South Florida Business Journal articles from December 1999

South Florida Business Journal archives from December 1999

CRUISE TAX FLOATED.
December 3, 1999... Marlins see tourist funding as best hope for stadium If a new baseball stadium is built in South Florida, tourists likely will foot the bill - possibly through more hotel or rental car taxes, or even a new cruise line tax. "Our...

Coulters, IRS dispute $113 million.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... WASHINGTON -- The federal tax collector is demanding $113 million from the estate of the late Joseph R. Coulter Jr. in a dispute about the value of Coulter Corp. stock. Miami-based Coulter, the world's leading supplier of automated blood...

Learning lessons on giving.
December 3, 1999... Study finds new sources help as corporate departures hurt charitable giving in region When public companies leave town, they take jobs with them. And when charitable public companies relocate, local donor pools tend to dry up, too, leaving...

Here's the job, but we'll see about duties.
December 3, 1999... New state CFO could lack banking, insurance oversight Voters decided last year that the state should combine the jobs of comptroller and treasurer into a CFO position, but the Legislature still has to decide next spring how financial...

Boca's Blue Lake gets $67 million for expansion.
December 3, 1999... Owners of Blue Lake Corporate Center have taken the first financial step toward developing the hundreds of vacant acres that surround the sprawling Boca Raton complex, once home to IBM. Blue Lake partners closed Tuesday on a refinancing...

State law creates changes in resale certificate system.
December 3, 1999... The certification process that companies use to buy items tax-free because they will apply the tax when they resell them to consumers is being changed by the state to crack down on tax fraud. Under a new system, taking effect Feb. 1, the...

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?
December 3, 1999... It's a house the three little pigs would love. Plantation Central Park is on Cleary Road (which is a few blocks north of Broward Boulevard) and west of Pine Island Road. Whether a hurricane blows or an earthquake shakes, Art Bond said...

Sony Electronics' Boca Plant doesn't stay on market long.
December 3, 1999... Staffers at Sony Electronic's Boca Raton plant hadn't even finished packing before the Japanese electronics-maker had cut a deal to sell the 116,800-square-foot building. Boca Raton-based real estate developer Jeff Schmier signed a...

Bar committee chairman seeks new business court in Florida.
December 3, 1999... Howard J. Berlin, chairman of the Florida Bar's 4,000-lawyer Business Law Section, has some sharp opinions about the future of his profession and its practitioners. For one thing, he says Florida should set up a separate business court...

ABA: Workplace violence bigger threat than you know.
December 3, 1999... Do you feel safe in your office? perhaps you shouldn't, because workplace violence in the United States occurs more often than you may imagine. And, if you are the person legally charged with the responsibility of maintaining employees'...

Union Planters sees growth in Broward and Palm Beach.(Union Planters Bank)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... After buying two banks based in Miami-Dade County this year, Union Planters Bank is looking to Broward and Palm Beach counties for its South Florida growth in 2000. That expansion will come primarily from adding customers at existing...

Cyberspace too far.(HotelView)
December 3, 1999... Pompano Beach Internet video-touring firm says Web borders aren't a sacrifice for sales presence The Internet may be a global marketplace with no borders, but a cyber world isn't intimate enough for HotelView Corp. The Pompano Beach...

ProxyMed and IDX sign key e-commerce customer.(UCSDD)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... ProxyMed Inc. (Nasdaq: PILL), a provider of Internet and private network-based health care connectivity services, says it will provide financial transaction services, including claims submission and electronic remittance advice, to a key IDX...

Paxson Communications makes a senior promotion.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Paxson Communications Corp. in West Palm Beach (AMEX: FAX) announced that Douglas C. Barker had been promoted to senior vice president of affiliate relations. In his new position, Barker is to oversee and expand PAX-TV's affiliated 51...

Consolidation shuffles list of largest printers.(Wallace, Central Press)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Some commercial printers in South Florida need to buy to sell. Wallace (NYSE:WCS) of Pompano Beach climbed from No. 9 to No. 5 on The Business Journal's most recent list of largest commercial printers. The firm acquired Central Press, which had...

