South Florida Business Journal articles from August 2001

South Florida Business Journal archives from August 2001

Development delays could cost taxpayers.(Florida Keys land development ban)
August 3, 2001... In a ruling that could have broad impact for property owners fighting for development rights, a Florida Keys circuit court judge has ruled landowners must be compensated for an eight-year development ban. Judge Luis Garcia of the 16th...

Office vacancy rates: pick'em.(South Florida's office vacancy rates)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 3, 2001... The numbers don't lie, but methods and timing create varied results The office vacancy rate in Miramar, Pembroke Pines, and Cooper City might be 27.2 percent. Or, in Miramar and Pembroke Pines it might be just 15 percent. In all of...

Cheap fares carry baggage.(airlines operating out of South Florida offering price reductions and special deals)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Amid slowing U.S. and Latin American economies - and a drop in passengers at Miami International Airport - a few airlines are offering price reductions and special deals to entice business class travelers. Alitalia, AeroMexico and British...

Customers fall short on magnetic attraction.(Pain Management's therapeutic magnets)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... "The customer is always right" can be found plastered on the walls of many businesses. But Pain Management of Deerfield Beach says its customers were not only wrong, but "unscrupulous." The company, which marketed magnets for...

Old pros build community in Dania Beach.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... An investment group headed by two veteran Broward County bankers and several prominent South Florida business owners is making plans for anew bank that would be based in Dania Beach. Organizers of Community Bank of Broward plan to file...

South Florida's pitch to the IRS: Don't disrupt deposits.(proposed rule on foreign deposits)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Florida's bankers have gained support from Rep. Bill Thomas, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, in their campaign to convince the Internal Revenue Service to back off on a controversial proposed rule on foreign deposits. The...

Parent: South Florida ripe for Mellon expansion.(Mellon Financial Corp. to keep South Florida operations)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... While Mellon Financial Corp. is selling its consumer banking branches in Pennsylvania and several other northeastern states, its executives say it plans to keep expanding its other operations, including Mellon United National Bank of Miami and...

Who's controlling $50 million? Florida AG sues Foundation.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth has sued the Palm Healthcare Foundation, formerly Intracoastal Health Foundation. Butterworth's suit alleges the non-profit foundation has "breached their fiduciary duty and should be barred from...

Marex bails employees, expenses to stay afloat.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... It changed its name to Marex in late May but the Miami-based business-to-business firm still sailed along like a dot.com as its cash burn continued through the second quarter. It all seemed so simple at first: Set up a secure online system...

Patient 'dumping' earns Florida a dubious distinction.(38 Florida hospitals violate 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 3, 2001... In Miami, a woman arrived at Baptist Hospital's emergency room with acute abdominal pain. A large mass was found and she was scheduled for surgery. But after learning the patient did not have enough cash to make a deposit on his surgical fee,...

Small businesses join drive for 'fast track' on trade.
August 3, 2001... Don Lloyd Williams, president of Princeton Medical Enterprises, said his Marietta, Ga.-based health care technology company can manage international trade's logistical and currency challenges. Trade barriers like tariffs are harder to...

Groups offer advice for new SBA chief.
August 3, 2001... Hector V. Barreto Jr. was sworn in July 27 as head of the Small Business Administration after being confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. Barreto, who previously owned a financial services business in Los Angeles, avoided controversy...

Poll: Bush favors business.
August 3, 2001... A survey of American workers commissioned by the AFL-CIO found that 49 percent think the Bush administration cares more about protecting the rights of businesses than workers. About 35 percent felt the administration cared equally about...

GOP pushes to keep tax cuts.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... House Republican leaders promised to push legislation to make this year's $1.35 trillion tax cut permanent. Because of what Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., calls "Alice in Wonderland Senate rules," the tax cuts in the legislation will expire in...

TVA best, NASA worst for contractors.
August 3, 2001... The Tennessee Valley Authority may be the best place to go for companies that want to enter the government contracting market. An analysis by Eagle Eye Publishers found that TVA awarded 30 percent of its $4.3 billion in prime contracts in...

Trading halted for Roadhouse Grill.(Nasdaq stops trading)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Nasdaq halted trading Wednesday for shares of Roadhouse Grill (Nasdaq: GRLL) because the company did not satisfy a request for "additional information." No other details were immediately available. The stock last traded at $1.35.

Viasource to appeal delisting.(from Nasdaq; Viasource Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Fort Lauderdale-based Viasource Communications (Nasdaq: VVVV) plans to appeal its delisting notice from Nasdaq. The firm, which is engaged in broadband technology service, is asking for an oral hearing, which costs $5,000 and will automatically...

