South Florida Business Journal articles from February 2000

South Florida Business Journal archives from February 2000

Sunrise loses deal for 500 Royal Caribbean jobs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... A potential deal to bring up to 500 Royal Caribbean jobs to a vacant Sunrise building has sunk, city and company officials say. The coveted operations hub could be sailing towards 30 acres in Miramar instead. "We are not talking to...

Constructing a new line of business.(MC Construction Group)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... MC Construction Group, a 3-year-old Miami construction company, has started commercial development and real estate brokerage di-visions. MC, which is already among the more active industrial builders in Miami's Airport West area, is...

Link's leader ventures into e-tailing software.(Paul R. Johnson)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Paul R. Johnson, founder of Link Express and new co-owner of a South Beach nightclub, is taking on another new business venture -- this time it's in cyberspace. Johnson, who became president, CEO and majority owner of Miami boat maker...

Asian banks to disappear from Dade.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi will close its Coral Gables office March 31, leaving Miami-Dade County with no Asian-owned banks. Since 1998, two other Japanese banks and a Korean bank have left Miami in efforts to cut costs amid banking...

General Cinema slowly departing South Florida.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... General Cinema Theatres has subleased its Fort Lauderdale movie theater on Sunrise Boulevard to a local operator. It is the first of many such deals the company is projecting. The move is in line with the national movie chain's strategy to...

Region's banks turning more to SBA for loan backing.(Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... With interest rates moving upward, more banks are turning to the Small Business Administration for guarantees on loans to South Florida businesses that might otherwise be squeezed out of the credit markets. Union Planters Bank and SunTrust...

GE Capital doubling its.(Small Business Administration lending)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... GE Capital's Small Business Finance unit is on a pace to more than double its Small Business Administration lending in South Florida this year. Kale Gaston, the unit's manager for the Southern half of the United States, says the growth...

CORRECTION.(Correction Notice)
February 4, 2000... A story in the Jan. 28 issue misprinted the length of time Bobra Bush has been in business in Boca Raton. She has been president of TelCare Corp. and TelCom Corp. for 11 years.

Miami-Dade film office plans for major growth.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... At the Miami-Dade Mayor's Office of Film, TV and production office, there's clear resolution on how to significantly grow the industry: cut bureacracy and target more Hispanic, international TV and new media content, instead of just trying to...

Wife's malpractice injury may bring patient rights.
February 4, 2000... Ray McEachern is founder and president of Tampa-based Association for Responsible Medicine. After medical malpractice permanently injured his wife, McEachern became an expert on medical errors. Florida lawmakers have never asked him to...

Congress considers limits to OSHA's authority.
February 4, 2000... It's a manager's worst nightmare: Your subordinates make a controversial decision without checking with you first, your boss quickly overrides that decision, internal e-mails contradict what you say about the decision, and a member of Congress...

12 So. Fla. lawyers disciplined; 2 disbarred.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a new monthly report on disciplinary actions against South Florida lawyers for ethics violations. Twelve South Florida attorneys, among them former Miami-Dade Commissioner James C. Burke, were among the 33 lawyers...

Tax credits for health insurance proposed in D.C.(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has enjoyed plenty of medical achievements: As a surgeon, he performed 250 heart and lung transplants; he also established the transplant program at Vanderbilt University. Five years ago, he traded his surgical...

Bill would revise law on covering small companies.
February 4, 2000... Health insurers, stung by losses in small group insurance in recent years, are backing proposed legislation that would reform Florida small group insurance law for the second time since 1993. Insurance companies claim the 1993 reforms,...

HMO membership fa1lin losses soar.(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Predicted fallout: more uninsured Floridians Get ready: The ranks of the uninsured in Florida are about to swell. For the first time in 27 months, Florida HMOs lost members -- almost 9,000 in all -- while statewide industry losses...

Facility would develop intelligent' transportation.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... A jackknifed semitrailer backs up traffic for miles on Interstate 95 at Glades Road. Where's a computer when you need one? Maybe closer than you think. An Orlando organization of transportation authority officials is seeking to...

Area firms' stocks rebounding this week.
February 4, 2000... Local stocks generally were rebounding this week as investors bought up shares of firms pummeled in last week's sell-off. Gains were limited on Monday and Tuesday by lingering fears about the direction of interest rates. The Federal...

