South Florida Business Journal articles from January 1997

South Florida Business Journal archives from January 1997

Hot IPO market rewards some, burns others: CEOs say cash benefits outweigh risks of public scrutiny, diluted equity.
January 3, 1997... CEOs say cash benefits outweigh risks of public scrutiny, diluted equity In a year that saw a flurry of South Florida companies going public, few initial public offerings were more successful than that of Vincam Group. The Dade County...

The next South Beach? North Beach comeback is a growing reality. (North Beach, California)
January 3, 1997... MIAMI BEACH - Forty years ago, when hotels in North Beach were the epitome of glamour and Collins Avenue was the street of dreams, no one thought things could change, much less decline. Over time, though, the tourists stopped coming and were...

Small biz gets help on trade: new SBA program aims to increase and speed up export loans. (Small Business Administration's SBA Export Express)
January 3, 1997... WASHINGTON - Small business owners reluctant to expand their businesses globally because of overwhelming paperwork and cumbersome regulations may need to reconsider their strategy. The U.S. Small Business Administration is developing a program...

Omega pays $12M for Hidden Harbor. (Omega Development Group; waterfront areas in South Florida)
January 3, 1997... HIGHLAND BEACH - After a decade and a half of zoning disputes and courtroom battles, one of the last undeveloped waterfront parcels in South Florida has been sold. Omega Development Group, headed by Rhode Island developers Frank and Michael...

QVC putting products in the pink: TV shopping channel picks 10 S. Fla. companies.
January 3, 1997... Massaging mattresses, mini orange trees and flamingo pinatas could lead to million-dollar fortunes for some South Florida entrepreneurs and small business owners. Or at least land them some good exposure. Ten regional companies and 10...

Newest wrinkle in warehouses - going condo. (Dade County, Florida's freight-forwarding and international cargo business)
January 3, 1997... Home ownership long has been a staple of the American dream, but it's a concept that also appeals to small business owners. So it's probably no surprise that the strength of Dade County's freight-forwarding and international cargo business is...

Concourse Towers sold for $7 million. (office building)
January 3, 1997... WEST PALM BEACH - One of the few Palm Beach Lakes office complexes still struggling with high vacancies has a new owner and is getting a new leasing agent. Michael McCloskey and Jonathan Cameron-Hayes of Florida Realty paid a subsidiary of...

High demand in high-tech: shortage of qualified programmers forcing employers to pay more.(Small Business Strategies)
January 3, 1997... WASHINGTON - A shortage of qualified technology workers around the country is driving up wages, impacting college curriculums and separating the nation's true tech centers from the also-rans. After a bitter struggle to make their products...

Don't throw money away on trash collection.(Column)
January 3, 1997... Businesses everywhere generate a lot of trash. In fact, literally tons of it. Thanks to waste disposal contractors who haul away our rubbish, we are not reminded of this on a daily basis. To find a disposal contractor, you should understand how...

Managing under managed care: how one specialty center adapted to the changing demands in the '90s. (Renfrew Center)(Health Care Monthly)
January 3, 1997... In 1985, times were good for Samuel Menaged and his partners. They opened The Renfrew Center, a Philadelphia for-profit residential women's mental health center specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, and it quickly became a success....

How medical savings accounts will hurt business.(Health Care Monthly)(Column)
January 3, 1997... On Jan. 1, 1997, the Health Insurance Reform Act (the Kassebaum-Kennedy bill) became effective. One of the most controversial provisions is the establishment of a four-year demonstration program to allow the creation of up to 750,000 medical...

2000: tech bedlam or evil mayhem?(Column)
January 3, 1997... There will be depression Jan. 1, 2000, when some people realize space aliens are not showing up to mandate world peace, and there will be some rejoicing when the world does not end in a heavyweight battle between Evil and Good. I'm certain of...

Cheesecake Factory joins Dadeland lineup: popular eatery scraps NorthPort plans, considers Aventura and Las Olas.
January 10, 1997... Popular eatery scraps NorthPort plans, considers Aventura and Las Olas Cheesecake Factory, the phenomenally popular restaurant chain known for its massive menu and deadly desserts, has signed a lease with Miami's Dadeland Mall. Construction...