Health Department secretary resigns.(Dr. Robert Brooks)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Dr. Robert Brooks, who was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to serve as Florida's Secretary of Health in January 1999, will resign his position at the Department of Health and assume the post of associate dean for health affairs and professor of...

Parlux Fragrances OKs stock buyback.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Fort Lauderdale's Parlux Fragrances (Nasdaq: PARL) reported that it had "substantially completed" the latest phase of its common stock buyback program involving 2.5 million shares on the open market, resulting in the reduction in total...

SunCruz returns to Boulis estate.(bankruptcy court settlement)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... The Boulis' estate has won approval from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Paul G. Hyman for a settlement in resolving differences with the current owner and CEO, according to court documents. The settlement gives Adam Kidan, owner of 35 percent of the...

BFI Waste wins airport contract.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Miami-Dade County commissioners awarded a five-year $4.8 million waste removal contract at Miami International Airport to BFI Waste Systems of North America, a subsidiary of Allied Waste Systems (NYSE: AW). BFI will be responsible for removing,...

Ivax gets OK for new tablets.(famotidine)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Miami drug maker Ivax Corp. (AMEX: IVX) received approval for over-the-counter sales of its famotidine tablets from the FDA. Taken for the short-term prevention of heart-burn and sour stomach, famotidine tablets are the generic equivalent of...

Applica extends Black & Decker deal.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Miami Lakes-based Applica (NYSE: APN) has extended its trademark license agreement with The Black & Decker Corp. through December 2006. As part of its acquisition of the Black & Decker Household Products Group in June 1998, Applica licensed the...

Foundation Health sale gets OK.(Health Net sells Florida health plan)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Health Net (NYSE: HNT) has completed the sale of its Florida health plan to Florida Health Plan Holdings II for about $49 million. Health Net received $23 million in cash and a secured six-year note of about $26 million bearing 8 percent for...

Punishments for doctors increases.(consumer complaints about bad doctors mounting in Florida)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... State records show consumer complaints about bad doctors are mounting, and as a result, the state is responding quicker and handing out more severe punishments. In the year ended June 30, a record 295 disciplinary actions were taken...

Phosphorus levels decline.(phosphorus discharged from the Everglades Agricultural Area)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... The South Florida Water Management District reported a 73 percent reduction in phosphorus discharged from the Everglades Agricultural Area for the past year It is the largest reduction in nutrients flowing off the farms since the program began,...

Movie ticket service launches.(Fandango introduced in South Florida)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Fandango, a Los Angeles-based provider of remote ticketing for movie goers, has launched in South Florida. The company provides services for more than 15,000 movie screens in the United States and will enable consumers to make their...

Doctor pleads guilty to smuggling.(Jeffrey G. Draesel, boa constrictor snakes)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Dr. Jeffrey G. Draesel has pleaded guilty in a U.S. District Court in Miami to charges he attempted to smuggle three Andros Island boa constrictor snakes from the Bahamas into Miami International Airport on Feb. 18. The attempt violates the...

Earnings decreases.(Earnings reports for Ryder System, Royal Caribbean, and Spanish Broadcasting System.)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... * Profits at Miami-based Ryder System (NYSE: R) fell 32.8 percent in the second quarter ended June 30 to $19.9 million or 33 cents a share from $29.6 million or 50 cents a share for the same period last year. Revenues fell 2.9 percent to $1.29...

Earnings increases.(for multiple Florida companies)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 3, 2001... * Second quarter profits at Miami-based Ivax Corp. (AMEX: IVX) increased 124.5 percent to $67.8 million or 33 cents a share, up from $30.2 million or 15 cents a share in the year ago quarter. Revenue for the quarter, ended June 30, increased 63...

This wireless company has strong ties.
August 3, 2001... Dear Mr. Berko: Last year I almost invested $30,000 in some cell-phone stocks. I'm glad I didn't because I'd have lost more than $15,000. What happened to these stocks? Their revenues are strong and still growing. I thought they were over...

New deals can't slow Daleen Technologies' slide.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 3, 2001... Profile: Daleen develops communications software that manages companies' relationships with partners and customers. Phone companies, Internet service providers and applications hosting companies in North America and Latin America use Daleen's...

ParkStone fires 60 more, enters bankruptcy court.(ParkStone Medical Information Systems)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... ParkStone Medical Information Systems of Weston laid off 60 to 64 employees from its declining workforce and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Fort Lauderdale. The company, founded in 1998, is seeking to...