CYBeR-CARE working deal with Chinese.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Ultimately might be worth at least $500 million CYBeR-CARE signed a letter of intent Tuesday to collaborate with a Chinese manufacturer and distributor -- a potential deal worth at least $500 million. A contract is expected within 60...

Geoworks CEO pushes stock price down after jump.(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... EDITOR'S NOTE: For the full text of the following reports -- and more technology news nationally -- visit the American City Business Journals' Web site, www.amcity.com On your average day, a chief executive officer spends much of the time...

House tax chief seeks seller-financing relief.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The effort to undo a tax law change that makes it harder for small business owners to sell their enterprises found a powerful ally in Congress. Rep. Bill Archer, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, asked President Clinton to...

Postal increase opposed.
February 4, 2000... The Magazine Publishers of America plans a $10 million campaign to fight the U.S. Postal Service's proposed 15 percent postage increase for periodicals. The industry association, which also will lobby for overall postal reform, says the...

SBA expands answer desk.
February 4, 2000... The Small Business Administration has expanded its answer desk to the Internet. Small business owners and prospective entrepreneurs can now e-mail their questions to www.sba.gov. The answer desk staff also will continue to be available...

Credit for pension contributions.
February 4, 2000... President Clinton wants to give small businesses a tax credit worth 50 percent of the qualified contributions they make to the retirement plans of rank-and-file employees. Businesses with 100 or fewer employees would be eligible for this...

Wonder drug kills many viruses, boosts company.
February 4, 2000... Dear Mr. Berko: I heard from a reliable source that the drug industry has come up with a cure for the common cold. However, neither I nor my source knows the name of the company, and if your son, who is a doctor, can give me the name, I'll...

Sunbeam, Helen of Troy expand strategic alliance.
February 4, 2000... Sunbeam Corp. in Boca Baton (NYSE: SOC) has expanded its strategic alliance with Helen of Troy Ltd. (Nasdaq: HELE) into a long-term licensing agreement that provides for Helen of Troy, a company that develops and markets brand-name personal...

Mellon expands presence, opens Boca Raton office.
February 4, 2000... Mellon Financial Corp. (NYSE: MEL) announced the opening of its Boca Raton office at 1801 N. Military Trail. The office represents Mellon's 13th location in South Florida and its third new Florida location since 1997. The Boca Raton office is a...

Avatar's board authorizes repurchase of its securities.
February 4, 2000... Avatar Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: AVTR) in Coral Gables says its board of directors authorized the company to spend up to $20 million to purchase shares of its common stock and its 7 percent convertible subordinated notes in the open market,...

IMX announces online distribution agreement.
February 4, 2000... IMX Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Boca Raton (OTC BB: IMXN) says its subsidiary Sarah J Inc., and BabyCenter Inc. announced an agreement for distribution of Mother2Be, IMX's line of pregnancy skin and body care treatments, in the BabyCenter.com...

Orex Corp. files to become a fully reporting company.
February 4, 2000... Orex Corp. (OTC BB: ORXXE) has filed a Form 10-SB registration statement to become a fully reporting company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Orex will file all subsequent reports, such as 10QSB and 10KSB, in this manner. It also is...

World Fuel Services reports lower results.
February 4, 2000... World Fuel Services Corp. (NYSE-PCX: INT) reported net income of $1.2 million for the third quarter ended Dec. 31, compared to net income of $3.98 million for the third quarter of the previous fiscal year. Included in net income for the quarter...

Med Gen reports it's still in the red.
February 4, 2000... Med Gen Inc. (OTC BB: MGNIE) says its audited figures for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 showed a loss of $176,070 or a loss of 6 cents a share. Despite the loss, the company has turned revenues around from last year. Revenues for 1999 were...

Aviation Sales says results will fall short.
February 4, 2000... Miami-based Aviation Sales Co. (NYSE: AVS) says it expects fourth quarter earnings to be significantly short of a consensus of analysts' expectations. The firm's preliminary estimate of the quarter's earnings is between 5 and 15 cents a share....

Bridge funding arranged for sale of Miami Beach hotel.
February 4, 2000... Arbor National Commercial Mortgage LLC of Uniondale, N.Y., has provided a $2.02 million bridge loan for the financing of renovations of the Abbey Hotel, 300 21st St., Miami Beach. The term of the loan is 18 months. The hotel originally...