His deal's sewn up: Protect-A-Med has stretcher sheet business covered. (Protect-A-Med Corp.)
January 10, 1997... Protect-A-Med has stretcher sheet business covered You might say that Joseph Corente's business involves a lot of "undercover" work. But instead of a badge, he carries a patent for a unique type of sheet used by emergency medical personnel....

Auto Auction to add 187 acres in North Dade.
January 10, 1997... An auto auctioneer plans to turn a vacant tract in northern Dade County into a market where more than 150,000 cars a year would change hands. Fueled by booming business at its Opa-locka site, Adesa South Florida Auto Auction hopes to complete...

Many HMOs on state sick list: state says 22 plans don't make enough money to be safe. (Florida health maintenance organizations)
January 10, 1997... Twenty-two of the state's 37 HMOs failed to achieve a 2 percent return on revenue - the level required by the state - during the second quarter of 1996, the most recent results available. Most HMOs blame that financial shortfall on an...

Producer aims to bring TV spotlight back to SoBe: 'Live from South Beach' special tests the water for weekly series. (Bayard Spector)
January 10, 1997... 'Live from South Beach' special tests the water for weekly series MIAMI BEACH - Legendary entertainer Jackie Gleason would always close his popular '60s television show by proclaiming to the nation that "the Miami Beach audience is the...

Boomers taking plastic - surgery: businesspeople taking tucks, looking for lifts to help them compete.
January 10, 1997... Marilyn Smith seemed an unlikely candidate for plastic surgery. Like many women of her generation, "I devoted my time to building a career," said the 53-year-old liquor importer, who travels the world and gives lectures on distilled spirits. "I...

New owners 'changing everything' at former Design Center. (Sheraton Design Center Hotel changed to Wyndham Hotel-Fort Lauerdale Airport)(Starwood Lodging Corp.)
January 10, 1997... DANIA - Wyndham, an upscale hotel brand that competes for the same customers as Hyatt, Hilton and Doubletree, has raised its flag in South Florida just in time for the new year. The Dallas-based chain has franchised its name and reservations...

Two plans for doctor-owned HMOs call it quits. (health maintenance organizations Primus Health Care and Doctors' Health Plan disbanding)
January 10, 1997... They thought they had the support they needed, but when it came time to ante up, two organizations found Florida doctors were not prepared to take on the state's highly competitive managed care industry. Primus Health Care in Aventura and...

'Net gain for doctors: a World Wide Web site offering heart information has pateints beating a path to the doctors behind it.
January 10, 1997... HOLLYWOOD - What began as a way to get the latest medical information out to the masses has become a marketing tool generating patient referrals to a group of cardiologists working behind the screens. Started in May by Andre Priersky of New...

Dade businesses need good schools - and vice versa.(Focus on Dade County)(Column)
January 10, 1997... The degree of excellence in education is in direct proportion to the quality of the businesses that locate and stay in a community, as everyone knows. It is nevertheless important to begin with the universal and apply it to the particular - in...

Great potential, great problems. (Dade County employment and economic development)(Focus on Dade County)
January 10, 1997... Precision Response Corp. added 2,000 new jobs in Dade County in 1996. This year, the rapidly growing North Dade telemarketing company plans to hire another 1,500 people. Even better, from the standpoint of economic development officials,...

Dade's new water meter ordinance may hurt real estate industry.(Focus on Dade County)(Column)
January 10, 1997... Populists seeking examples of too much government need look no further than Metro-Dade County to demonstrate how bureaucratic over-regulation can delay and even destroy important programs that serve the long-term needs of the public and the...

FedEx delivering leases for up to 500,000 sq. feet: overnight shipper consolidates centers in three countries.
January 17, 1997... Federal Express Corp. is ready to lease up to half a million square feet of new space throughout South Florida as it consolidates area distribution centers. Memphis, Tenn.-based FedEx plans to ship packages from new distribution facilities at...

Having a (presidential) ball. (preparation of Bill Clinton's inaugural ball by an entertainment professional Bill Orosz)
January 17, 1997... From Estefan to Hootie, Miami Beach producer lines up the talent for 14 inaugural galas MIAMI BEACH - When President Bill Clinton was invited back to Washington, D.C., so was Miami Beach businessman Bill Orosz. Orosz, president of ACT...

IVAX: Seldane woes won't hurt us. (order by the FDA to pull out the drug from the market)
January 17, 1997... Miami firm spent two years getting approval for its generic version, which just hit the shelves IVAX Corp. execs are playing down any potential financial impact of the Food and Drug Administration's recent recommendation to pull the drug...

