South Florida Business Journal articles from March 1999

South Florida Business Journal archives from March 1999

Watermark looks to lower density.(Watermark Communities plans to develop commercial space in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida)
March 26, 1999... As Palm Beach Gardens considers a building moratorium to manage growth, its largest new landowner may offer some relief. Watermark Communities will build 4,500 new residences and 450,000 square feet of commercial space in Palm Beach...

Cashing in on CityPlace.(contracts for the construction of the urban center in West Palm Beach, Florida)
March 26, 1999... Bidders should get ready for major work on very tight schedule The economic engines of West Palm Beach's CityPlace have started pumping $240 million into South Florida construction firms, suppliers and consultants, generating up to 5,000...

Being slave to fashion isn't so free.(store return policies)
March 26, 1999... Retail stores in the U.S. tend to be generous in their return policies. After all, if the customer is satisfied, the customer will come back. But when it comes to women's fashion, particularly formal wear, some stores have tightened...

Stability accounts for Miami firms' rise to the top.(accounting firms in Florida)
March 26, 1999... Industry expert: Putting right people in right places also a factor Accounting industry expert Art Bowman has crunched plenty of numbers provided by Miami accounting firms Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Co. and Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant....

Aviation company snags snazzy office in Miramar move.(Elite Aviation)
March 26, 1999... David Vick jokingly refers to his start-up aviation company's new home in Miramar as the Taj Mahal. The palatial building came with a hefty price tag of $3.3 million, or $94 a square foot - a lofty price for an industrial property. ...

South Beach pharmacy treats special problems.(specialty pharmacy in Florida opened by American Prescription Providers)
March 26, 1999... A New York company has chosen a South Beach location to kick off a nationwide chain of 42 specialty pharmacies. The 4,000-square-foot location near trendy Lincoln Road, slated to open by early April, was designed specifically for people...

Bank's growth forces employee relocation.(SouthTrust Bank)
March 26, 1999... SouthTrust's aggressive sales paying big dividends SouthTrust Bank has moved approximately 20 employees to its new regional headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, and it plans to relocate an additional 80 to 1 E. Broward Blvd. by September. ...

Discount medical idea going national.(North American Care plans expansion)
March 26, 1999... National expansion may be ahead for North American Care, a young Fort Lauderdale company that arranges discount medical treatment for South Floridians and foreigners without health insurance. The company signed a marketing agreement...

Cracking the mold.(Advertising/PR)(award received by Turkel Schwartz and Partners for an anti-drug television commercial)
March 26, 1999... Pro bono projects shake standards, cause commotion It was an ideal match: an advertising agency looking for attention, and a tight-budgeted charity anxious to stir discussion. The result was a controversial but award-winning South...

Would an AE by any other name be as creative?(Advertising/PR)(account executive)
March 26, 1999... Several of South Florida's largest public relations firms are experimenting with new methods of dividing responsibility, streamlining client service and managing talent. This shift to create fewer layers of bureaucracy may end up changing...

Background checks face criticism.(Florida ports)
March 19, 1999... Employers complain about cost of multiple badges It's the law. Work at Port Everglades, Port of Miami and Port of Palm Beach and expect a thorough background check to flush out whether you have sticky fingers, a violent past or a penchant...

A woman's vision: Spanish immigrant builds major player in the tile industry.(Iberia Tiles chairwoman Rosa Sugranes)
March 19, 1999... Iberia Tiles could be the poster child for the American Dream: an immigrant starts a Miami business with a $100,000 family loan. Twenty years later, the company is a $24 million regional player with long-term expansion plans. No one is...

Temp agency doubles local operations.(Labor Ready)
March 19, 1999... A temporary employment firm that specializes in the difficult-to-manage manual labor market has doubled its South Florida operations since January. Labor Ready, in Tacoma, Wash., has opened 11 offices in South Florida this year, bringing...

Building on Wall Street: alternative, stock-based mortgages may offer a better option - for those who can stomach it.(includes related article)
March 19, 1999... John Kiefer, president and CEO of Capital Factors in Boca Raton, owns three homes in different parts of the country. Until recently, he paid the principal and interest each month on his mortgages. But since his stock portfolio was...