DEMOGRAPHICS.(Florida receives four-star economic rating from Demographics Daily)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 3, 2001... Florida's forecast: bright The sun continues to shine on Florida, as far as the -- economy is concerned. Worries about an economic slowdown linger across much of the nation. But Florida remains strong, as indicated by its four-star...

Design statement.(fashion style of architect Raul Alvarez)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Call it personal branding -- or the latest in male chic fashion that blends two cultures with white dress shirts a size too small at the collar. For Key Biscayne landscape architect Raul Alvarez, 71, wearing brightly colored scarves around...

Me and my purple Lamborghini.(Brian Neiman ordered to pay lawyers' fees)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Former Fort Lauderdale paralegal Brian Neiman has lost again, only this time the price is much higher than the repair costs of his purple Lamborghini. A magistrate judge in West Palm Beach federal court entered a judgment June 15 requiring...

Self-made marketing.(EnSpot.com introduces EnFlyer design service)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... EnSpot.com, a Hallandale Beach-based multimedia marketing company, has designed a service called EnFlyer that allows clients to create their own e-mail marketing campaigns. At the EnFlyer.com Web site, a client can pick a template, upload...

There goes the neighborhood.(Caribbean termites found in South Florida)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... When Mark Weinberg's pest control firm started checking a Dania Beach home, it seemed a pretty routine operation for the 15-year old Cobra Termite Protection Co. Cobra was one of three pest control companies called in by the homeowner, but...

Sassoon targets new product launch.(Beverly Sassoon & Co., Target sign deal)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Her name may sound like a whisper, but Beverly Sassoon is set to make a lot of noise. Tasteful, healthy, good-looking noise, of course. The former wife and business partner of haircare titan Vidal Sassoon has signed a deal for her skincare...

Ocean Bank.(receives Havana Activities and Nutrition Center of Dade County award)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Miami-based Ocean Bank was recognized by the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Center of Dade County for its contributions to the community.

Jeanette Fine.(receives Dade County Veterinary Foundation award)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Jeanette Fine of Fine Decorators was honored by the Dade County Veterinary Foundation for philanthropic support.

PBB Global Logistics.(receives Tranny award)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Miami-based PBB Global Logistics received a Tranny award for its integrated electronic marketing initiatives from the Transportation Marketing & Communications Association.

Jason M. Murray.(award)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Jason M. Murray, a shareholder at the Miami-based law firm Canton Fields, was recognized as one of "12 Good Men" by the Ronald McDonald House.

Bonnie S. Satterfield.(wins 2001 Madelyn Weil Spirit Award)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Attorney Bonnie S. Satterfield received the 2001 Madelyn Weil Spirit Award from the Broward County/Fort Lauderdale chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler.(honored by Florida Turkish American Association)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler was honored by the Florida Turkish American Association for his support of Turkey.

JM Family Enterprises.(was recognized by Recycle Florida Today)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... JM Family Enterprises was recognized by Recycle Florida Today as Outstanding Institutional/Business Program.

Steel Hector and Davis of Miami and Union Planters Bank in Boca Raton.(win 2001 Annual Governor's Community Investment Awards)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Steel Hector and Davis of Miami and Union Planters Bank in Boca Raton won 2001 Annual Governor's Community Investment Awards.

Roy Oppenheim.(named Small Business Person of the Year)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Roy Oppenheim, of Weston-based law firm Oppenheim Pilelsky, was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Weston Area Chamber of Commerce.

Maximum Marketing.(to sell Macabee Foods' frozen kosher foods)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Pompano Beach-based Maximum Marketing joined with Hackensack, N.J.-based Macabee Foods to market, sell and merchandise the company's frozen kosher foods.

TransMedia Group.(TransMedia Group awared contract with Green Foods Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Green Foods Corp. has retained TransMedia Group in Boca Raton to produce national publicity for its Green Magma powdered organic barley grass juice.

RTKL Associates.(RTKL Associates award contract with International Bank of Miami.)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... RTKL Associates of Coral Gables has been awarded the interior design contract for the new International Bank of Miami headquarters in Coral Gables.

Collective Construction & Design.(wins renovation contract for Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Collective Construction & Design of Fort Lauderdale has been awarded the contracts for interior construction renovation at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale and the medical business offices of SDH Associates in...

RCC Associates.(hires to construct new Cheesecake Factory)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... RCC Associates in Deerfield Beach has been selected to construct its 13th Cheesecake Factory at International Plaza in Tampa.

