South Florida Business Journal articles from June 2001

South Florida Business Journal archives from June 2001

Diamond losing its luster.(White Diamond project at 6365 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach, Florida)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Signature condo building facing liens, foreclosure It remains a diamond in the rough and you can buy it for about $30 million. Billed as the world's tallest oceanfront condominium tower by its Brazilian owner Mucio Athayde, the...

Doctor charged with viatical fraud.(life insurance firm)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... A Miami Beach doctor, Clark Carlton Mitchell, working for the Fort Lauderdale-based Mutual Benefits Corp., one of the country's largest viatical settlement providers, has been charged with fraud. Mitchell allegedly lied about conferring...

Bankers have personal stake in Wachovia.(possible merger)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Check around South Florida and you'll find hundreds of bankers who own stock in Wachovia Corp. as a result of mergers that swallowed up more than a dozen South Florida banks. You'll also find that officers and directors of most of those...

Telecom rush hits slowdown.(real estate)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... "Telecom market? What telecom market? It's dead. Completely shut off." That's David Voell, senior VP at Cushman & Wakefield of Florida in Miami, talking about what six months ago was the darling of the real estate industry in this market...

Gone to a virtual workplace, but not forgotten.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Cambridge Technology Partners leaves its fifth-floor offices in Miami To leave an area and no one cares is one thing, but to leave an area and no one notices is quite another. Cambridge Technology Partners (Nasdaq: CATP), like Elvis,...

Koch whistle-blower case settled for $25 million.(Koch Industries, False Claims Act)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The 12-year-old Qui Tam, or whistleblower case, brought by Palm Beach resident Bill Koch against his family's Wichita, Kan.-based Koch Industries has been finally settled. Although the parties had agreed not to release the settlement...

Law to aid small business hurting them instead.(managed care rule)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Insurance statute not panning out as planned A year-old state law designed to improve Florida's climate for health insurers is getting mixed reviews. The law was designed to attract more managed care companies to Florida. Ultimately,...

Pro Player may not host Suns me Football Classic.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Lack of signed sponsor throws bout in doubt The Sunshine Football Classic -- previously known as the Micronpc.com Bowl, the Carquest Bowl and the Blockbuster Bowl -- may not be back at Miami's Pro Player Stadium this year after being played...

Stiles opens Tampa office to oversee central Florida.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Stiles Construction Co., a division of Fort Lauderdale-based Stiles Corp., recently opened an office at 4508 Oak Fair Blvd. in Tampa to oversee projects in central Florida. Those projects previously were supervised from South Florida and an...

Southern Community opens in West Palm Beach.(loan office)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Southern Community Bancorp of Orlando has opened a loan office in West Palm Beach and plans to base a full-service bank there. The West Palm Beach-based bank would have the name Southern Community Bank of South Florida, mirroring names for...

New Democrat Senate puts business on defensive'.(managed care law and other topics)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Democratic control of the Senate makes it more likely that small business lobbyists will lose their fight against managed care reform legislation that would allow patients to sue their HMOs. Additional tax cuts beyond those included in...

The Sports Authority.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Fort Lauderdale-based The Sports Authority (NYSE: TSA) reported net loss in the first quarter ended May 5 of $6.33 million or 19 cents a share compared with net income of $8.97 million or 28 cents a share. This year's loss included $1.11...

Shochet Holding Corp.(net loss)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Hallandale Beach-based Shochet Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: SHOC) had a net loss of $3.1 million or $1.45 a share on revenues of $8.2 million for the year ended Jan. 31. That compares with a loss of $1.2 million or 45 cents a share on revenues of...

Visual Data Corp.(finance)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Visual Data Corp. of Pompano Beach (Nasdaq:VDAT) announced a net loss of $3 million or 30 cents a share for the second quarter ended March 31 compared to a net loss of $2.4 million or 28 cents a share a year earlier. Revenue increased 44...

Rica Foods.(income)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Miami-based Rica Foods (Amex: RCF) had a net loss of $395,693 or 3 cents a share on revenues of $31.3 million for the second quarter ended March 31. That compares with a profit of $582,404 or 4 cents a share on revenues of $30.3 million for the...

BCT International.(income)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... BCT International (Nasdaq: BCTI) of Fort Lauderdale announced a drop in net income to $644,000 or 13 cents a share for the year ended Feb. 29 from net income of $1.01 million or 19 cents a share in the prior year. BCT, which operates the...