Rooms To Go testing kids' room concept. (Tampa, FL-based furniture chain)
January 17, 1997... FORT LAUDERDALE - Rooms To Go, the Tampa-based furniture chain whose stores have become a fixture on the South Florida landscape, has chosen Fort Lauderdale as a testing ground for its new spin-off concept. The first Rooms To Go Kids store will...

Breast X-ray centers scope out money: National Mammography Centers plans to open 200 offices this year.
January 17, 1997... Fernando Ortiz wants to be to mammography what Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. is to hospitals. The 41-year-old entrepreneur believes that if he can consolidate the mammography industry, he can take a relatively inexpensive procedure and make...

State nixes most new hospital beds. (Florida decision makers disapprove most of the requests to add hospital beds)
January 17, 1997... South Florida hospitals vying to add beds or establish new services didn't fair well with state decision makers. Of the 23 health care companies who put in their bids, only Miami Children's Hospital's request to add five neonatal intensive care...

Tools for a dream. (Businesswoman Carrie Bogue's realization of dream in the purchase of Dexter Tool Co.)(Small Business Strategies)
January 17, 1997... Carrie Bogue's goal was to own her own manufacturing business. But a dream by any other name would have been a lot easier As a 20-year-old business student in Indianapolis, Carrie Bogue wrote down a list of lifetime goals for herself. Among...

Hot seat for Enterprise Florida. (public-private economic development partnership)
January 24, 1997... Senators worry that development group may turn into bureaucracy as usual TALLAHASSEE - Enterprise Florida was created through a bipartisan desire to expand and diversify Florida's economy. But in Tuesday's meeting of the Senate Commerce and...

Chiles' budget heavy on tourism and development. (Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles)
January 24, 1997... TALLAHASSEE - While other state agencies get by with less, Florida's economic development and tourism initiatives would see double-digit increases under Gov. Lawton Chiles' proposed $42 billion budget for 1997-98. In all, economic development...

Dillard entry heating up retail market. (Dillard Department Stores Inc.)
January 24, 1997... With Dillard Department Stores planning to quadruple its South Florida presence, there are those who wonder whether Miami-based Burdines can handle the competition. Carey Watson is not one of them. "We like to focus on our customer, not the...

Dolphins fan support up in '96. (Miami Dolphins football team)
January 24, 1997... But Denver, Green Bay still lead annual list The Miami Dolphins' on-field performance fell off a bit in 1996, but fans were heartened by the arrival of Jimmy Johnson. The Johnson euphoria helped improve the Dolphins' standing in South...

Two new pro football leagues courting Miami.
January 24, 1997... A start-up football league plans to place a pro team in Miami, and the Orange Bowl could be the club's home field. Miami officials said they've been negotiating lease terms with the All American Football League for about six months. And the...

Big brother wanted. (regulation of Florida's home inspectors)
January 24, 1997... Too much government? Not for Florida's home inspectors - they want to be regulated For the past three years, some home inspectors in Florida have been lobbying for more government, not less: They want the state to regulate them. Now they're...

New trends in merchandising help sell homes in today's market.
January 24, 1997... Imagine designing a house for strangers you want to impress enough to persuade them to make what may be the biggest investment of their lives - the purchase of a new home. That's "model merchandising," the art of making a model home look like...

Shopping centers must establish 'partnerships' with tenants.
January 24, 1997... In today's fragile South Florida retail environment, owners of shopping centers and their leasing agents frequently forget that they are in a partnership relationship with their tenants. The formula for success is simple: If the retailers are...

Doctors, HMOs: Medicare cuts mean less care. (health maintenance organizations)
January 24, 1997... HMOs, hospitals and doctors are frequently at odds when it comes to money, but this week they all agree: President Clinton's Tuesday proposal to cut Medicare payments to HMOs and health care providers will have one ultimate loser: the patient....

Health cards: dealing up a bargain - for some. (health care discount cards) (includes profiles of three competing discount health care card companies)
January 24, 1997... They are to health care what Sam's Club is to retail. And with three companies vying to make their mark in South Florida, health care discount clubs are pitching everything from acupuncture to veterinarian services. Those hawking the cards say...

