South Florida Business Journal articles from June 1996

South Florida Business Journal archives from June 1996

Avteam IPO set to take off next month. (Avteam Inc.; initial public offering)
June 7, 1996... MIRAMAR - A South Florida airplane parts company seeks to raise nearly $60 million next month and cash in on an initial public offering market that is still flying high. Miramar-based Avteam Inc. plans to sell up to 4 million shares at $13 to...

Agents: CHPA mission impossible. (insurance agents; Community Health Purchasing Alliances)
June 7, 1996... Insurers hold back on health alliances, they claim FORT LAUDERDALE - Harry Marklin is a great believer in the states Community Health Purchasing Alliances. So much so, he claims he was fired from his job with a large managed care organization...

Wayne and Bud battle for billboard business. (H. Wayne Huizenga's Republic Media and Lowell Paxson's Paxson Communications Corp.)
June 7, 1996... Two South Florida tycoons are taking center stage in a billboard-buying binge that will permanently alter the Orlando ad landscape: * Fort Lauderdale's H. Wayne Huizenga is waving his considerable bankroll in front of several Orlando billboard...

Royal Crown aims to shake up awareness of its soft drinks. (Royal Crown Company Inc.)(Company Profile)
June 7, 1996... FORT LAUDERDALE - In an effort to jump-start awareness of its traditionally low-profile brands, Fort Lauderdale-based Royal Crown Company Inc. is launching several innovative promotions during the summer soda season. The programs include a...

Office Depot furniture store sets Florida debut. (Furniture At Work)
June 14, 1996... FORT LAUDERDALE - Furniture At Work, a new division of the Delray Beach-based Office Depot chain, will make its Florida debut this summer at an old Discovery Zone site in east Fort Lauderdale. The 25,000-square-foot store, to be built at 2829...

Blood brothers: Viragen and Red Cross. (partnership between Viragen Inc. and the American Red Cross)
June 21, 1996... Unique transfusion of blood and technology boosts Hialeah firm's prospects Hialeah - A month ago, Viragen Inc. was an obscure little bulletin board stock. Today, it's trading on the Nasdaq Small Cap market for $6 to $9 a share. The company...

Home savings sale: too cheap or just too late? (Home Financial Corp.'s acquisition by First Union Corp.)
June 21, 1996... Shareholders grumble, but the high-priced glory days may be gone Home Financial Corp. finally cut a deal earlier this week, agreeing to sell itself to First Union Corp. for $336 million, or $13.40 per share, in First Union stock. But some...

New projects redefine Fort Lauderdale Beach. (real estate development in Fort Lauderdale)(Real Estate Monthly)
June 21, 1996... Luxury condos, retail planned Fort Lauderdale - In his half-century as a hotelier, George Gill has watched Fort Lauderdale Beach evolve from a barely-developed paradise into a tourist attraction dubbed the "Venice of America," then devolve...

ValuJet: learn the lesson of a company in crisis. (ValueJet Airlines Inc.)(Focus on Advertising and PR)
June 21, 1996... The ValuJet crash images were flashed before our eyes each day for weeks, reminders of a human tragedy. They are also wake-up calls for all South Florida businesses: A crisis can occur at any moment and ruin a strong corporation, its reputation...

Quick and Reilly opening second Admiralty Bank lobby brokerage. (Quick and Reilly Group Inc.'s successful strategy of opening a discount brokerage branch inside the Admiralty Bank office in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida)
June 21, 1996... Palm Beach Gardens - Following a successful debut some 10 months ago, Quick & Reilly is planning to put an office in a second Admiralty Bank branch next month, this one in Jupiter. Last August Quick & Reilly, the third largest discount...

As competition grows, PR people focus on niche markets. (public relations)(Focus on Advertising and PR)
June 21, 1996... When Stuart Newman opened his Miami public relations firm in 1946, he counted 11 competitors and focused on tourism. Today, the region hosts nearly 110 PR firms in Dade County alone, and the top 11 firms in South Florida each bring in around $1...

Geotek aims to lighten the load. (communications integration by Geotek Communications Inc.)
June 21, 1996... When Jonathan Franklin signed on to be a regional distributor for a new wireless system from Geotek Communications, Inc., he saw more than a new business opportunity. He saw answers to burdensome problems for himself and his customers. "People...

RICO suit calls hospitals a real racket: Boca man charging Tenet Healthcare breaks federal racketeering law. (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act)
June 28, 1996... Boca man charging Tenet Healthcare breaks federal racketeering law BOCA RATON - When Robert Sholkoff was rushed to the emergency room at West Boca Medical Center in January 1994, he was fighting for his life. Two years later, he's still...

Saks plans to nearly double space at Boca's Town Center: department store eyeing old Mervyn's spot. (Saks and Co.)
June 28, 1996... Department store eyeing old Mervyn's spot BOCA RATON - Saks Fifth Avenue is looking to vacate its store at Boca Raton's Town Center in favor of larger quarters in the mall's empty Mervyn's space. The move would nearly double Saks' presence...

Saving time or money? (hurricane-proof Blue Cross and Blue Shield building)
June 28, 1996... MIAMI - When it's finished, the four-story Blue Cross & Blue Shield building's $80,000 worth of hurricane shutters will comply with Dade County's Hurricane Andrew-inspired building code. But if a hurricane hits, will the building really be safe...

Budget Holiday Inn set for Lauderdale convention area.
June 28, 1996... FORT LAUDERDALE - While Broward County officials continue to seek developers for a major convention hotel, a Melbourne firm is preparing to start construction on a budget property just west of the convention center. If all goes smoothly, the...

PanAmerican Bank sees 'big, big plans for growth.'
June 28, 1996... MIAMI - The president and chief executive officer of PanAmerican Bank has resigned and the owners of the bank, the Ortega family, saw the bank they own in Ecuador taken over by regulators earlier this year. But PanAmerican Bank chairman Luis A....