HEICO Corp.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Hollywood- and Miami-based HEICO Corp. (NYSE:HEI; HEI.A) reported net income for the second quarter ended April 30 of $4.81 million or 24 cents a share on sales of $41.74 million. That compares with net income of $4.79 million or 24 cents a...

Benihana.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Miami-based Benihana (Nasdaq: BNHN and BNHNA) posted net income for the fourth quarter ended April 1 of $2.9 million or 45 cents a share compared with $2.7 million or 40 cents a share in the prior year's fourth quarter. The restaurant chain...

Broker unwittingly gave good advice on loser stock.
June 1, 2001... Dear Mr. Berko: My broker recommends I buy 1,000 shares of Network Plus, which trades below $4 a share. He says the company has lost money, but that it could triple in the next 12 months. What do you think? D.G. Dear D.G.: Network Plus...

JP Morgan on Claire's: Looks may be deceiving.
June 1, 2001... * Profile: Claire's Stores sells to teens who have limited budgets and love shopping at malls. Claire's operates more than 3,000 boutiques, primarily in malls, that sell jewelry and accessories for girls. Stores include Claire's, Afterthoughts....

This banker makes house calls.
June 1, 2001... Community banker Richard Schneider knows the value of the personal touch. Since 1996, Schneider has driven around south MiamiDade County making house and office calls. "It's the way banking used to be," the gregarious go-getter said....

Full speed ahead.
June 1, 2001... Admiralty Bancorp of Palm Beach Gardens is preparing to bring in more than $9 million in new capital, and it is looking to open its first branch in Broward County by the end of the year. Admiralty (Nasdaq: AAABB) grew from $170 million to...

Bush signs nursing home measure.
June 1, 2001... As expected, Gov. Jeb Bush signed into law a bill that provides some relief from the resident-liability lawsuits that put some nursing homes across the state close to bankruptcy. The comprehensive law sets caps on lawsuit awards and boosts...

Hunka, hunka burning trash.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... For 10 years, Wheelabrator South Broward has converted household trash to energy at a facility on South State Road 7 in Fort Lauderdale. City and county dignitaries and the media took a tour of the plant May 9 to celebrate the anniversary....

Szechuan Spam.
June 1, 2001... The Business Journal's editors receive at least 400 unsolicited e-mails a week. Below is a note from one of our readers in China. At least we'd like to think he's reading, but based on the subject matter, probably not. From:...

For rent: studio with amenities.
June 1, 2001... Ten months after opening its $20 million, 76,000-square-foot building, WTVJ NBC-6 is trying to make some extra money by renting its assets. The TV station is renting out one of the two all-digital TV studios near Miramar Parkway and I-75....

GOP loses more than Jeffords.
June 1, 2001... Miami's Discovery Group leader and outspoken shareholder activist is livid. Gunther Karger submitted a "letter to the editor" to South Florida daily newspapers declaring that former Republican U.S. Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont is not the...

A solid foundation at the Pro.
June 1, 2001... With the Florida Marlins threatening to leave Pro Player Stadium, are the bonds that were issued to help build the public stadium on shaky ground? Hardly. Last month, Fitch IBCA affirmed its high rating on $76 million of bonds that...

Largest Architecture Firms.(Illustration)
June 1, 2001... Largest Architecture Firms Ranked by 2000 South Florida [*] gross achitectural billings, ties broken by number of registered architects in South Florida Rank Firm 2001...

Gadgets and toys.(Fujifilm's FinePix 40i digital camera)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... More from the domain of time and space: spiffy techno toys and image collection devices. Fujifilm's FinePix 40i digital camera, right, is also a video recorder and MP3 player ($599). Choose different dial colors of the Navy SEAL Dive Series of...

Steaking a claim.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Life is short. So sometimes we need to spend it on something that doesn't last long - like a tasty steak. The Palm Restaurant has been around 75 years, and in Bay Harbor Islands for a few decades. Now, the popular restaurant with caricatures of...

South Florida Water Management District.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The South Florida Water Management District received the American Society of Civil Engineers (Palm Beach Branch) 2000 Project of the Year award for two major components of the Everglades Construction Project.