Venture Cap forum matches companies, cash. (Florida Venture Capital Conference, Coral Gables, FL)
January 24, 1997... The founders of SportsLine USA became accustomed to rejection when they were seeking venture capital for their start-up on-line service. The Fort Lauderdale company eventually raised $32 million in venture capital from a variety of investors -...

How businesses can sublease commercial space they no longer need.
January 24, 1997... In this era of corporate downsizing, mergers and business relocations, commercial real estate tenants often are left with office or warehouse space they do not need. Even with excess space, the tenant must still continue to pay rent. Unless...

VA chiefs ready to spend their cut of new money. (Veterans Administration)
January 24, 1997... Boost to states with more vets will help Miami and West Palm hospitals It will be at least two months before they know how the money will be divvied up, but if Thomas Doherty has his way, one of the first things he'd like to do is hire another...

Sale/leasebacks keep debt off your property's balance sheet.
January 24, 1997... How can owners of real estate obtain 100 percent financing, keep debt off their balance sheet and still retain the tax advantages of ownership? Owners of real estate generally finance the real estate in order to reduce their cash investment....

TV shopping network owner tries to resolve complaints. (Mark Gray of TV Shopping Spree Inc.)
January 24, 1997... The owner of a startup TV shopping network says he is close to resolving a list of complaints that resulted in an investigation by the state attorney general's office. The state began investigating Sarasota businessman Mark Gray's TV Shopping...

South Florida to be well represented at venture cap conference. (venture capital)
January 24, 1997... Many of the companies presenting their stories at the Venture Capital Conference are from South Florida. Here are briefs on a few of them: Cellular Works Inc. Cellular Works Inc. in Hollywood has found success with its consumer catalog...

The cartoon condo. (cartoonist Mort Walker, creator of Beetle Bailey)
January 24, 1997... Sure there are plenty of cartoons in the Boca Raton home of 'Beetle Bailey' creator Mort Walker, but there's lots of other art, too Mort Walker, cartoonist extraordinaire, is the driving force behind - and one of the inspirations for - The...

To achieve your big goals, find an even bigger truth. (salesmanship)
January 24, 1997... Personal achievement. Success. Fulfillment. Big words that every entrepreneur or salesperson seeks. "Get there by setting goals," they say. "Wrong," I say. Now, I'm not saying don't set goals. I am saying don't set big-goals and think...

Critics cook up raves and roasts. (restaurant critics)
January 24, 1997... Chefs say restaurant reviews can help eateries fly - or fry It's the moment every restaurateur fears and lives for - a review that can mean the difference between long lines and empty tables. For chef Norman Van Aken, once a novice working at...

Royal Caribbean Classic: where sports and business link up. (golf competition)
January 24, 1997... For the nation's finest professional golfers over age 50, the 1997 Royal Caribbean Classic offers an opportunity to compete for an $850,000 purse in the kickoff event of the 1997 PGA Senior Tour. For millions of sports fans, the week-long event...

He doesn't want much: just 50% of the $600B auto pie. (Wayne Huizenga's Republic Industries Inc.'s investments in auto dealerships)
January 31, 1997... Six months after Carlisle Motors introduced no-haggle pricing at its dealerships in Clearwater and St. Petersburg, the company was approached by the auto industry's new king of deals. In August, Wayne Huizenga's Republic Industries told...

Hot West Coast eatery signs deals in Dade. (P.F. Chang's China Bistro)
January 31, 1997... Restaurants to open in the Falls, Aventura MIAMI - P.F. Chang's China Bistro, one of the West Coast's hottest restaurant concepts, will make its South Florida debut this year with two Dado County locations. The four-year-old chain has signed...

State's Medicaid crackdown is national model. (Florida crackdown on Medicaid fraud)
January 31, 1997... Florida's intensive yearlong crackdown on Medicaid fraud is rapidly weeding out people and companies that have scammed millions of dollars from the government. For years, the state's $6.7 billion Medicaid program, which provides healthcare for...

Developer pitches charter school for 2,000-home Miramar project. (Fernando Zulueta of Excel Development of Miami)
January 31, 1997... South Florida developers haven't exactly been clamoring to start charter schools. But for home builder Fernando Zulueta, the institutions seem a promising tool in the right against Southwest Broward's school crowding. Zulueta, head of Excel...

