South Florida Business Journal articles from July 1999

South Florida Business Journal archives from July 1999

Business prescription: doctors to test coverage on their own staffs.(health insurance of small businesses)
July 30, 1999... Physicians in Broward County will be the subjects of their own clinical trial as they team up with Beacon Health Systems of Coral Gables and two nonprofit health groups to offer health insurance to small businesses. The plan will be...

Girl's power = stock power.(Claire' Stores Inc.)
July 30, 1999... Claire's has what they all want - the right stuff The average item in any given Claire's Accessories store may cost no more than $3, and toe rings, dragonfly barrettes and fake tattoos are hardly Wall Street attire. But consistent...

IPOs for the masses.(initial public offerings)
July 30, 1999... Initial public offerings "have always been a big part of the brokerage industry's good ol' boy system," says Michael Golden, chairman of First Colonial Securities Group. But that sales network for institutional investors and wealthy...

CoStar has new service for brokers.(CoStar Realty Information Group)
July 30, 1999... Its real estate database now will include South Florida properties CoStar Realty Information Group has started keeping tabs on South Florida real estate. The Bethesda, Md.-based provider of property and tenant listings has opened a...

REIT, Butters to develop NorthPoint's last 13 acres.(real estate investment trust; Cabot Industrial Trust; Butters Construction and Development Inc.)
July 30, 1999... A venture involving a Boston-based real estate investment trust has signed a contract to buy the land that remains in NorthPoint Corporate Park in West Palm Beach. Cabot Industrial Trust, a relative newcomer to South Florida, and...

Software firm taking aim at FedEx, DHL and UPS.(From2.com)
July 30, 1999... Miami's From2.com has a hot pickup line: export compliance. The company, founded by the brothers who created fragrance wholesaler Perfumania, is part software designer, part snipping and logistics carrier. From2.com has...

Boca's Cybear going national on local sites.(Boca Raton, Florida)
July 30, 1999... Taking the first step into the consumer-driven Internet market of health care information, Boca Raton-based Cybear has teamed with Cox Interactive Media (CIM) to put patients in electronic touch with their doctors. The partnership puts...

Miami firm to build tower near Sawgrass Mills.(Parmenter Co.)
July 30, 1999... A Miami developer has snagged a $140 million portfolio from NationsBank and plans to build the tallest suburban office building in Broward County. The Parmenter Co.'s new 1.4 million-square-foot portfolio features 24 office buildings...

Broward woos largest independent movie studio.(Raleigh Studios; Broward County, Florida)
July 30, 1999... One of Tinseltown's oldest studios may land a starring role in South Florida. Raleigh Studios, the largest independent studio in terms of sound stages, has entertained ongoing discussions with local officials about building the first...

How suite it is: demand ahead for exec offices.(South Florida)
July 30, 1999... Kelly Byron's business was born from desperationn. Of course, that was back in 1987, when South Florida landlords were struggling to overcome ominous vacancy rates caused by an economic downturn. Byron was the property manager for a...

State uniform building code may be adopted by 2001.
July 30, 1999... The cost of a Floridian's dream home has many factors, including the county in which he lives. All because each county - 67 of them - has its own set of codes governing construction. That may change by 2001, if the Florida Legislature...

Mystery buyer revealed: Allen Yudell plans mixed-use for Boca Raton News land.
July 23, 1999... Allen Yudell plans mixed-use for Boca Raton News land Allen Yudell may be a little-known developer in Boca Raton, but not for long. Not only is he the mystery buyer of the coveted Boca Raton News land in the heart of the city's...

Sport Authority wants Yahoo! to spill the beans.(online slander)
July 23, 1999... Saying it's being slandered online, Lauderdale Lakes-based Sports Authority seeks a subpoena from a Miami-Dade court to learn the identity of the alleged culprit. In an action filed last week, the sporting goods retailer wants Santa...

Opus plans 700,000 square feet of Class A offices by Miami airport.(Opus South Corp.; Miami International Airport)
July 23, 1999... Opus South Corp. is sweeping into Miami's Airport West market with plans for up to 700,000 square feet of Class A offices. The developer, a division of Minneapolis-based Opus Corp., will start construction on its first 240,000-square-foot...

