robert Franklin goes to Tampa Ice Palace)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Miami Arena GM Robert Franklin, who held that post for more than a decade, is leaving to become VP and GM of the Tampa Ice Palace. Arena manager SMG promoted Beatrice Segui to replace Franklin. The promotion came two weeks after the board...

Wackenhut deal in Delaware back on.(Wackenhut Corrections Corp. contract with George W. Hill Correctional Facility)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... A deal between Palm Beach Gardens-based Wackenhut Corrections Corp. (NYSE: WHC) and the George W Hill Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania may be worked out after all. Newly negotiated terms have been worked out, but are still subject...

5th Avenue links with PAX TV.(5th Avenue Channel's distribution deal with Paxson Communications)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... 5th Avenue Channel (OTC BB: FAVE) in North Miami Beach announced that its subsidiary 5th Avenue Channel Shopping has entered into a multi-year television distribution deal with West Palm Beach-based Paxson Communications (AMEX: PAX). ...

B/E Aerospace gets credit line.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Wellington's B/E Aerospace (Nasdaq: BEAV) has established a new five-year, $150 million revolving credit line. The new credit, the company said in a release, replaces a previous bank credit arrangement that B/E repaid in April. The...

Golf Channel sued in trademark spat.(sued by Kids Golf of Palm Beach)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Kids Golf of Palm Beach Gardens has sued Orlando-based Golf Channel in federal court alleging its intellectual property rights have been violated. In a release, Kids Golf founder and CEO Jim Mallamo said he was invited by the Golf...

Arthritis medication's success crippled its maker.(financial anaylsis and convertible bond recommendations)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... Dear Mr. Berko: I have watched Immunex, after trading at $250 a share last share, split 3-for-1 then fall to $11 a share this year. What's the problem? It's now about $17 and earning a profit. I'm tempted to buy 300 shares. C.P Dear...

A big Billboard goes up.(BillboardLive complex in Miami)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Talk about brand extension. Billboard was once just a music industry trade publication, but over the years its lists of chart-topping performers has created a mainstream consciousness. Now it's hip enough to have its name on an...

An ode to eminent domain.
August 31, 2001... Property rights: a boring subject, eh? Well, not for land use and environmental lawyer Ron Weaver, who said he devoutly adheres to Shakespeare's axiom: "A heart without song is fit only for treason." He spices his frequent property...

New world virtuosity.(Century 21 launches CD-ROM to market Florida real estate)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... With South Florida considered a world renowned international business center, more people are looking at the area to grow their business and raise their families, the company said. Century 21 United Properties is about to launch a CD-ROM...

Hands-free isn't distraction free.(talking on cell phones when driving)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Rep. Irv Slosberg (D-Boca Raton) has been campaigning all over South Florida for cellular phone companies to donate hands-free dashboard-mounted cell phone devices to Floridians, in lieu of government-enforced laws that would regulate .the...

Kasparov and Big Blue, too.(World Chess Hall of Fame and Sydney Samole Chess Museum)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... A stretch along Florida's Turnpike in southern Miami-Dade County seems an unlikely locale for chess enthusiasts, but, check mate, it's true. As the story goes, inspiration came in the mid-'70s when Sydney Samole, then president of a...

Office Depot's core business leads rebound.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... * Profile: With nearly 950 stores worldwide, Office Depot is the world's largest office supply retailer. In addition to typical office supplies, its stores offer computer hardware and software, furniture, printing and copying services, and...

Jan Crocker, Nicholas and Wendy Masi, Howard Schnellenberger, Dave and Lorraine Thomas and Ben Williams.(win awards)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... The Leadership Broward Foundation, a leadership development organization in Broward County, chose Jan Crocker, Nicholas and Wendy Masi, Howard Schnellenberger, Dave and Lorraine Thomas and Ben Williams to receive its 2001 Leader of the Year...

Shalley Jones, William Morrison, Jorge Perez and Garth Reeves.(win awrds)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... The Florida Council on Economics Education inducted Shalley Jones, William Morrison, Jorge Perez and Garth Reeves into the South Florida Business Hall of Fame.

