South Florida Business Journal articles from March 1998

South Florida Business Journal archives from March 1998

New owner drops all-news format at WEAT. (James Crystal Enterprises; radio station WEAT-AM 850 in Palm Beach County, FL)
March 6, 1998... Area's last all-news station goes to mix of business, finance, health and paid programming There's more talk and less news these days on the Palm Beach County radio station once heralded as the area's only all-news station. That's because...

West Palm magazine firm takes to the skies with 'Midway.' (Palm Beach Media Group's contract with Midway Airlines)
March 6, 1998... In-flight magazine is latest effort for publisher of 'Palm Beach Illustrated' Palm Beach Media Group, the publishing company that has made its mark spreading Palm Beach chic, is launching its glitter and gloss 30,000 feet into the air with a...

Politicians taking aim at HMOs. (Tallahassee, FL, health maintenance organizations)
March 6, 1998... Managed-care firms fear several bills expanding rights of doctors, patients Gerald Wester is one of few people to take heart in the fact that two Florida health maintenance organizations have gone bankrupt since August. As a leading...

Dental Health Management makes efficiency part of the drill.
March 6, 1998... Dr. Tom Schwarz's dental patients used to spend half an hour in the waiting room before donning the inevitable dribble bib. Then, in January of last year, he sold both of his Tampa offices to Miami-based Dental Health Management. Now everything...

Republic Security Bank's Rudy Schupp forecasts a barbell effect for his industry. (interview with chairman and CEO)(Interview)
March 6, 1998... In this age of mega-mergers in the banking industry, Republic Security Bank Chairman and CEO Rudy Schupp has grown his West Palm Beach-based bank from one office 14 years ago into one of the area's largest regional banks. The bank has 32...

Business backers aim to kill state's intangibles tax. (Florida)
March 6, 1998... Foes claim it hurts bids to lure out-of-state firms Florida's beleaguered intangibles tax soon could lose its bite. Several state legislators are trying to reign in the 67-year-old tax on stocks, bonds, loans and accounts receivable....

$390 million program tops Dept. of Health agenda. (Florida)
March 6, 1998... Gov. Lawton Chiles has granted the newly independent state Department of Health something lobbyists only dream about. Chiles nominated the 15-month-old agency to administer a proposed $390 million program that would provide health insurance to...

Doctors look to legislature in power struggle with HMOs. (Florida doctors; health maintenance organizations)
March 6, 1998... For years, doctors nave complained about losing power to managed care. This year, if they have their way, Florida doctors will do something about it. Florida physicians are trying to make what they call "mangled care" a top issue for...

Entertainment act getting star billing. (Florida Entertainment Industry Growth Act)
March 6, 1998... House Committee on Tourism hoping bill will smooth out wrinkles in industry's expansion TALLAHASSEE - Accusations of misuse of state money. The resignation under fire of the executive director. The creation of a rival entity run by a former...

Quantum Park deal envisions broader mix: Canadian leads group bringing major new tenants to Boynton Beach center. (Florida real estate development)
March 13, 1998... A 60,000-square-foot office building, a long-stay hotel, restaurants, stores and a major high-tech company are among the potential tenants for Quantum Corporate Park if a three-member partnership snaps up the remaining acreage, according to lead...

Construction to end 19-year fight: Toscana condos to be largest development in Highland Beach. (Florida)
March 13, 1998... After being tied up in a series of legal battles since 1979, a vacant stretch of waterfront property on Ocean Boulevard in Highland Beach will soon take shape as the city's largest residential development. Construction on the $120 million...

Centex Rooney opening office in West Palm: new operation will coordinate builder's Gold Coast projects. (Centex Rooney Construction Co.)
March 13, 1998... Centex Rooney Construction Co., a Fort Lauderdale-based contractor whose list of projects include Mizner Park in Boca Raton, Sawgrass Mills mall and the Florida Panthers arena under construction in Sunrise, is planning to open an office in West...

Costly lesson: 'Everybody steals.' (need for business owners to ensure that employees do not steal from the company)(Small Business Strategies)
March 13, 1998... Experts say that if you think your workers won't steal from you - you're wrong You hear about it on TV. You read about in the newspapers. But many small business are still caught off guard when a trusted employee is discovered to have...

Flagship Healthcare sees opportunity in reform. (small home-care companies willing to be purchased because of Medicare reform)
March 13, 1998... Changes to Medicare's reimbursement system haven't even taken effect, and already Miami Lakes' Flagship Healthcare claims to be reaping the benefits of reform. While shopping last month for companies that would supplement its post-acute care...

Easing the pain: South Florida firm helps businesses better deal with health insurance companies. (national insurance claims clearinghouse Noble House)
March 13, 1998... Cutting through the paperwork shuffle for Medicare and other insurance companies can be a tedious burden. But companies such as Noble House, a national insurance claims clearinghouse in Boca Raton, ease the pain. The company's new medical...

New technology offers businesses better ways to handle phone calls. (computer-telephony integration)
March 13, 1998... All a First Miami Securities employee had to do was inadvertently cold-call a restricted number and the North Miami Beach company would face a fine of up to $10,000. The state's recent regulation restricting solicitation of certain phone...

War between Florida credit unions and banks continues.
March 13, 1998... TALLAHASSEE - Despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling settling the matter on the federal level, the battle between Florida's credit unions and banks promises to rage on, at least through mid-April and possibly through the end of the...