Applications filed for 2 new banks in S. Florida.(United American Bank and OptimumBank.com)
July 23, 1999... Two investor groups early this month filed applications with the state comptroller to open new commercial banks in South Florida. United American Bank would be based in Miami-Dade County's Doral area. OptimumBank.com would be based in a...

Flagship takes its medicine, moves into pharmacy services.(Flagship Healthcare's acquisition of MedChoice Pharmacy and Infusion Services)
July 23, 1999... In an effort to appear even more attractive to managed care companies, Miami Lakes-based Flagship Healthcare has acquired MedChoice Pharmacy and Infusion Services, a pharmacy services company. The bulk of Flagship's clients come from...

Burdines wraps up grand opening: 33 buses to promote products to be sold in new Aventura store.
July 23, 1999... 33 buses to promote products to be sold in new Aventura store Burdines drives an ad campaign around South Florida that's worth at least $350,000. Beginning this week, 33 public transit buses that run routes into Aventura Mall will be...

Ohio thrift acquires deposits of failed Oceanmark Bank.(Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland)
July 23, 1999... Third Federal Savings and Loan of Cleveland entered Florida July 9 by buying the deposits of the failed Oceanmark Bank FSB of North Miami Beach, and soon will look to expand in South Florida or on the state's west coast. Third Federal...

Union Planters quickly becoming a heavyweight.(Union Planters Bank)
July 23, 1999... Union Planters Bank has increased its South Florida presence 50 percent by acquiring Republic National Bank of Miami, which leaves a legacy of jump-starting hundreds of local Hispanic-owned businesses. Memphis, Tenn.-based Union Planters...

S. Florida benefits from firms' shared services.(multinational companies make South Florida the home of their Latin American operations)
July 23, 1999... For the 300 multinational companies that make South Florida the home of their Latin America operations, doing business across the region is a constant efficiency lesson. Because the big multinationals have had to operate subsidiary...

Dallas equity group looking for deals of up to $20 million.(Cumberland Equity Partners)
July 23, 1999... A new partnership fund has made South Florida a top target for its real estate investments. Dallas-based Cumberland Equity Partners has been approached by several potential partners in the tri-county market, although talks remain in the...

Don't crown King's plan yet.(boxing promoter Don King)
July 16, 1999... Development restrictions may limit fronton's use Boxing promoter Don King's plan for a swift turnaround for the Palm Beach Jai Alai fronton may not be a one-two punch. The fronton's long-standing development restrictions could pose a...

Mastering the mix.(entertainment centers)
July 16, 1999... More entertainment complexes come to region, but some concepts fall short of expectations Delayed store openings and quick-restaurants closings raise questions about whether the entertainment center fad has completed a transformation...

Urban pioneer aims to lead another transformation - Miami's edgewater.(Mark Soyka; Florida)
July 16, 1999... Where others see extinction, Mark Soyka sees potential. Example one: The original News Cafe on Ocean Drive, which opened in the late 1980s when South Beach was a slum and you could count the number of sidewalk cafes in Miami on one hand....

Entrepreneur creates successful niche on the waterfront.(businessman Michael Grimme)
July 16, 1999... Michael Grimme has discovered the crest between corporate structure and the value of individual service in the hospitality industry. His discovery has earned the owner of AMC Ventures the Small Business Person of the Year award from the Fort...

Publication helps concierge brings travelers, hospitality community together.
July 16, 1999... It is a concierge's job to be all things to all people. As their hotel's ambassadors to the public, concierges must be prepared to answer any question at any time, or at least know where to find the answer Their desks may be stocked...

Hospitals enter battle against office surgery rule.(Tallahassee, Florida)
July 16, 1999... TALLAHASSEE - A major medical turf battle over who will control the lucrative dollars that flow from cosmetic surgery patients continues to brew - and now hospitals have joined the fray against plastic surgeons. Three Florida hospital...

Unconventional wisdom.(Broward Convention Center, Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
July 16, 1999... Chef cooks up a whole new way of thinking at convention center Great chefs don't meet expectations. They exceed them. David Berman, executive chef for the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward Convention Center, recently presented Motorola with...

