South Florida Business Journal articles from May 2000

South Florida Business Journal archives from May 2000

Sister Jeanne magnifies Miami Shores.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... When Barry University President Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin began nearly two decades ago as president of a then-tiny, little-known Catholic women's college, she turned for advice to Notre Dame University President Father Theodore Hesburgh. "I...

Restaurant rises to top of chain in business.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Not too many restaurants can boast making $1 million in sales in one month - that's a lot of hungry customers - especially for a Houston's restaurant where an average meal costs a little more than $10. But the Houston's on the...

HMOs' finances weaken.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... A trio of independent reports paints a dismal picture of HMOs barely growing and struggling financially in Florida. Florida HMOs experienced less than 1 percent growth in membership in 1999, according to the Florida Hospital Association's...

Quick work made cartoon a commentary on Elian saga.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Romanian quintuplet-contortionists defect and their father is seen on TV demanding they be returned -- but he can't remember their names without prodding from a rifle butt. Attorney General Janet Reno, in an Easter Bunny costume, leads an INS...

Last-minute change let Codina sign up IBM.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... For CarrAmerica, you could say that a new 1,000-employee IBM hub in Boca Raton was the big one that got away. In early April the Washington, D.C.-based real estate investment trust looked like it had landed the deal for its Peninsula...

Wellington Medical Arts Pavilion to open, fill a need.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... More than 50 physicians, representing at least 15 medical specialities, will soon occupy a new facility at the Wellington Medical Arts Pavilion in Wellington. The Wellington Regional Medical Center, in conjunction with Rendina Cos. will...

Trust rejects partnership with Homestead Hospital.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Homestead Hospital's fight to secure indigent care funds to cure its bleeding deficit has received two aspirins from the state, and "call me in the morning" from the leadership of Miami-Dade County's public health system. The aspirins came...

CORRECTION.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... An article in last week's edition gave an incorrect total for the number of rooms in the Mandarin Oriental. The correct number is 329, including suites.

Medicare cutbacks stifling medicine for Florida hospitals.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... It's easy to let your eyes glaze over when you hear the dollar amounts and other statistics being tossed around about the impact the federal Medicare cutbacks are having on hospitals. After all, the numbers are so big, they're almost...

Worst over for BankAtlantic charge-offs.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... BankAtlantic Bancorp's charge-offs on loans in its small business division apparently peaked during last year's fourth quarter, according to two stock analysts. Scott Valentin, of Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. in Arlington, Va., and...

BankAtlantic to buy back Class B stock, let Class A vote.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... BankAtlantic Bancorp is looking toward late June for a special shareholders meeting on the company's proposal to buy all of the Class B voting shares that are not owned by controlling shareholder BFC Financial Corp. BankAtlantic Bancorp on...

A woman's quest for capital.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Oralis "Cookie" Guerra sat still at her dining room table last year, her broad, vivacious smile gone, the end of her nose turning red and tears welling in her eyes. "I've put up everything I have to put this deal together," she said, not...

BOA to bank on customers, better service.(Bank of America)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Bank of America isn't planning to buy an insurance company or make any more blockbuster bank acquisitions, said Kenneth Lewis, the company's president and COO. Lewis, who met with reporters Tuesday in Miami, said Bank of America is instead...

Distrust sparks calls for online privacy laws.(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... As of April 21, Web sites must obtain parental consent before they collect, use or disclose personal information about children -- requirements signed into law last year. Privacy advocates now want Congress to make sure that online privacy...

Critics see flaws in medical records privacy rules.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Hospitals, insurers and employers say proposed medical records privacy regulations will be difficult to administer, resulting in increased health care costs. Biotechnology companies fear the confidentiality requirements will make health...

Group wants green cards, not more H-1B visas.(Immigration Reform Coalition)
May 5, 2000... "The new economy needs new Americans," members of the Immigration Reform Coalition contend in a letter to Congress that advocates a "green cards, not guest workers" approach to solving the high-tech labor shortage. The technology industry...

Plea about Internet taxes.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... The presidents of 11 technology trade associations sent a joint letter to members of Congress asking them to address Internet taxation in a "systematic and comprehensive manner." The associations, which range from the American Electronics...

OSHA's online complaints.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is making it easier for workers to file complaints about workplace hazards by setting up a "Workers' Page" on its Web site. The site provides workers with an electronic option for turning in...

Homes for only $1.
May 5, 2000... The Department of Housing and Urban Development has begun selling homes to local governments for $1 in an initiative designed to create affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods. HUD acquires the homes when borrowers default on loans...

Company takes AIDS-management program around state.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... A Jacksonville-based company that won a state contract to run an HIV/AIDS management program is planning a campaign to institute the program as far south as Palm Beach County. Specialty Disease Management Services, which develops software...