Jennifer Lynn.(wins award)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... The Able Trust has honored Jennifer Lynn on behalf of Children's Haven and Adult Community Services and Henry Fang on behalf of the Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County.

The United Way of Miami-Dade County recognized Judge Cindy Lederman.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... The United Way of Miami-Dade County recognized Judge Cindy Lederman with its Monsignor Walsh Outstanding Human Services Professional Award, Sherrill Hudson its Dorothy Shula Award for Outstanding Volunteerism, Marlon Hill its Essie Silva...

EDSA.(gets award)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale hosted its First Annual Tribute honoring EDSA, an architectural firm, and its founder Edward D. Stone Jr. for their contribution of the growth of Fort Lauderdale.

James E. McMillen.(gets award)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... The Greater Miami Aviation Society gave James E. McMillen its Wright Brothers Memorial Award.

Elcon Electronics.(gets contract)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Elcon Electronics in Pompano Beach was awarded an electrical contract for Aurthur Andersen, an accounting firm in Fort Lauderdale.

Douglas Root Architects.(gets contract)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Douglas Root Architects in Boca Raton was hired by Pride Homes By Garco to provide architectural design and development for a new residential development in Palm Beach County.

Senior Networks.(awarded contract)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... The American Automobile Association chose Senior Networks, a Miami-based computer network company, to install and maintain the latest network technology at AAA sites throughout the United States.

Lotspeich Company of Florida.(awarded several contracts)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Lotspeich Company of Florida was awarded a metal framing, drywall, acoustical ceilings/doors, frames and finish hardware contract for the new operations building at the South Florida Water Management District; a metal framing, drywall, stucco...

RCC Associates.(awarded contract)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... RCC Associates in Deerfield Beach received a construction assignment from Fossil, an upscale accessory retailer at International Plaza in Tampa.

Becker & Poliakoff formed a European Practice Group.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... The Fort Lauderdale law firm Becker & Poliakoff formed a European Practice Group to assist European businesses and individuals in the United States and Latin America.

Rachlin Cohen & Holtz formed RCH Law Firm Advisors.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... The Miami accounting firm Rachlin Cohen & Holtz formed RCH Law Firm Advisors, a specialized group of accountants and consultants that will help law firms become more profitable.

Joseph Z. Fleming.(certification in Labor and Employment Law)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Joseph Z. Fleming, partner at the Miami law firm Ford & Harrison, was certified by The Florida Bar in Labor and Employment Law.

Kimberly Lippman and Beth Bloom.
August 31, 2001... Kimberly Lippman and Beth Bloom, paralegal and legal assistant respectively at Lewis, Longman & Walker, completed the two-day Certified Legal Assistant examination and are now entitled to use the CLA professional credential.

Miami-Dade Community College's Wolfson campus Child Development Center.(receives accreditation from National Association for the Education of Young Children)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Miami-Dade Community College's Wolfson campus Child Development Center was granted accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children for its high standards of education and care in its early childhood programs.

Broward General Medical Center.(receives accreditation from Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Broward General Medical Center received accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and received a overall performance score of 94.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(various appointments)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... ACCOUNTING Andersen promoted Drew DeFerrari, Maria Del Calvo-Hevia, Bryan Droze and John Zamora to senior managers. ADVERTISING/PR Jennifer Ryan joined Green Advertising in Boca Raton as account executive. The Transmedia...

A VERY GOOD YEAR.(Cork and Bottle)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... Cork & Bottle benefits from vintage 'Odd Couple' Patrick Sullivan and Jorge Velazquez debate over which background music to play for customers in preparation for the opening of their store Cork & Bottle. Their taste in tunes is about as...

What's old is still old.
August 31, 2001... The companies that make the transition from a command and control style of management to a more participative style report that new expectations develop about how to treat and deal with people. This contributes to a cultural change. People...

All day, every day.
August 31, 2001... I received this e-mail: "You have an exciting opportunity to visit an IBM Web site that you can customize. This new site is exclusive to your area. And all with the convenience of online communication available to you 24 hours a day,...