SportsLine.com Inc.
February 4, 2000... Exchange: Nasdaq Symbol: SPLN Address: 6340 NW Fifth Way Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 Phone: (954) 351-2120 Web site: www.cbs.sportsline.com Employees: 303 Profile: SportsLine.com operates the cbs.spartsline.com Web...

Indoor sports.
February 4, 2000... Everyone needs to throw things. From Bentley's Luggage and Gifts is the electronic talking dart board. "It's the most fun you've had since visiting the pubs in London," reads a product description. And there's no need to tear up the wall. ...

For the 'manic exec'.
February 4, 2000... Your phone just became your browser. High-end cellular phones are adding new versatility to wireless communication. From Sprint PCS, there's the Qualcomm pdQ, meant for the "manic executive who needs to consolidate an ever-growing collection of...

Show them the money in Miami.
February 4, 2000... Pioneer Investment Management Inc. of Boston has joined the list of financial firms that use Miami as a base for serving wealthy Latin American investors. Pioneer manages one of the world's oldest and largest mutual fund operations. Late...

When those Schwab accounts really get fat.
February 4, 2000... South Florida should be a prime area for cross-marketing after Charles Schwab Corp. and U.S. Trust Corp. merge this summer. Schwab (NYSE: SCH), the world's largest discount securities broker, has 24 South Florida offices. Private banking...

The (closing) bell doesn't toll for thee.
February 4, 2000... Talk about close shaves. South Florida public companies' attempts to keep their struggling firms afloat on Nasdaq generally aren't doing so well. Minimum bid prices and net asset requirements are hard to maintain when you can't even pay...

Nurse, nurse? College hears the cry.(Miami-Dade Community College offers new licensed practical nursing program)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Miami-Dade Community College has begun accepting applications for a new licensed practical nursing program with evening and weekend classes. The one-year program is designed for entry-level positions in hospitals, clinics and nursing homes and...

Lawyer commercials don't slip and fall in court.(Florida Supreme Court ruling on lawyers' commercials)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The good news was that the Florida Supreme Court was considering banning lawyers' commercials from television because of their vapid, brainless and unprofessional presentation. The bad news is that the court late last month didn't ban...

Finally, a Web site that fills a real need ...(lawyer Warren Trazenfeld povides information on suing a lawyer)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... If a genie in a bottle said you could have any job in the world to make yourself giggle with delight and smug with satisfaction, what would it be? * Writing costly traffic tickets to morons on I-95? * Beating Mike Tyson into a bloody...

Mr. Stein goes to Washington.(Savitar Realty Advisors buys office complex in Germantown, Md.)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... It's the kind of deal that gives most brokers a headache just thinking about it. Miami Beach-based Savitar Realty Advisors hoped to establish a stronghold in Washington, D.C.'s real estate scene by buying a 174,000-square-foot office...

Self-assembly needed?(Affordable Equipment Inc. offers book and video on buying a forklift)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Gosh, what can you get your dad for his birthday when he's a successful businessman and reader of The Business Journal, and has just about everything a guy could want? Well, after considerable thought and contemplation, we'd recommend this: a...

If the food fits, wear it.(food service in Flagship Lounge in AmericanAirlines Arena)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... The nutritionists say we are what we eat, and that adage may hold true even at a basketball game. Take, for example, patrons dining at the exclusive Flagship Lounge in the new AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. Forget the chili dogs and...

An ad blitz from the star techs.(BrainBuzz.com billboard advertising campaign)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... We've all seen those wacky billboards throughout the area -- featuring a gaudy bumblebee, bright colors, and large lettering urging, "Byte Me," or "IT Jobs Up the Wazoo." They're all part of a visual and mental ad blitz being launched in...

WEEK IN REVIEW.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... (PROFESSIONAL STUNT WRITER--DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME) As the white rabbit in "Alice Through the Looking Glass" would say, the 2-month-old tango between Miami's Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Lines just gets curiouser and curiouser. ...

AvMed Health Plan.
February 4, 2000... AvMed Health Plan in Miami was honored as Corporation of the Year for 1999 by the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County.

Bobby Bowden.
February 4, 2000... Bobby Bowden, coach of the national champion Florida State Seminoles football team, was honored at the SportsRadio 560 WQAM-Don Shula Salutes series luncheon at Don Shula's Hotel, Miami Lakes.