Valor Award.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The following individuals were honored with the American Diabetes Association Valor Award at a luncheon today: Sen. Walter "Skip" Campbell, Louis Chaykin, Nicki Grossman, Maxine Hamilton, Norman Kaplan, Cristina Mata, Cynthia Peterson, Doreen...

NUSA Notable Award.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Mark F. Grant, a partner in the Fort Lauderdale law firm of Ruden, McClosky, Smith, Shuster & Russell, was chosen by Neighborhoods, USA as a recipient of the NUSA Notable Award for his support of community and neighborhood efforts.

Carnival Cruise Line.(on environmental protection issues)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Spirit received a Green Star designation for meeting environmental standards for Clean Sea and Clean Air established by the Registro Italiano Navale Group.

Robert C. Kneip.(Wackenhut Resources president/CEO gets award from School District of Palm Beach County, FL)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The School District of Palm Beach County recognized Robert C. Kneip, president and CEO of Wackenhut Resources, with the Gold Award in The Community Leader category of the Superintendent's Partners in Education Award Program.

Who in Executives & Professionals.(Rachele J. Scholes included)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Rachele J. Scholes, president of Newz2Use Public Relations, was included in the 2002 edition of Who's Who in Executives & Professionals.

TransMedia Group.(contract with Rosenberg, Holt, Zinser and Ganeles)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Palm Beach County-based dental practice of Rosenberg, Holt, Zinser and Ganeles has retained TransMedia Group of Boca Raton to conduct its public relations efforts.

Robert Walters Architects.(contract for Coconut Creek Sport Center addition, Florida)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Robert Walters Architects of Fort Lauderdale was selected by the city of Coconut Creek to design the Coconut Creek Sport Center building addition.

Quarthz Events and Marketing.(contract with IBM Lotus Latin America)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... IBM Lotus Latin America selected Quarthz Events and Marketing of Miami Beach to handle event planning, execution and management efforts for the IBM-Lotus America Partner Summit.

B. Pila Design Studio.(contract with Brickell Place Condominium Association)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... B. Pila Design Studio in Miami has been retained by the Brickell Place Condominium Association to renovate public spaces at Brickell Place.

Scott Blakeslee Disher & Associates.(contract with Ecclestone Signature Homes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Ecclestone Signature Homes awarded contracts to Scott Blakeslee Disher & Associates of Boynton Beach and Shelburne Design Group of West Palm Beach for architectural design and interior design of its "Majestic" model in the Palm Beach Polo Golf...

Comprehensive Lifestyle Communications.(contract with GAETA Development Co.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... West Palm Beach-based Comprehensive Lifestyle Communications will provide GAETA Development Company with public relations and marketing services.

Broward County Chamber of Commerce.(launches Web site)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Broward County Chamber of Commerce recently launched its site at www.BrowardBiz.com.

Agora Travel.(contract with Carnival Cruise Line)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Agora Travel, in cooperation with Carnival Cruise Line, now provides online self-booking at www.agoratravel.com.

Dolphin Mall.(Web site information, Florida)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The new Dolphin Mall's Web site, at www.shopdolphinmall.com and The Falls'Web site, at www.shopthefalls.com, offer an e-bulletin service to let people know what's new at the two malls.

University of Miami.(launches website)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The University of Miami launched a Spanish version of its Web site at www.miami.edu/espanol.

Interval International.(launches Clublnterval.com)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Interval International in Miami launched Clublnterval.com offering members information and online booking capabilities.

MADSearch.(from Click121.com)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... MADSearch, a new tool on Click121.com, offers real-time sales and customer service technology to meeting planners with hotel and conference service needs.

South Broward Cardiology Associates.(launches website)
June 1, 2001... South Broward Cardiology Associates launched a Spanish Web site at www.centrocardiovascular.com.

Weave a Web.(brief website design information)
June 1, 2001... There are many experts, specialists, advisers and consultants giving advice about Web sites. The tool used to create the site may not be as important as the end result. What to look at? Use the following list for an initial inspection: *...

Keeping steady.(Balancing demands poll information)(Polling Data)
June 1, 2001... How well do you balance personal and professional demands? That is what CNN wanted to know. A poll (posted on its Web site) received 2,691 respondents, 10 percent of whom said they are a couple with a family and are barely keeping it...