BUSINESS IN THE BALANCE.(traditional Chinese medicine)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... Traditional Chinese medicine finds patient, insurance acceptance Beijing, probably. Perhaps Beverly Hills. But Plantation is the last place one thinks of as the epicenter for the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, known as TCM....

Exercise class delivers healthy results for mothers-to-be.(Moms in Motion)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... For years, Ann Marie Calderon was at the gym at least four times a week, sweating through cycling classes and performing a variety of other cardiovascular exercises. When she became pregnant with her first child eight months ago, her joy...

Largest Hospitals.(in Florida)(Directory)
August 31, 2001... Largest Hospitals Ranked by 2000 net patient care revenue * Rank Hospital Phone 2001 Address Fax 2000 E-mail ...

Employees gain influence on health plan choices.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... When it comes to choosing a benefit plan, there's one simple adage to keep in mind: Give employees what they want -- at least, within reason. "Find out what your employees and potential employees want for benefits," said Dallas...

Local hospitals join national childhood cancer research effort.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... September is Childhood Cancer Month. Yes, children get cancer. And despite remarkable research progress, cancer still kills more children than any other disease. Childhood cancer has been called the "modern medical miracle," because such...

Rising costs near Glades irk governor.
August 31, 2001... Codina Group executives bristle at the thought that its Beacon Lakes project may be at odds with the company's co-founder, Gov. Jeb Bush. After all, Armando Codina and Bush joined forces in 1981 to create South Florida's largest...

Group benefits.(Seminole Tribe council's management of finances)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... A cynic might look at the goings on at the Seminole Tribes council and wonder how infighting could erupt when there should have been plenty of wealth to spread around. But it has, and we're interested in the tribe for two reasons. First,...

Miami's McCrooked connections.(McDonald's Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... I lived in Washington, D.C., for a few years, so when I call South Florida the most crooked place in America, I speak with authority. Grifting politicians in the District look like amateur night rejects compared to the least and lightest...

Journalists help clear up mystery of public relations.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Public relations is often a mystery to businesses. Yet PR is a critical part of a successful marketing plan, for the following reasons: First, many types of businesses, especially business that sell to other businesses, receive little...

Local market still booming, but trouble spots appear.(real estate and construction)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... Bulldozers keep rolling. Cement trucks keep pouring. Banks keep lending. If the national economy is sinking, it would be hard to tell from the flurry of office buildings rising out of South Florida's sandy soil. "Construction is...

Putting two and two together.(breast cancer)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
August 31, 2001... When I was about 8 years old, I remember coming home one afternoon to find my mother asleep in my sister's bed. I remember it only because my mother worked, and typically, there wasn't anyone home in the afternoons when I got home. I...

Women quick to hit revenue mark.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... Nearly 40 percent of women who started businesses within the past decade already have achieved $500,000 in revenue, about the same level achieved by their male counterparts, according to a new report by the Center for Women's Business...

BILL HELPS WOMEN HEAL.(Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act )(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... A bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act was reintroduced by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and requires insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. Few...

MAGAZINE LAYS OFF STAFF.(Working Woman)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Working Woman magazine has stopped publishing and its entire staff laid off ne while its publisher, Working Woman Network undergoes a restructuring, according to a report in AdAge.com. MCG Capital bank is taking over and chose Carol...

NEW AMPHITHEATER COMING.(for Deerfield Beach, Florida)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Deerfield Beach-based JM Family Enterprises donated $250,000 to underwrite the arts pavilion at the Center for the Arts at Mizner Park. A groundbreaking ceremony occurred in late August for the new Count de Hoernle Amphitheater, a fully...

FLORIDA'S THE PLACE.(small business and entrepreneurial friendly)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Florida ranked fifth in how friendly public government policies are for small businesses and entrepreneurs. According to the Small Business Survival Index 2001, the most entrepreneur-friendly states are Nevada, South Dakota, Washington,...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
August 31, 2001... In the July cover story about menopause, contact information for two menopause associations was switched. The correct information is: North American Menopause Society in Cleveland, at (440) 442- 7550; and the American Menopause Foundation in...