Car dealers riding the luxury boom.(Palm Beach, Florida)
March 19, 1999... It's hard to imagine that someone buying a $2 million condo at Ugo Colombo's landmark Santa Maria, an aqua-glass high-rise on the bay near downtown Miami, drives a Chevette. The concept is Marketing 101: People who live in expensive...

Two new banks target Palm Beach County.(Palm Beach County Bank and Advantage Bank)
March 19, 1999... Two Palm Beach County groups, each led by a banker displaced in a major 1998 merger, early this month filed applications for new state-chartered banks. Calvin Cearley of Palm Beach County Bank and R. Michael Caldwell of Advantage Bank...

Spirit Airlines' move to Miramar should lift region.
March 19, 1999... Spirit Airlines' decision to move to Miramar helps promote Broward County as an up-and-coming market for aviation companies, but it is also expected to have a regional impact. The airline's location near Interstate-75 and the Turnpike...

Developer rallies to tighten West Palm mayoral race.(businessman John Linstroth)
March 19, 1999... It's called Big Mo, and in politics it's pivotal. Big Mo is the momentum a candidate has going into the final legs of a campaign. In the days leading up to Tuesday's mayoral run-off election, Big Mo appears to be with businessman and...

HMO, hospital billing dispute turns into review.(heath maintenance organizations)
March 19, 1999... State agency investigates four South Florida HMOs Complaints about overdue medical bills have spawned a special state review of Coral Gables' Physicians Healthcare Plans and three other HMOs serving South Florida. Florida health-care...

Dolphins team president tackles local school's needs.(Miami Dolphins football team)
March 19, 1999... Only a year had passed since Miami Dolphins President Eddie Jones last served as principal-for-the-day. Still, he felt surprised by what he saw last week at Sunshine Elementary School in Miramar. "We take so much for granted," Jones said...

Spirit in the sky: flying hot air balloons is good business for the romantic at heart.
March 19, 1999... Wayne Hodnett might look like a tough guy, but he's a teddy bear on the inside. As president of Hod-Air Excursions in Pembroke Pines, a hot air ballooning company, Hodnett sometimes finds himself trading his pilot's cap for that of a...

Experiment could alter the rules of development.(Florida's land planning experiment in Palm Beach County)(Brief Article)
March 12, 1999... Palm Beach County is gearing up to participate in a bold experiment that could change how the state plans for future development. The idea, which is still in its early stages, is already sparking debate. Right now, development projects...

Where eagles dare is prime luxury land.(DiVosta & Co.'s plan to build upscale homes around a bald eagle's nest)
March 12, 1999... A bald eagle's nest is challenging a developer's vision for 316 acres of prime real estate in Jupiter. It's also raising a question: Is our national symbol - a protected species that has rebounded in Florida - going to be a growing...

Medical groups prepare to battle in Tallahassee.(laws affecting Florida's health maintenance organizations)(Brief Article)
March 12, 1999... Unlike most business lobbyists working Tallahassee this legislative session, representatives of Florida's health maintenance organizations expect no sympathy from lawmakers. They see little point in showing that Florida's HMO industry as...

Education ranks first on business agenda.(Florida)(Brief Article)
March 12, 1999... What does business want out of this year's legislative session? Tax breaks, tort reform, less red tape? Well that too, but the biggest subject facing business this year isn't about business at all, but education, according to...

S&L changes to make it more like a bank.(savings & loan association BankUnited)
March 12, 1999... Cleaning up its mortgage portfolio and increasing lending to consumers and businesses are among the changes pending at BankUnited, the largest financial institution based in Florida. Chairman and CEO Alfred Camner and President Mehdi...

Arena Football's Bobcats scratching for sports fans' patronage.(Sports Business)(Arena Football League; Florida Bobcats)
March 12, 1999... The Florida Bobcats, about to begin its first season at National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, is touting itself as "affordable family entertainment." Sound familiar? "Affordable family entertainment" has been the misguided mantra...

Loosening the reins: medical professionals ask state legislators for greater authority to treat ill patients.(Health Care)(Brief Article)
March 12, 1999... Medical professionals ask state legislators for greater authority to treat ill patients When his optometry patients need relief from painful internal sties, all Dr. Gary Berman can do is apply warm compresses to their swollen eyelids....