Carving out a niche as 'department store' of HR supplies. (G. Neil)(Human Resources Quarterly)
January 31, 1997... Ever notice those labor law posters hanging in your company cafeteria? A lot of them are made right here in South Florida. Gary Neil Brown describes his fast-growing company as a department store of supplies for human resource departments. "We,...

New niche in the temporary help market: legal staffing.(Human Resources Quarterly)
January 31, 1997... As the owner of a court reporting company that has been taking depositions and civil trial testimony in South Florida since 1983, Jessica Berman has her fingers on the pulse of the legal community. In recent years, she detected a growing market...

White collar crime: how you can protect your company.(Human Resources Quarterly)
January 31, 1997... Under law, a corporation can be held liable for criminal acts of its employees - even when they act without the knowledge or approval of management. That includes the janitor who dumps toxic waste down the drain or the salesman who lies to a...

Want your MTV Latin America? Not in South Florida. (Gold Coast Cablevision drops network from its roster)
January 31, 1997... Network's home is Miami Beach, but cable cuts mean we won't be able to see it here MIAMI BEACH - Cable viewers who want their MTV Latin America will have to leave South Florida to get it. The Spanish-language version of MTV (formerly called...

Muvico plans 'the Home Depot-ing' of theaters.... (Muvico Theaters)
January 31, 1997... Mega-plexes planned from Pompano Beach to Tennessee to the Caribbean and Latin America Muvico Theaters president Hamid Hashemi believes if he builds his mega-theaters, the patrons will come. Especially if his theaters are loaded with...

... But Miami Beach may have to sacrifice its Lincoln Road Virgin. (plan of Virgin Cinemas on hold due to Cobb Theatres Inc. project)
January 31, 1997... MIAMI BEACH - Four months after two developers began their race to build a movie theater on Lincoln Road, an 18-screen Cobb theater appears to be taking center stage while a splashier plan from Virgin Cinemas waits in the wings. The City of...

How smart companies can ward off employment-related lawsuits.(Human Resources Quarterly)
January 31, 1997... Employment law is in the midst of a unique period in legal history, due to the outrageous proliferation of lawsuits. In every federal court, employment-discrimination cases outnumber all other cases by a huge margin. In the past 10 years, more...

InPhyNet merger plans prompt Memorial to put contract on hold. (InPhyNet Medical Management Inc.'s planned merger with MedPartners Inc.; Memorial Healthcare System)
January 31, 1997... HOLLYWOOD - Surprised by the recent announcement that InPhyNet Medical Management planned to merge with Alabama-based MedPartners, Memorial Healthcare System CEO Frank Sacco has decided to hold off on signing any new emergency room contract - for...

Festival Flea Market in talks to transform struggling Texas mall. (Forum Value Mall)
January 31, 1997... POMPANO BEACH - The Festival Flea Market, which attracts 40,000 bargain-hunters to Pompano Beach every day, soon may be looking for similar success in Arlington, Texas. Festival owner Daniel Shooster is talking to the owners of Arlington's...

Power to enforce non-compete covenants is given back to business.(Human Resources Quarterly)
January 31, 1997... Since last July, the business world has gained considerable power in its efforts to prevent employees from leaving and competing with their former employer. With a complete overhaul of the Florida statute covering "covenants not to compete," it...

Reincarnated Miracle Center lining up new tenants. (Coral Gables shopping mall)
January 31, 1997... The tenant list is shaping up at Miracle Center, the Coral Gables mall that's being transformed into a combination shopping center/open-air marketplace under the new name Village at Paseos. Stocks & Stocks, the South African company that owns...

Intellectual property protection in Latin America.
January 31, 1997... You're visiting a foreign country and, to your alarm, discover a former friend there has assumed your identity. Not only has he swiped your name, which is a famous one, but he's benefiting from it financially by using it in unethical ways. You...

Wayne's shopping spree - billions and billions in just 7 months. (Wayne Huizenga of Republic Industries Inc.)
January 31, 1997... Wayne Huizenga has done a dizzying number of deals in the last seven months. Republic Industries spent $1.2 billion on two of the nation's largest car rental firms and a couple billion more on a variety of auto dealerships, garbage haulers and...

Eternal marketing is the price of success.
January 31, 1997... Success in any business requires a sustained, multi-faceted marketing focus. Take the case of Erin. Erin's vision began as a dream of a business that could fulfill an unmet need. Once the need was clarified, Erin formulated the concept of a...