Banker takes seriously duty to share talents.(Marcia Barry-Smith)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Marcia Barry-Smith is responsible for $15 million in sales this year, but her division Won't make money. Talk about stress. As a senior VP at BankAtlantic, Barry-Smith runs the Community Reinvestment Act department The CRA is a federal...

Survey: Women in financial fields still experience bias.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 31, 2001... According to a recent study by Catalyst titled "Women in Financial Services: The Word on the Street," three-quarters of women and men in financial services are satisfied with their positions and bosses. Despite the high satisfaction,...

Marketing tips.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Become an expert. Published articles establish instant credibility. Good media relations communicate your message to prospects, customers, associates and employees in an effective and impressive way. The three Ds to cultivate the media...

Spouses can work together.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Even after seven years, it still surprises me when people ask how my husband, Justin, and I can run a business together and remain happily married. Our desks are face-to-face, and the usual response when people see this is, "Don't you ever...

"The Employer's Legal Handbook: A Complete Guide to Your Legal Rights and Responsibilities".(Brief Article)(Review)
August 31, 2001... "The Employer's Legal Handbook: A Complete Guide to Your Legal Rights and Responsibilities" by Fred Steingold (Nolo Press, 1999, $31.95) is divided into every potentially legally troubling aspect of business you can imagine: hiring and...

"E-Boys: The First Inside Account of Venture Capitalists at Work".(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... "e-Boys: The First Inside Account of Venture Capitalists at Work" by Randall Stross (Crown Business, 2000, $25.95) tells the stories that have become ancient history in the venture capital world, including how $6.5 million invested in eBay in...

"Trash-Proof News Releases: The Surefire Way to Get Publicity".(Book)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... "Trash-Proof News Releases: The Surefire Way to Get Publicity" by Paul Krupin (Direct Contact Publishing, 2001, $37.95) offers a tutorial on catching a reporter's or an editor's attention with a press release. His basic advice is to know your...

"Bankroll Your Future Retirement With Help From Uncle Sam".(Book)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... "Bankroll Your Future Retirement With Help From Uncle Sam" by Ellen Hoffman (Newmarket Press, 2001, $16.95) looks at the broad retirement issues of where your income will come from, how you'll care for your health, and the federal policies...

Pretty face, big names help Hill start business.(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Good looks may have helped open doors for former model Dana Hill, but her Midwest grit has kept her focused as she pursues the career she began planning as a young girl. The Oklahoma City native didn't aspire to be a doctor or CEO. She...

UM picks up luck in shiny new penny called Shalala.(Miami University gala)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... 'I found a penny," shrieked Danielle Diaz, as eager bunches of college kids whisked past at the University of Miami's Eaton residence hall where the 4-year-old lives with her mom and dad. On hand for the traditional end of summer...

Walsh shows her mettle with common sense convictions.(Eastern Metal Supply)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Susie Walsh's smile lights up the restaurant where she nibbles on shrimp cocktail. A reunion with most of the 15 girls she hung out with in high school was to begin in a few days on the Jersey shore. Walsh was eating as little as possible to...

THE MONEY TRAIL.(Cost of genetic testing for cancer probability)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... LOCAL NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS NEED BIG MONEY TO FIGHT CANCER Lorna H. Sampsell thought she and her family were doomed. At 46, the West Palm Beach resident lost her father to melanoma, and her mother had breast cancer. Sampsell, herself...

Fund even people.(Breast Cancer Research Foundation)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... New York-based organization founded by Evelyn Lauder, Estee Lauder's daughterin-law. Since 1993, the organization has given away almost $30 million for breast cancer research in the areas of clinical and genetic breast cancer. According...

Teacher helps entrepreneurs make money.(Reduce poverty Third World)(Brief Article)
August 31, 2001... Rochelle Beck is an expert at what she does. But she didn't plan on that. She's owned her business for 20 years importing and wholesaling hand-made products from Latin America to the United States. About two years ago, after teaching the...