Get it straight.(management technique)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Do you cringe when your assistant calls in sick, knowing you'll have to spend more time than necessary looking for e-mails, files and presentations? For business owners, filing systems are often a source of frustration. Ideas for managing...

JOYS IN THE ATTIC.(The Junktique Collector management information)
June 1, 2001... Hobby turns into a treasure trove of business There's more than enough junk for everyone. Just ask Michael Grusby, owner of The Junktique Collector. Based in Plantation and incorporated last year, the business began as a hobby in 1994, when...

What to do in the New New Economy? Get ready.(business forecasting)
June 1, 2001... The New New Economy. That's the economy coming right after the New Economy's bubble finishes bursting. The new economy is over. Some of it worked, some of it bombed, or should I say, dot.bombed. And many businesses -- dot or not -- are...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(brief area personnel changes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... BANKING/FINANCE Washington Mutual in Miami appointed Ann R. Kashmer first vice president and corporate affairs manager. Palm Beach National Bank & Trust Co. in Palm Beach Gardens named Ross W. Schmidt and William M.B. Fleming to its...

Land rush.(Florida developers make questionable deal with Broward County)
June 1, 2001... When voters in Broward County approved a $400 million referendum to purchase environmentally sensitive land for parks, they undoubtedly didn't anticipate the first two proposed sites. One was 96.3 acres of scrub land for a regional park in...

Raising the stakes in cloning.(attempt to clone Vlad the Impaler)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Imagine that Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park" dreams are reality. We can take DNA from long departed life forms and breed them in labs, cloning new versions of creatures that have not walked the earth for centuries. Once the technology...

Thudding sound around movie is misguided critics.(Pearl Harbor Review)(Review)
June 1, 2001... I saw "Pearl Harbor" over Memorial Day weekend. I almost didn't. I'd heard about all the reviews panning the movie because it wasted the first 90 minutes establishing a love story had drippy dialog and shallow characters. But I went...

How to stall like a pro.(procrastination methods)
June 1, 2001... I'm a procrastinator. Has a nasty ring to it, doesn't it? Like, 'I'm a liar" or "I'm a thief." I never really thought there was much wrong with procrastinating. I kept up with the little stuff, like paying bills, and somehow the big stuff...

Wachovia's Lowe to leave South Florida.(Rebekah Lowe )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Wachovia Corp. announced that it has appointed Rebekah Lowe regional president for its Asheville/Western Carolina region, effective upon completion of the bank's merger with First Union Corp.. Lowe has been Wachovia's top executive for...

ELEVEN LOCAL FIRMS ON WORKING WOMAN 500.
June 1, 2001... Working Woman magazine will honor 11 South Florida companies owned and operated by women in its June issue as part of its 500 list. The companies, the women who lead them, their rank and 2000 revenues are as follows: * JM Family...

GUESS WHAT? SUCCESS EQUALS STRESS.(survey of women show advances in workplace, additional stress)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2001... Women have found success in the new economy, but they also report more stress, according to a survey of Silicon Valley women released last month. MSNBC reported that more than half the women surveyed identified their work as primarily...

CORRECTION.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2001... In the May issue, Bill Squire was incorrectly identified. He is a partner in South Beach Investment Realty with Diane and Alan Lieberman.

Out of the Panhandle and into the fighter.(attorney Dione Carroll)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Three traits traditionally not attributed to Florida belles raised a few horse farms away from the Alabama border: their ability to shatter two-inch-thick blocks of concrete with a forearm, crack baseball bats in two with a shin kick and work...

From Supermom to sanity.(Time management)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... About six weeks after my son, Rylan, was born, my fantasies of being the perfect wife, mother and career woman flew right out the window. I remember thinking, "How am I going to do everything?" I'll admit it. I was scared. Prior to...

South African entrepreneur inspired by American dream.(Ruchel Louis)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Six years ago, Ruchel Louis started Successful Images from her partner's home with nothing but the American dream to guide her. Today, the South African native operates her interactive communications firm from a 5,000-square-foot office. ...

Miami-Dade public schools score with satellite program.(opens schools at area businesses for children of employees)
June 1, 2001... Each morning just after 6:30, Pauline Magiste and her 8-year-old daughter, Donica, make their way over MacArthur Causeway, carpooling to work and school together. Magiste, a nurse at Miami Beach's Mount Sinai Medical Center, drops Donica,...