English luxury in Palm Beach.(Chesterfield Hotel in Florida)
July 16, 1999... Visit the Chesterfield Hotel during the prime season in Palm Beach and expect to pay $299 for a room with a king-size bed. We checked into the four-star hotel during the summer and had a Saturday night getaway for $107 with a AAA discount....

French fare int he Gables.(Le Provencal restaurant in Coral Gables, Florida)
July 16, 1999... It may be partly a myth that a reasonably priced, French meal is an unattainable extravagance. But Le Provencal dispels that theory. The restaurant has been in the same Coral Gables location and in the same family for more than a decade....

Uncommon rules create Golden Rule at Norman's.(Norman's restaurant in Coral Gables, Florida)
July 16, 1999... A small sheet of paper tacked up in white the host's podium sets the mood: Very Busy Tonight - Keep the energy up! Ready by 5:45. Curtain up at 6! The "curtain" at Norman's restaurant in Coral Gables is the front door, and in the hours...

It takes a village: TDL Corp. to add affordable living to booming Brickell.(Brickell Avenue, Florida)
July 9, 1999... TDL Corp. to add affordable living to booming Brickell A mixed-use development planned just west of Brickell Avenue could be a pivotal point in the area's transformation from a 9-to-5 district to a bustling urban neighborhood. North...

Delisting looms large for small caps.(South Florida's start up businesses finding it hard to survive under Nasdaq's new rules)
July 9, 1999... South Florida small caps may be experiencing an epidemic of Nasdaq delistings. Just three weeks after Nasdaq-Amex delisted Miami's Med/Waste for failing to meet net asset requirements, the market removed Plantation's Viragen for failing...

Seeing stars: Starbucks plans hyper growth in South Florida with three store openings every month.
July 9, 1999... Starbucks plans hyper growth in South Florida with three store openings every month Starbucks Coffee Company recently launched a caffeine-jolt growth strategy for South Florida: a new real estate and construction office in South Beach,...

REIT plans 1,690-unit apartment complex.(real estate investment trust)
July 9, 1999... A Denver-based real estate investment trust aims to erect the largest apartment community in South Florida on the former site of The Flamingo Hotel. Apartment Investment and Management Co. has assembled 17 acres at 1500 Bay Road in Miami...

Sun-Sentinel launches Spanish papers in Dade.(Dade City, Florida)
July 9, 1999... Its Community News Group corners home-delivery market The Sun-Sentinel Co. wasted little time capitalizing in a creative way on its acquisition of a local community newspaper chain. The newly named Sun-Sentinel Community News Group...

AutoNation making a major move in the Seattle market.(Seattle, Washington)
July 9, 1999... South Florida business mogul H. Wayne Huizenga's young-but-huge car dealership chain, AutoNation, appears ready to make a big impact in the Seattle area. AutoNation entered Washington state early last year by buying five dealerships in...

Levitz hires ad agency to create its new image.(Levitz Furniture; Harry Drury Cohen)
July 9, 1999... Levitz Furniture, a wobbly chain seeking to emerge from bankruptcy, has hired Fort Lauderdale advertising agency Harris Drury Cohen to help rebuild its image. The Boca Raton company closed all of its stores in Florida and five other...

Kislak, Skylake banks want to tie the knot.(Kislak National Bank and Skylake State Bank planning to merge)
July 9, 1999... Kislak National Bank of Miami Lakes and Skylake State Bank of North Miami Beach plan to apply for a merger this month with a goal of combining operations this fall. The banks, which have six South Florida offices and combined assets of...

H&R Block gains bigger presence in financial world.(acquires McGladrey and Pullen)
July 9, 1999... Acquires its eighth CPA firm to build national company H&R Block Inc. executives are known for being tax-savvy. But they also know how to shop for business bargains. That seems clear this week after the Kansas City-based tax-form...

Investor seeks to control Family Steak Houses board.(Bisco Industries Inc.)
July 9, 1999... The gold and white proxies just mailed to shareholders of Family Steak Houses of Florida Inc. represent a fight for control of the company. Lewis E. Christman Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Neptune Beach-based company,...