Wrap sandwiches bite into fast food. (Florida's sandwich restaurants)
March 20, 1998... Chances are these days when you hear someone say "it's a rap" they're not singing the words from a Puff Daddy C.D. Campaigning to steal the throne from the almighty cheeseburger, the latest rap on the street is the wrap - a handheld...

County ranks 6th nationally in private sector job growth. (Palm Beach County, Florida)
March 20, 1998... Palm Beach County is one of the hottest job markets in the country, keeping company with other high-growth spots such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sarasota, Seattle and Orlando. The county ranked No. 6 in private sector job growth during 1997 on a...

Private city clubs sharpen business savvy to rebound. (Florida country clubs)
March 20, 1998... For a while it looked like those inner sanctums for executives, private city clubs, were going the way of the three-martini lunch. But a strong economy and some savvy business practices seem to be helping the survivors. Some clubs in South...

Big customers, big demands. (Liteglow Industries)(Small Business Strategies)
March 20, 1998... Landing a national account can bring plenty of new hassles to a small business When Spencer Krumholz signed a deal to sell his decorative neon lights at Circuit City stores, he knew his company was a step closer to success. For a maker of...

Listening to their bodies. (Florida healthcare companies)
March 20, 1998... South Florida firms flexing their health prevention muscles If Betty Jo Saenz decides to get a mammogram test or hearing exam, she doesn't need to take the afternoon off work to drive to a doctor. She can walk from her desk at Motorola in...

Interim lawsuit seen as test for home health-care agency. (Interim HealthCare)
March 20, 1998... A class-action lawsuit pending against Fort Lauderdale's Interim HealthCare could develop into an early test of what home health agencies can and cannot do legally to manage their costs under Medicare changes. In papers filed Dec. 30 in U.S....

Couple fires up barbecue expansion in Delray Beach. (Katie and Will Kirk opens another Red Hot and Blue restaurant in Florida)
March 20, 1998... One bite of pulled pig dripping in tangy sauce and Katie Kirk said she was hooked. So the 29-year-old corporate lawyer from Wichita put away her law books in 1996 and moved to South Florida to sell the region something she felt it lacked:...

Italian chain noodling around in S. Florida. (Il Fornaio expansion)
March 20, 1998... Il Fornaio, the publicly held chain of 15 full-service, white-tablecloth Italian restaurants, is looking to expand to South Florida. Based in Corte Madera, Calif., the chain serves creatively prepared, moderately priced, upscale Italian...

Once shunned Riviera Beach rebounds; market ranked second in county for site seekers. (Allsteel and Gypsum Products and other companies locate on Riviera Beach)
March 27, 1998... When Danny Jolicoeur, manager of a Fort Lauderdale company, started scouting for an office and distribution center site in Palm Beach County, he looked all over. Amid Palm Beach County's tight industrial market, Jolicoeur's construction supply...

Light on his feet: inventor develops lightweight resin that's stronger than cement. (Murray Ginsberg introduces Ginsite)(Product Announcement)
March 27, 1998... An inventor known for designing medical devices at the University of Miami has developed a lightweight resin that's being touted as stronger than cement. Murray Ginsberg, a former missile systems engineer, said his Ginsite can fortify or...

This medical breakthrough: making money. (Medical Industries of America Inc.)(Company Profile)
March 27, 1998... Medical Industries of America Inc. (Nasdaq: MIOA) expects to announce its frost profitable year, which Chairman and CEO Michael Morrell says will substantiate his turnaround strategy. Morrell predicted that the Boynton Beach-based medical...

Pumping up business at resorts: Miami Beach-based consulting firm makes fitness its forte. (Salud advises resort properties on fitness equipment)(Company Profile)
March 27, 1998... Melchior Baltazar knows stress. During training to become a Navy Seal commander, he endured a seven-day, no-sleep "hell week." By the fourth day, bobbing at sea in a small boat, he had hallucinations that a police cruiser was rushing towards...

Breezing into Broward: Miami's Ocean Bank may finally amass some northern exposure.(Company Profile)
March 27, 1998... Taking a unique tack on Florida's stormy banking seas, Miami's Ocean Bank has quietly become the largest commercial bank based in the state. Bank officials plan to maintain their local orientation and steady growth - including a possible...

What's hot in South Florida's this spring? IRAs. (individual retirement accounts)
March 27, 1998... New Roth IRA spurs interest Individual Retirement Accounts are hotter than they've been this decade, and South Florida investment officials trace the activity to excitement over the new Roth IRAs. But while virtually all callers and office...

Jewish holiday merchandise finds retailing mainstream. (South Florida stores offer Jewish merchandise)
March 27, 1998... As Easter bunnies and chocolate eggs spill into the aisles of many department stores this year, you might find Seder plates and other items for the Jewish holiday, too. Many retailers in South Florida, where the Jewish population is the...

Lipton organizers expanding Latin American tournament. (promotions for Copa Ericsson)
March 27, 1998... Copa Ericsson promoters hoping addition of women to the tour will attract more fans and sponsors The promoters of the Lipton Championships said they'll add women to their fledgling Latin tennis tournament. The Copa Ericsson tour is counting...

The 'helpful tax act' is too complex to be helpful. (Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997)
March 27, 1998... A taxing prospect: There is no relief in sight for taxpayers The Chinese symbol for crisis combines danger and opportunity. There are no Chinese symbols for the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. There are, however, a flurry of apoplectic...