Elcon Electric.(Elcon Electric is awared contracts.)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Pompano Beach-based Elcon Electric was awarded contracts for Arthur Andersen in Miami, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, and Sprint PCS in Sunrise.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Appointments in the fields of law, education, banking and accounting.)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... ACCOUNTING SolomonEdwardsGroup in Sunrise added Alison L. Barresi as a manager of consultant services. ARCH/ENGINEERING Robert G. Currie Partnership, an architecture, planning and interior design firm in Delray Beach, named Jose...

Largest Private Sector Employers.
August 3, 2001... Largest Private Sector Employers Ranked by 2000 South Florida * employees Rank Employer Phone 2001 Address Fax 2000 E-mail ...

Restaurateur offers Palm Beach kosher eatery.
August 3, 2001... For six years, Rabbi Moshe Scheiner has had to travel at least 40 minutes to eat at a restaurant. Lunch meetings in Palm Beach were limited to whatever his wife could pack. And if he had to grab a quick bite on the road? He'd better be in...

DISCOMFORT ZONE.(Employment discrimination cases reported in Florida.)
August 3, 2001... Harassment, discrimination at work: Bad and forecast to get worse An economics professor at Florida Atlanta University in Boca Raton said as soon as she was hired, her supervisor would comment on her appearance. He suggested lunch at...

Managing language diversity essential in South Florida.(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Recent U.S. Census data substantiates what many employers already recognize: a dramatic diversity of cultures make up the U.S. workforce today. Nowhere is that diversity more apparent than in South Florida, where employees speak a variety of...

Paying the bill.(judge makes ruling in Florida Keys regarding beleaguered property owners)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Government red tape can sometimes strangle entrepreneurs, but a judge in the Florida Keys is holding out some encouragement for beleaguered property owners. Judge Luis Garcia of the 16th Circuit ruled that Monroe County's eight-year maze...

Go-going for full exposure.(NASCAR and Go-Gos promotions)(Brief Article)(Column)
August 3, 2001... NASCAR is making kids vitamins, and Belinda Carlisle has posed for Playboy. These milestones in ephemera may seem unrelated, but they crossed my desk on the same day. The Playboy did not actually cross my desk: it was held under my...

Promoting pimp clothes isn't a laughing matter.
August 3, 2001... Dear Editor, I read Michael Miller's open-minded article regarding the pimp wear at Burdines. I think buyer Julie Roisman and whoever approved these shirts is money hungry. Anything affiliated with showing bruised woman makes me sick (and...

Nursing home deal no reversal.
August 3, 2001... Dear Editor, This is to clarify several inaccuracies in your story of July 6 concerning the actions taken by the Agency for Health Care Administration regarding nursing homes formerly owned by National Healthcare (NHC) and new owner Steven...

Crop genetics is long-time art.
August 3, 2001... Dear Editor, Michael Miller's July 20 column about Starbucks contains some swipes at biotechnology that are based on emotion not science. It is important for your readers - and other consumers - to understand that farmers have been...

Hitch a rider.(prices for insurance riders to check out)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... Some insurance riders may be worth checking out: * Home Office: $100 to $350 can cover basic consultant's office to major computer equipment. Most homeowners' insurance covers $2,000 to $2,500 of business property (not enough to replace the...

Wanna feel old?(Class of 2004 Mindset List)(Brief Article)
August 3, 2001... For several years, Beloit College (www.beloit.edu) has prepared a list of some things that differentiate the frame of reference of entering students from that of their teachers and mentors. The following are from the Class of 2004 Mindset List:...

Drug maker attacks state's public hazard law.(Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., Florida Sunshine in Litigation Act)
August 10, 2001... There may be a partial eclipse of Florida's sunshine laws heading this way. A giant international drug maker and its industry allies lost their first legal skirmish after launching a frontal assault on Florida's Sunshine in Litigation Act...

Ticket cost leaves fans shut out.(professional sports becoming too expensive)(Statistical Data Included)
August 10, 2001... Winning may be everything to the big money supporting professional sports, but to fans, the cost of ticket prices is the most important factor in a decision to attend a sporting event in South Florida. According to the latest Sports &...

Cracks in reactor nozzles cause concern.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2001... Metal fatigue and its telltale cracks spoil more than just a smooth surface in airplanes and nuclear reactors. Cracks can be a prelude to disaster. Some cracks have been found for years in and on nozzles on pressurized water reactors....