Trammell Crow Co.(contract from Hollywood Video)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Trammell Crow Co. in Boca Raton was awarded by Hollywood Video, its exclusive tenant representation assignment for the Florida territory.

Raymond Lee Jewelers.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Kelly Bologna in Delray Beach was announced winner of the YWK Diamond Giveaway by Raymond Lee Jewelers in Boca Raton.

Wackenhut Corp.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Wackenhut Corp. in Palm Beach Gardens was included in the Forbes Magazine's Platinum List as America's Best Big Cos.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Miami-Dade County Public Schools honored Santiago C. Corrada, principal of Miami Edison Senior High School, and Eugene Butler Jr., assistant principal of South Miami Senior High School, as principals of the year.

Barton Protective Services.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Barton Protective Services, contract security employer in Miami, was included in Fortune magazine as one of the,, 100 Best Companies to Work for in America".

Radio Uno (WKAT 1360 AM).(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Radio Uno (WKAT 1360 AM) was named the Miami Fusion soccer club's official Spanish-language radio partner for the 2000 season.

Audrey Ross & Associates.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Audrey Ross of Audrey Ross & Associates was named best U.S. real estate agency in an international competition sponsored by British automaker, Jaguar.

Fia Miami.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Fia Miami at www.fiamiami.com offers information on South Florida-based independent design labels, specializing in tops and accessories for teen girls and young women.

Ladies night for award winners.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... For one night each year, a coalition of women's organizations gathers together to celebrate the achievements of women. The Crystal Slipper Awards is a gala event hosted by several women's organizations during women's history month. Last year's...

Multitasking -- not always time.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... What is multitasking? One executive told me, multitasking is doing only one thing at a time!" Unfortunately, most busy execs and small business owners don't have the luxury of doing only one thing at a time. As traditional boundaries of work,...

DON'T SELL YET.(tax law on small business makes business sale difficult)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Federal tax change hurts sellers of small businesses A new U.S. tax law will bring. anguish to small business owners who try to cash in on their life's work by selling their enterprises. At the end of its 1999 session, Congress paid for...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
February 4, 2000... ACCOUNTING Laurel S. Williams, named principal at Kapila & Co. in Fort Lauderdale certified public accountants. L. Carmit Brandt joined Durland & Co. in Palm Beach as manager. ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS David Nathan was...

Many hands make playful work.(Motorola Inc., KaBOOM! provide playground for kids)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... It took eight hours to transform a vacant lot in Dania Beach into a children's wonderland. More than 200 Motorola executives from the company's North America group, which provides two-way radio communications, turned out to help. They were in...

AT THE TAKEOFF POINT.(South Florida's high tech industry)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... South Florida is becoming one of America's high-tech hot spots As one of the guests at The Business Journal's inaugural Tech Roundtable noted, South Florida finally is achieving that "critical mass" needed to establish itself as a national...

Biotech is booming now, but for how long?(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Biotechnology stocks are hotter than they've been in years. And that's just what worries some industry experts. While executives and investors are trying to savor the moment after long being the market's stepchild, some can't help feeling...

New tools help fight domain name pirates.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... Type in the name of your organization, services or products into an Internet browser, add ".com," ".org" or ".net," click "enter," and you may receive a rude awakening to the realities of the domain name gold rush when you discover that the...

Ditch the calculator.(Securities and Exchange Commission plans to change system to decimals)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... When 24 New York brokers met under a buttonwood tree on May 17, 1792 to launch the first U.S. stock exchange, they set up a system that still lives on: share prices quoted in eighths and sixteenths. The system made sense at the time, being...

Internet leads the list of tax issues.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 4, 2000... The tax policies of the leading presidential candidates range from Steve Forbes' proposal to "end the IRS as we know it" to Bill Bradley's plan to eliminate corporate tax shelters. But the only issue that seems to have hit a nerve with voters...

Take steps to keep stars from joining competitors of the new order.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2000... Today's booming economy combined with a seller's labor market can cause major retention problems for companies. In this job climate, employers cannot afford to lose their high achievers to the competition. Mergers, acquisitions,...

Codina's Boca Raton plans in concrete.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2000... Codina Group, the Coral Gables development, realty and contracting company where Gov. Jeb Bush once hung his hard hat, is intensifying its push north into Palm Beach County. Codina, whose development roots were firmly planted in Miami-Dade...