Interim Healthcare tops home health agencies list.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Interim Healthcare, a spinoff of Interim Services Inc. (NYSE:IS) in Fort Lauderdale, recorded the same number of visits in 1998 as it did in 1997, yet it still garnered the top spot, on The Business Journal's list of largest South Florida home...

Keeping company.(Extended Stay America)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Extended Stay America Exchange: NYSE Symbol: ESA Address: 450 E. Las Olas Blvd, Suite 1100 Fort Lauderdale 33301 Phone: (954) 713-1600 Web site: www.extstay.com Employees: 4,600 Profile: With about 350...

Real estate deals on wheels put Vara on road to success.(Palm Beach Realty Group)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... When Dominic Vara decided to hang up his home-building tool belt and open a real estate brokerage, he knew had to be different to stand out. So Vara, owner of the year-old Plam Beach Realty Group, which specializes in commercial property...

Home Depot unit opens.(Maintenance Warehouse)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... A soldier in The Home Depot's plan for market domination is marching into south Broward County. It's called Maintenance Warehouse, and its mission is to supply maintenance and repair supplies to commercial properties such as apartment...

Deals and people.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... * Menin Development Cos., which has offices in Jupiter and Mechanicsville, Va., has paid $6.73 million for the 124,000-square-foot South Wind Plaza on 45th Street in West Palm Beach. * Faro Services, a freight forwarding operator, has...

Israel trade could bring $8 million to Fla. firms.
December 3, 1999... For several South Florida companies, a November trade mission to Israel with Gov. Jeb Bush turned into a venture into a promised land. The four-day trip, organized by Enterprise Florida, included 35 people from across the state. "Israel,...

Cruise sales reorganized.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... Cunard Line Ltd. in Miami, which operates luxury cruise brands Seabourn and Cunard Cruise Line, has reorganized its senior sales staff to concentrate more resources on markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia/Pacific Rim region....

Panama wants you.
December 3, 1999... Expocomer 2000, one of the largest international trade shows in Central America, is recruiting South Florida companies to buy an exhibition package for the USA pavilion. The event, in Panama Marob 15-20, is expected to feature 487 exhibitors,...

Bankers can sharpen skills in FIU's loan, credit course.
December 3, 1999... Florida International University will offer a course on "Credit Analysis and Loan Evaluation" on 15 consecutive Saturdays, beginning Jan. 8. Program manager for the course is Dr. Emmanuel Roussakis, professor of finance and director of...

Getting on board.
December 3, 1999... Florida Banks (Nasdaq: FLBK) has appointed a five-member board of directors for its Broward County office, which it opened in Plantation in July. The directors are: Joe Caprio, a South Florida real estate executive; Bill Laurie, president...

Republic seeks CEO.
December 3, 1999... Republic Bancshares (Nasdaq: REPB) of St. Petersburg has retained executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles to help it find a new president and chief executive officer for the holding company and its Republic Bank subsidiary. Alfred T....

First Union a growth stock you might want to consider.
December 3, 1999... Dear Mr. Berko: Could you suggest a half-dozen income stocks that have a superior record of dividend increases, as well as a good possibility of capital gains? Please exclude utilities and master limited partnerships. D.L. ...

Catalfumo Construction and Development.
December 3, 1999... Catalfumo Construction and Development in Palm Beach Gardens was awarded the 1999 Ernst and Young's, Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group Best Real Estate Deals of the Year in the office category for Crossroads and at the Crossroads Business...

De La Flor Florist.
December 3, 1999... De La Flor Florist in Davie placed first in the Bridal Bouquet, Boutonniere, Table for Two and Surprise Package categories at the Second Annual Gateway to the Americas International Design competition sponsored by the FTD Association held in...

Steel Hector & Davis.
December 3, 1999... Steel Hector & Davis in Miami was awarded the 1 1999 Athena Business Award, given by the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, for its dedication to community service and commitment to the professional development of women.

The Urban League of Broward County.(awards given to Karen Gail Brown, Jim Moran, and Henry J. Latimer)
December 3, 1999... The Urban League of Broward County bestowed its 1999 Equal Opportunity Day Awards to Jim Moran, founder and chairman of JM Family Enterprises in Deertield Beach, Cato Roach, founder of the Mental Health Association of Broward County and a...