For richer, for poorer, legislators list assets.(Statistical Data Included)
August 10, 2001... Conventional wisdom holds that Republicans tend to be richer while Democrats are poorer. Not in South Florida. Eleven of the 12 richest legislators are Democrats; the poorest one is a Republican. That's the story based on filings with the...

Lucent cuts back jobs, square feet in Miramar.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2001... Facing another round of expense-slashing measures, Lucent Technologies is scaling back the size and staff at its newly opened regional headquarters in Miramar. The Murray Hill, N.J-based telecommunications software and equipment giant...

In the beginning, the trademark.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2001... This is a case of religious dispute. Disagreements like these used to be settled by inquisition, public trial and lengthy crusades. That was then; this is now. The National Arbitration Forum has replaced The Grand Inquisitor when it...

Beam up that $2 million grant.(Cross Match Technologies receives National Institute of Standards and Technology grant)(Brief Article)
August 10, 2001... Palm Beach Gardens is not Silicon Valley, but upstart Cross Match Technologies has scored a coup in spite of its un-tech location. The private firm has been awarded a grant -- a smidgen under $2 million -- from the National Institute of...

Whistle-blower of Florida Medicaid bid loses job.(Sarah A. Grim)
August 10, 2001... Sarah A. Grim, whose testimony alleged corruption in the Medicaid bidding process at the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, has lost her $100,000-a-year job in Missouri and her faith in the whistle-blower system. Grim, a former...

CORRECTION.(Correction Notice)
August 10, 2001... * In Aug. 3 Briefcase, a quote attributed to Beverly Sassoon indicated that Beverly Sassoon and Co. offered home-business opportunities. The company focuses on retail sales.

HUD fines and sanctions Specialty Mortgage Corp.(Brief Article)
August 10, 2001... Specialty Mortgage Corp. in Hialeah has been fined $8,000 and lost its FHA lending authority for three years. It was just one of 55 lenders in 22 states to be sanctioned this week by the Department of Housing and Urban Development's...

For healthy stocks this season, take this medicine.(earnings reports from Florida biotechnology companies)
August 10, 2001... Drug, medical profits healthier than most Soft. Disappointing. Below expectations. Descriptives rating the latest earnings performance of technology issues don't tell the whole story, according to some analysts who say that high-tech...

Wachovia merger epilogue: ATMs will be first to blend.(Wachovia Corp. and First Union Corp await Federal Reserve merger approval)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 10, 2001... First Union Corp. and Wachovia Corp. are hoping that the Federal Reserve will approve their merger by early next month, thus wrapping up the mega-banking deal they announced in April. The two North Carolina-based banks cleared their biggest...

Tyco acquires Sensormatic.(Sensormatic Electronics Corp.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 10, 2001... Pembroke, Bermuda-based Tyco (NYSE: TYC) is acquiring Sensormatic Electronics Corp. (NYSE: SRM), a Boca Raton company known to shoppers for its anti-theft tags and security gates at store exits. The deal will broaden Tyco's array of fire...

MasTec appoints president and CEO.(Austin Shanfelter )(Brief Article)
August 10, 2001... Miami-based MasTec (NYSE: MTZ) has appointed Austin Shanfelter president and CEO. Shanfelter has been the company's COO since March 2000 and had previously served as president of MasTec's Broadband Network Services group since 1997. ...

Visual Data acquires Ednet.(Entertainment Digital Network )(Brief Article)
August 10, 2001... Pompano Beach-based Visual Data Corp. (Nasdaq: VDAT) has completed the acquisition of the remaining 49 percent of its subsidiary, Entertainment Digital Network (Ednet) (OTC BB: EDNT). As a result of the acquisition, common shares of Ednet...

Trading halted for Roadhouse Grill.("additional information" not provided to Nasdaq)(Brief Article)
August 10, 2001... Nasdaq halted trading for shares of Roadhouse Grill (Nasdaq: GRLL) last week because the company did not satisfy a request for "additional information." Trading will remain halted until the company has fully satisfied Nasadq's request.

Gerald Stevens stock-value wilts.(Gerald Stevens Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 10, 2001... Fort Lauderdale-based florist-chain company Gerald Stevens (OTCBB: GIFTE), got a $6 million increase in its line of credit from Bank of America, however there is no value left for common stock holders, according to a statement by the troubled...

Aviation joint venture in default.(Aviation Sales, Kellstrom Industries)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 10, 2001... A joint venture between Miramar-based Kellstrom Industries (Nasdaq: KELL) and Miramar-based Aviation Sales (NYSE: AVS) is in default under the joint venture's senior credit facility, according to a Kellstrom statement. The joint venture,...