Dunn's developing muscle as home gyms grow strong.(Health Care)(Dunn's Exercise of America)(Brief Article)
March 12, 1999... Sometimes it seems as if every person in America has caught the fitness plague. And you won't find Michael Gale, co-owner of Dunn's Exercise of America, searching for a cure anytime soon. Even though the fitness trend has only caught on...

Patient-friendly design pays off for hospitals.(Health Care)(Brief Article)
March 12, 1999... Hospitals, once designed primarily for the convenience of the staff and physicians, are now being re-engineered with the consumer in mind and an increasing emphasis on outpatient care. Designers throughout the country are taking a variety...

Pediatric affiliation gets a legal review.
March 5, 1999... PROPOSED MARKET SHARE OF THE PEDIATRIC AFFILIATION 1997 admission Miami market Hospital under age 18 share Jackson Memorial 7,276 31.3% Hospital Miami Children's 7,458 ...

Oil's tailspin forces stock into ground.(decline in Forcenergy Inc.'s stock)
March 5, 1999... Forcenergy, the Miami-based oil and natural gas exploration company, is running on fumes. The drop in global oil prices has sent its stock (NYSE: FEN) from above $30 last year to below $1 this week. Bond holders' investment has dropped...

In your face: Herald, Sentinel intensify their battle in Broward.(includes related article on readership of Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel)(South Florida's two largest newspapers compete for market share in Broward County, FL)
March 5, 1999... South Florida's two largest newspapers - backed by two of the nation's biggest media companies - are locked in an escalating fight for dominance in south Broward County. The stakes are especially high for the Miami Herald, which has...

Largest apartment complex coming.(Palm Beach County, FL)
March 5, 1999... Canadian development powerhouse Kolter Corp. is the latest company to make a deal for a choice slice of former John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation land in Palm Beach Gardens. Kolter plans to build what would be the largest...

Cooling off Heat fans.(Miami Heat arena in Miami, FL)
March 5, 1999... FPL to provide ice cold water to cool team's new arena The Miami Heat's new downtown arena won't include an air conditioning plant. But that doesn't mean fans will sweat through games. The Heat is the first customer for Florida...

Consultant shows companies the way.(Global Boardroom Solutions)(Company Profile)
March 5, 1999... It's been nearly a year since Dennis Custage wrested control of his professional destiny. After leaving his post as senior vice president of the International Division at Miami's Ryder System Inc., he started a management firm, Global...

Kansas referral fraud case chills local lawyers.
March 5, 1999... A federal court case in Kansas may forever change the relationship between South Florida health-care attorneys and their clients. The jury trial in Kansas City - in which two lawyers face charges that they helped arrange an illegal...

Private banking leads at Bal Harbor SunTrust.
March 5, 1999... A temporary facility, hooked together with trailers, might not seem attractive for serving bank customers in an upscale community like Bal Harbour. But SunTrust Bank used that setup throughout 1998 at its branch at 9600 Collins Ave., and...

NCCI headquarters' twist: St. Joe joins deal.(National Council on Compensation Insurance)
March 5, 1999... Builder Codina brings Jacksonville conglomerate to table Another big real estate player has taken a slice of the high profile deal to build a headquarters for the National Council on Compensation Insurance. St. Joe Corp., the state's...

Proposed bills would boost small businesses.(includes list of small business bill supporters)
March 5, 1999... Minority businesses, who have seen affirmative action for government contracts erode, have new hope with proposed legislation that also is designed to help small businesses in general. The sweeping legislation proposed by Rep. Beryl...

Star techies: S. Florida's best and brightest branch out on their own.
March 5, 1999... In today's work force, it's hip to be a geek. With technical help in short supply, businesses have to be creative - whether that means paying higher salaries and installing a hot tub or turning to an outside agency to fill critical needs. ...

Lighting a fire: business partners use old techniques in new venture.
March 5, 1999... The formula seemed like a no-brainer: a sexy schmoozy bar in a charming old firehouse in the shadow of downtown Miami's financial district. Many a 1980s yuppie handed out business cards and closed deals at Firehouse Four in its heyday 10...