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.(wins awards from two magazines)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau was awarded the 1999 Gold Service Award from Meetings & Convention magazine, and the 1999 Award of Excellence by Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine.

John J. Brogan.(receives award from Palm Beach Atlantic College)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Palm Beach Atlantic College in West Palm Beach awarded John J. Brogan, director and vice chiarman of the Rapaparte Co., its annual American Free Enterprise Medal.

SouthEast Florida Better Business Bureau.(receives award from Council for Better Business Bureau)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The SouthEast Florida Better Business Bureau in West Palm Beach received the Outstanding Bureau Award for its "Rescue Plan for South Florida" given by the Council for Better Business Bureaus.

Mauricio Novis Botelho.(receives award from Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida in Miami awarded Mauricio Novis Botelho, president & CEO of Embraer in Miami, with the 1999 BACCF Excellence Award.

Henry C. Fraind.(receives award from WMBM radio)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Henry C. Fraind, deputy superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, received the WMBM Spirit Award tar education from the Miami radio station.

Paul D. Novack.(receives awards for leadership during hurricane disasters)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Paul D. Novack, an attorney and mayor of Surfside, was honored by La Reine Entertainment and The Haitian American Business Association, for leadership during recent disaster relief efforts for the victims of Hurricanes Mitch and Georges.

Beauchamp Construction Co.(awarded by American Institute of Architects)(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... The American Institute of Architects Miami Chapter selected Beauchamp Construction Co., of Coral Gables, for the 1999-2000 Outstanding General Contractor of the Year award.

'One-stop' communications agency wires up for success.SmithAgency.com.(Brief Article)
December 3, 1999... Productivity isn't just a corporate buzzword anymore. It can make or break a business. And savvy communications firms now are spinning the Internet as the correct tool to get things done correctly. Just ask Miami's Expert Software, which...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
December 3, 1999... ACCOUNTING Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant in Miami hired Trycia Caldera as a staff auditor, and named John F. Young a director. Karen Yoder was promoted to general services manager for Fort Lauderdale's McGladrey & Pulen. ...

LARGEST HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCIES.
December 3, 1999... LARGEST HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCIES Ranked by 1998 visits [1] Rank last Agency Phone year's Address ...

LARGEST COMMERCIAL PRINTERS.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
December 3, 1999... LARGEST COMMERCIAL PRINTERS Ranked by 1998 South Florida gross revenue Rank last Company Phone year's Address ...

Tis the season to be ringing the register: Ho, ho, hum.
December 3, 1999... But this also seems to be the season to be slack. The excuse has been, we never can get enough good help. Well, that's a bunch of fruitcake. Plenty of help is out there -- they just don't want to come work for you. And, when you do get...

Will work for workers.
December 3, 1999... The 1990s have presented us with one of the century's most interesting and unexpected economic problems -- low unemployment. One of the main reasons the Fed has raised interest rates three times this year was that it feared a tightening...

Urban revival raises sales.
December 3, 1999... Traditional retail businesses are undergoing a historic upheaval due to the advent of e-commerce, presenting major retailers with unprecedented opportunities but also with alarming challenges from online competitors. Some retail...

Don't just get business cards, build the right circle of friends.
December 3, 1999... If the result of your "networking" is a stack of business cards in your desk drawer, maybe it's time to redefine the term. A network is a forum that offers participants an opportunity to make and use contacts in a controlled setting, and...

At least 5 sites on Citrix's list.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... 500,000-square-foot project is one of region's biggest The short list of sites for Citrix Systems' proposed 500,000-square-foot hub is in and at least three sites in Palm Beach County and two in Broward have made the cut, according to real...

BREAKING CONVENTIONS.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... Naming rights trend growing The Blockbuster/IMAX Theater. The Sealine Marina & Yachting Center. The Ryder Trauma Center. Corporations are getting their names on more than sports arenas these days. Next in line: Broward County's...

Approval wasn't what it seemed in Key Biscayne.
December 10, 1999... Hurricane season is over, but a storm has kicked up on the island of Key Biscayne. It centers around Key Colony Village, a $20 million mixed-use development largely approved in 1998. The project called for 42 apartments, retail space and...