Independence connects career to fast track.(Diane Sanchez)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 1, 2001... Diane Sanchez's career in telecommunications spans 23 years serving Latin American and the United States, including 18 years with AT&T and stints at Lucent Technologies and Global Grossing. Most recently, she served as president and CEO of...

Courting Discrimination.
June 1, 2001... ELEVEN FEMALE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS FIGHT TO KEEP MIAMI-DADE'S AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAM ALIVE Aan Alleguez started her architecture firm six years ago -- about the time Miami-Dade County adopted ordinances to set aside a portion of...

Miami's luck o' the Irish.(Ruth Riley, new center for the Women's National Basketball Association's Miami Sol)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... In the news... Ruth Riley, the national college Player of the Year, moved to South Florida in May to take a spot on the Miami Sol South Florida's WNBA franchise. The Sol picked the 6-foot-5 star canter from Notre Dame in the first round of...

Largest Women-owned Businesses.
June 1, 2001... Largest Women-owned Businesses Ranked by 2000 gross revenue, ties broken by number of full-time employees Rank Business 2001 Address 2000 E-mail 1 Tinsley Advertising & ...

Local staffing executive to lead national trade organization.(Sue Romanos becomes president of TempNet, a group of personnel firms)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... A dozen years after venturing into business on her own with a longtime friend, South Florida placement service executive Sue Romanos this, month takes the helm of one of the nation's top organizations of independent staffing companies. At...

Women can take upper hand with nonverbal communication.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... 'I found myself leaning forward several times during the interview," said Cynthia McLaughlin, manager at W.R. Grace. The interview was for a position she really wanted, and she was disappointed that she did not get it. "I must have appeared...

Newh.(Network of Executive Women in Hospitality)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... The Network of Executive Women in Hospitality's Sunshine chapter is recruiting South Floridian women. The chapter was founded in Orlando in 1996, with Walt Disney World and Universal Studios staff as the majority of its members. Its stretches...

MAKING strides.(various hirings and promotions of women in South Florida)
June 1, 2001... ACCOUNTING Maria Yip was promoted to director of litigation support services at Arthur Andersen in Miami. Yip will provide dispute analysis and forensic accounting services for commercial litigation and fraud accounts. ADVERTISING/PR...

Living happily as a white girl in Miami.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... "Cafe con leche," I order confidently, then add "with very little sugar." The server stares at me blankly. "Poco, poco sugar." I'm pointing toward the sugar, pinching my thumb and forefinger to almost touch. "And dark, you know, lots of...

Your voice.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... DEAR EDITOR: Most women, in fact all women I know, would jump with joy if we thought, even for a second, that we could get away with our "natural looks" (Turning the page on the Cover Girl, May 2001). Even though most of us agree that...

Feedback enhances update task.(new Structures periodical about construction in South Florida)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... When we launched the inaugural Structures in March of this year, we knew we had something special. We collected, through surveys, research and lists from F.W. Dodge, information on more than 100 ongoing construction projects estimated at...

Codina faces environmental hurdle.(Codina Group)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Audubon Society hires lawyer to fight first project west of Turnpike extension Armando Codina's political ballast may help him walk on water - 436 acres of wetlands two miles from the Florida Everglades in Miami-Dade County west of...

Conglomerate Tyco shows vintage form with trio of buyouts.(Tyco International acquisition information)
June 8, 2001... While most CEOs are cutting back to get a handle on costs, one corporate maverick shows no intention of slowing down. Tyco International (NYSE: TYC) CEO Dennis Kozlowski, a proponent of a rapid-growth acquisition strategy, backed up his...

OmniCluster, a chip off the old IBM block.
June 8, 2001... Boca Raton-based OmniCluster Technologies is a company that almost never happened. That it does exist is a combination of inventiveness, luck, vision, dedication and meeting the right people at the right time. To understand OmniCluster...

Dot.com investors get a mayday instead of a payday.(Payday Today USA.com)
June 8, 2001... Federal prosecutors say there won't be any big payday today for investors at Payday Today USA.com. The president of the company, David E. L'Hoir, 35, of Fort Lauderdale, has been indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail...

The truck may stop here, in Davie that is.(truck stop development plan)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Davie, the Broward County town best known for its rodeo and educational hub, could be the truck stop capital of South Florida if an elusive would be developer named Bill Myers has his way. Myers has planned for at least five years to build...