John Knox Village regroups.
February 11, 2000... State investigates building and permit issues The nondenominational retirement community of John Knox Village of Florida Inc. is undergoing growing pains and turmoil from a history of illegal building activity, ongoing state investigations...

NAPs could boost tech awakening.(network access point)
February 11, 2000... The coming of a so-called NAP -- Network Access Point -- could bring a flood of tech businesses to the region and cement Florida's role as the tech gateway to Central and South America. State Sen. Ron Klein (D-28th District, Defray Beach)...

Broadcast fantasy turns into reality TV.
February 11, 2000... Prep students learn the fine art of brokering a deal For a dozen Gulliver Preparatory video students, working to produce their own ESPN-style live sports show has opened a channel to the broadcasting world. The Miami-area private high...

Developer gallops ahead with polo club at Glades edge.
February 11, 2000... You can lead a horse to water but can you build a world-class polo dub in an environmentally sensitive area adjacent to Everglades National Park? Developer JH International Corp. of Miami believes it can, and plans to renew efforts soon to...

Centex Construction taps Plantation for HQ.
February 11, 2000... A January restructuring of its top brass will plant the corporate headquarters of the nation's top builder on 6.5 acres in Plantation. Centex Construction Group and its subsidiary Fort Lauderdale-based Centex Rooney Construction Co. have...

AutoNation's car rental firm, eData.com eye Blue Lake space.
February 11, 2000... Two South Florida companies are negotiating to set up operations in 355,000 square feet within Boca Raton's Blue Lake Corporate Center. Combined, the two deals with AutoNation's car rental division, ANC Rental Corp., and Boca Raton-based...

Bluegreen buys Branson center.
February 11, 2000... Bluegreen Corp. (NYSE: BXG), a Boca Raton-based developer and marketer of timeshare resorts, golf communities and residential land, has acquired That's the Ticket! in Branson, Mo. Terms were not disclosed. That's the Ticket! is a tourist...

UniCapital Corp. reports results.
February 11, 2000... UniCapital Corp. (NYSE: UCP) reported financial results for the three months and 12 months ended Dec. 31. UniCapital reported net income of $4.4 million, or earnings a share of 8 cents for the three months ended Dec. 31, compared to net income...

etravelserve.com changes ticker.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2000... Paul Johnson, president of etravelserve.com (OTC BB: BOAT) (OTG BB: TSER), announced the change of the company's symbol from BOAT to TSER. His firm Revenge Marine was in the boat manufacturing business, and etravelserve.com is building a new...

MerchantOnline.com joins pilot.
February 11, 2000... MerchantOnline.com (OTC BB: MRTO), a Boca Raton-based secure credit and debit card processor for Internet "e-tailers," is the newest member of an industry group formed to create industry standards for making secure ATM card payments over the...

Managed care company builds new Foundations.(Foundation Health Plan)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2000... After cleaning house at the top, Foundation Health Plan Florida is reporting positive earnings for the first time in more than a year. The last time Foundation showed a profit was in September 1998, when it reported a net income of $3.5...

Economist: 'Sticky eyeballs' not a good investment.(Robert Hormats advice on information technology stock investment)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2000... Wall Street economist Robert Hormats anticipates that the "information technology revolution" will continue to drive the U.S. economy for the foreseeable future, even though some investors might become more selective about young Internet firms....

Carnival, ally to develop engine.(Wartsila)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2000... Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) of Miami has a new partnership with the Finnish engine manufacturer, Wartsila NSD, to develop a smokeless, diesel-electric, propulsion system for cruise ships. Code-named "project enviro-engine," its prototypes of the...

Pitt implements Eclipsys technology.(UPMC Health System)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 11, 2000... Eclipsys Corp. (Nasdaq: ECLP), the Delray Beach provider of information solutions for health care organizations, says UPMC Health System in Pennsylvania will implement its enterprise master person index (EMPI) and dictionary-management...

Broadcast Web, Kerbango sign.(co-marketing agreement)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2000... International Internet Inc. (OTC BB: IINN) announced that The Broadcast Web Network Inc. (www.thebroadcastweb.com), its majority-owned subsidiary, has entered into a co-marketing agreement with Kerbango Inc., a startup aimed at Internet radio....