Claiming their part.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... Hospitals are having a hard time co11ecting from health insurers An elderly woman showed up unconscious at Martin Memorial Hospital. Emergency room physicians treated the woman, whose insurance company had not contracted with the hospital...

MCI WorldCom making a $250 million call.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... Firm plans a 200,000-square-foot data center in Miami MCI WorldCom signed a deal Tuesday that will put $250 million in high-tech wizardry on land west of Miami International Airport. MCI, the Clinton, Miss.-based telecommunications...

Revitalization of port hot topic in Riviera Beach.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... The World Trade Center Palm Beach group is teaming up with well-known Miami architects Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. in a bid to create a revitalization plan for the Port of Palm Beach area. Another mixed-used plan, Harbor Village, is already...

Miami-Dade searching for its ethics code.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... Miami-Dade County Commissioners passed the resolution in early September: No code of business ethics, no contract. Nearly three months later, the county doesn't have its systems in place yet to enforce the code. The reason: Big changes are...

AmericanAirlines Arena set Arena set for Estefan concert Dec.31.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... AmericanAirlines Arena will open as scheduled Dec. 31, but at least one aspect of the facility may not be ready by that time, according to its developers and the Miami Heat. Jesus Vazquez, deputy project manager for Odebrecht Construction...

Winfrey's coattails carrying WFOR to ratings heights.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... Regis Philbin's "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" is a ratings phenomenon for ABC nationally, but Oprah Winfrey's presence in the WFOR-Channel 4 lineup is creating advertising millions. The recently released November sweeps book (concluded...

Bankers prepare for a vigil to welcome in the new year.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... When the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, Robert Marsden and two of SunTrust Bank's other Miami executives will ring in 2000 at the bank's operations center in the Doral area. A handful of information technology employees will join...

Toddlerwatch keeps your eye on your kids.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... Many parents drop their children off at day care centers daily -- then drive away with an empty feeling in their hearts. A high-tech Weston company is poised to take the sharp edge off that anxiety. This start-up firm, Toddlerwatch.com,...

Tax lawyer: Give money, gifts before end of year.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... State-certified tax attorney Martin R. Press is managing partner of the Fort Lauderdale office of the Broad and Cassel law firm. An author and frequent guest on radio and television interviews, he originally was trained as an accountant. ...

CHS Electronics Inc.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... Exchange: NYSE Symbol: HS Address: 2000 NW 84th Ave. Miami 33122 Phone: (305) 908-7200 Web site: www.chse.com Employees: 6,800 Profile: CHS is the world's No. 3 distributor of computers, networking products,...

Palm Beach Gardens sale could set new record.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
December 10, 1999... The highbrow PGA Financial Plaza in Palm Beach Gardens soon could have a new owner, who was willing to pay a hefty price to own the 72,350-square-foot building. Lost Tree Village Corp., which owns office buildings nationally and is based...

Big and cheap.(Brief Article)
December 10, 1999... A new Boca Raton-based discount chain, the latest brainchild of the former CEO of Service Merchandise, already has arranged leases for 75,000 square feet of space and is looking for another 250,000 square feet to finish introducing its...

Dolphin Associates.
December 10, 1999... Developers of the Dolphin Mall have closed a $200 million loan for its development and construction. Dolphin Associates obtained the financing through Bank of America for the construction of a 1.4-million-square-foot mega-mall in unincorporated...

Navigant Consulting.
December 10, 1999... Navigant Consulting, a Chicago-based computer consulting company, has leased 8,353 square feet in the 2101 Building on Commercial Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale to house the firm's first office in South Florida.

Itochu Cable Services.
December 10, 1999... Japanese-owned Itochu Cable Services has leased a 7,500-square-foot building at Crystal Park in Pompano Beach. The firm will test electronic components and operate a system repair service from its new hub, 1907 NW 40th Court. Jeffrey Scott of...

Deloitte & Touche.
December 10, 1999... The accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche has leased 9,795 square feet at 1645 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., which is in the Forum buildings in West Palm Beach. Michael Erickson of CB Richard Ellis brokered the deal.