Angry Central Florida doctors rebuff U.S. Aetna Healthcare.
July 9, 1999... Miffed by an "all or nothing" clause, some Central Florida doctors refuse to renew their contracts with Aetna U.S. Healthcare. How many of insurance giant Aetna's Central Florida physicians will refuse to sign their contracts, or how...

Broward to experience Renaissance.(construction of Florida's first full-service hotel to be completed in Broward County)
July 2, 1999... Marriott boutique brand hotel planned across from county convention center Interlink Hospitality Corp. is completing plans for South Florida's first Renaissance Hotel, Marriott International's boutique brand. The 233-room property,...

Night fests set the stage.(fairs and festivals provide leverage for small business enterprises in South Florida)
July 2, 1999... Small businesses find a little entertainment provides extra traffic and new customers Small-business owners throughout South Florida's downtown areas are learning that a night festival can be big business - even if they close their shops...

Berrard's split may put AutoNation in driver's seat.(resignation of AutoNation USA CEO Steve Berrard gives way for various advantages)
July 2, 1999... Seeing Steve Berrard split from H. Wayne Huizenga at AutoNation USA this week is the business equivalent of seeing George Burns without Gracie Allen. The timing, though, makes sense in many ways: * AutoNation's stock (NYSE: AN) has...

Short trips are 'great introduction' to cruises.(Miami, Florida's booming cruise lines)
July 2, 1999... In an era of megaships, some cruise industry insiders say, mini-cruises are all the rage. They cost less. They take less time. And they give first-time cruisers an opportunity to, briefly, test the merchandise. "It's a super way to...

BankAtlantic subsidiary acquires Boca research firm.(Ryan, Beck and Co acquires Southeast Research Partners)
July 2, 1999... The investment banking industry's consolidation has reached South Florida with Ryan, Beck & Co., a subsidiary of Fort Lauderdale's BankAtlantic Bancorp, acquiring Southeast Research Partners of Boca Raton. Ryan, Beck of Livingston, N.J.,...

Telecom firm can travel across the tough terrain.(success of local wireless telecommunications provider CellTel International Inc)
July 2, 1999... Now that wireless t has made phones mobile, a Jacksonville businesswoman wondered why the supporting networks themselves couldn't be mobile. Elizabeth Wilson, president of CellTel International Inc. of Jacksonville, figured out how to...

Steak-ing her claim.(competition drives the success of Ruth's Chris Steak House)
July 2, 1999... At 72, Ruth's Chris leader keeps competitive fire Ruth Fertel is the kind of woman who doesn't pay attention to the odds. She doesn't worry about what everyone else is doing. She doesn't take "no" for an answer. And she doesn't rest...

Some major HMOs bleeding red ink; rates may rise.(Florida-based health maintenance organizations suffer from financial losses for the first quarter of 1999)
July 2, 1999... TALLAHASSEE - Despite adding new customers at a hectic pace, new first-quarter earnings reports confirm that the state's 35 health-maintenance organizations continue to suffer from sagging bottom lines. "It doesn't look good," said Peter...

Looked at your posters lately?(compliance of small business with labor laws)
July 2, 1999... Ignorance of the state, national labor laws could cost you up to $7,500 As many as 80 percent of the 900 U.S. businesses tested by G. Neil Cos. this year may have to pay fines of up to $7,500 for violations of federal and state labor...

Paving the way with coffees and cakes.(value-added services at Leon Medical Welcome Center)
July 2, 1999... Leon Medical opens welcome center to guide patients through Mercy Hospital Going in for medical tests isn't quite so bad if it means watching old movies on the way to a hospital where free pastries and Cuban coffee await. That's the...

Apartment tower planned on Miami's north Biscayne.(First Capital Trust LLC plans to erect an apartment tower along Biscayne Boulevard, Florida)
July 2, 1999... A European investor aims to capitalize on the revitalization of the Biscayne Boulevard corridor with a 35-story apartment tower. First Capital Trust L.L.C. will erect Biscayne Bay Tower on a 4.5-acre tract just east of Biscayne Boulevard...