Bank of America joining the (boat) parade.
December 10, 1999... If you go to the boat parade Dec. 11 at the Fort Lauderdale WinterFest, you'll see one of Bank of America's earliest efforts to market its name in South Florida. BoA, which is phasing out the NationsBank name in Florida, will have a sign...

Agency adds Chubb.
December 10, 1999... Morris & Reynolds Insurance, an agency based in Miami, has added The Chubb Corp.'s commercial and personal policies to its product line. The agreement is Chubb's first new alliance with a South Florida insurance agency in more than a year, said...

Branching out.
December 10, 1999... SunTrust Bank/South Florida has opened a branch at 4480 Weston Road in Davie. The bank has appointed Kathleen Durham manager for the new office, which serves the South Weston market. AmTrust Bank has opened a branch at 447 Arthur Godfrey...

On board at BankUnited.
December 10, 1999... BankUnited Financial Corp. of Coral Gables has added Dr. A. Frederick Schild to its board of directors. Schild is a professor of surgery at the University of Miami School of Medicine's Department of Surgery/Division of Transplantation....

Here's one French stock I advise you to purchase.
December 10, 1999... Dear Mr. Berko: I know you don't have a high opinion of France but I need your advice on a French phone company called France Telecom. I recently came back from France and the phone service, unlike the horror years ago, was absolutely...

David R. Ross.
December 10, 1999... David R. Ross, vice president at Clear Channel Broadcasting in Fort Lauderdale, was the recipient of the Excellence in Radio" award presented by The March of Dimes and its Board of Governors in Fort Lauderdale.

Basic Food International.
December 10, 1999... John Bauer, president of Basic Food International in Fort Lauderdale, was awarded the 1999 Florida International Business Person of the Year by Florida Council of International Development.

William Turnoff.
December 10, 1999... William Turnoff, U.S. Magistrate Judge, and Edward B. Davis, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, were honored at the judicial reception of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation in Miami.

Leasa Industries.
December 10, 1999... Leasa Industries, a produce company in Miami, received the Florida State Honoree Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative Award.

Mimi Howard.
December 10, 1999... Mimi Howard, president and owner of Environmental Matters, an environmental consulting and educational firm, and Steel Hector & Davis LLP, a law firm, were honored with ATHENA awards by the, Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches for the...

Artesyn Technologies.
December 10, 1999... The South Florida Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth honored Artesyn Technologies, a communications industry power source provider in Boca Raton, with its Outstanding Corporate Growth Award. Citrix Systems, a supplier of...

Arvida Realty Services.
December 10, 1999... In Miami, Arvida Realty Services recently donated $1000 to the Communities in Schools of Miami, a nonprofit organization assistance to schools.

Citrix Systems.
December 10, 1999... Mother's Voices received a $25,000 grant-from Citrix Systems in Fort Lauderdale to continue its efforts to educate and advocate HIV prevention.

Miami Metro.
December 10, 1999... Miami Metro magazine and WTVJ-NBC 6 raised more than $18,000 for Women of Tomorrow, a mentoring program for high school girls.

PERPETUATING THE LEGACY.
December 10, 1999... Lawyer Gonzalo Dorta comes from a long line of Cuban civic leaders At age 38, with about half a typical lifespan lived, Coral Gables attorney Goazalo R. Dorta has been modestly successful. His two-lawyer firm is participating in a noted...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
December 10, 1999... ACCOUNTING Kenneth J. Strauss and Randi K. Grant joined Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant in Miami as directors, and Robert J. Gonzalez was promoted to supervisor in the accounting services department. Sharpton, Brunson & Co. in Miami...

State to create Internet sites for e-commerce in Spanish.
December 10, 1999... The first-ever Florida deputy secretary of state for Latin American affairs has been appointed. Not surprisingly, he's a guy with South Florida connections. Patricio Lombardi, a consultant with Greenberg Traurig Consulting Inc., an...

Health Care CORPORATE ELITE.
December 10, 1999... Ralph A. Aleman * Background: 30 years in the profession * Education: Master of business administration & health care administration from George Washington University; bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering from...

TURNING THE CORPS INSIDE OUT.
December 10, 1999... Federal vocational program asks companies to tailor skills training to needs In the 35-year history of the Job Corps, the federal government has always determined what skills and training it would provide to corporations. Now, that's...