Construction halfway done at Dolphin Mall.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Anxious shoppers can get live construction updates of the Dolphin Mall on its website:www.dolphinmall.com. The 17-month construction plan is half-way completed, according to Mike Moukalian, vice president of construction for the Taubman...

Marlins stadium development quiet, but things active behind the scenes.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... After having its proposed cruise tax torpedoed by Gov. Jeb Bush, and with public sentiment against public funding of a new ballpark, the Florida Marlins' effort to build a new stadium has taken on quieter tones. Don't tell that to Total...

Kids' gym sweat equity may take time to pay off.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally ran last week but because of a production error, part of the text was obscured. The article is being reprinted in full. Allison Cooper and Margaret Iannaccone left Manhattan for Coral Gables looking...

Medical director makes a difference for AIDs ride.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... "This ride is the most awesome thing I do," Dr. Marah Lee announced to a slightly weary audience. That's coming from a physician who's five-person Fort Lauderdale practice focuses on patients with HIV and AIDS. But last year, when the Red...

Aqua Care Systems consolidates business.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... * Profile: Aqua Care Systems had three operating segments until it decided this week to spinoff its car wash unit. Its filtration division and subsidiary Gravity Flow Systems (GFSI) make filter pumps for the fluid-separation needs of...

Bill means 102-year-old phone tax may finally get the ax.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... If federal legislation currently in the works gets passed, phone bills jacked up by a turn-of-the-century-imposed tax could be lowered. Making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives is a bill to repeal a 102-year-old tax on...

Microsoft's not broke, but feds want to fix it anyway.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Dear Mr. Berko: You unfairly categorized Microsoft as a white knight on your radio show when, in fact, Microsoft is a predator. The company has a monopoly in the computer industry and has bullied, threatened and buried its competition to...

Pondering the universe.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... With all this emphasis on time, why not spend it on something related to timelessness? The NexStar 8 telescope "merges form and function into a complete astronomy package," according to press materials. Included in the package for $1,800 is a...

No time to lose.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... In our fast-paced world, it seems every second counts. That's the thinking by Cartier and its new additions to the 21 Watch Collection. According to a release, the 21 Collection is designed to appeal to modern upscale customers throughout the...

A heavy-hitter for SunTrust private banking.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... SunTrust Bank, a long-time major player in private banking, has added more clout by hiring Susan Dick as executive vice president and head of its private client group for South Florida. Dick joined SunTrust on April 12, following a 20-year...

Anthropologists unlock car rental sciences.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Alamo Rent A Car this week unveiled a prototype facility in Fort Lauderdale to better serve customers. Its new amenities are one-of-a-kind, the company says, and are the result of brainstorming sessions with cultural anthropologists. ...

Hang ten, dude -- this wave is mellow.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... One doesn't have to look far to catch a wave at The Wave Hotel on South Beach. A gentle blue wave design ripples through the 66-room South Beach hotel from the wave-shaped dressers and mirrors in the rooms to the arrangement of the couches...

No quacks here.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association has admitted 15 of its 55 hospital members and three of its 65 other healthcare members into a select group -- The Quality and Accountability Council (QAC), pronounced "quack." To become a...

Hitting the payload.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Miami's BVK/meka landed one of its three largest accounts in April, a $2 million Hispanic campaign for Southeast Toyota Distributors. The new campaign - which will include TV, print and radio spots - is expected to kick off this summer. ...

'Sugar Fried Honey Butts'.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... No, those aren't the real lyrics to the classic Four Tops song, but oldies listeners in South Florida may start singing it that way thanks to a funny new television ad campaign. "Sing Along Wrong" debuted last month with a 30-second spot...

We are all Metro.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Miami Metro, the glossy 2-year-old successor to South Florida magazine, knows the name, and numbers, of the local publishing game. Circulation will jump in June from 40,000 to 65,000, including fluffing from 16,000 to 18,000 its...

Stiles steps to podium for honor.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Fort Lauderdale development powerhouse Terry Stiles has won real estate's version of an Oscar for his performance as an outstanding developer last year. The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, the nation's top group...

Greater Jewish Federation.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The Greater Jewish Federation in Miami awarded Shelly Brodie, Noreen Sablotsky and Steve Silvers with the "Stanley C. Myers Presidents' Leadership Award" for being outstanding Jewish leaders.

City of Miami Beach.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The City of Miami Beach recognized and awarded the "Community Heroes Award" to Bernie Winer, UNIDAD, Fienberg/Fisher Adult & Community Ed. Center and The Miami Beach Latin Chamber for their achievement throughout the community.

YMCA.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The YMCA selected Phillip G. McNally in Fort Lauderdale as the Year 2000 recipient of its Volunteerism Award.

United Way of America.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... United Way of America awarded the "Spirit of America Award" to the Bank of America for its contribution of $13.6 million dollars to the organization.

Stephen R. Palmer.(receives award from Rinker School of Building Construction)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Stephen R. Palmer, COO of Stiles Corp. in Fort Lauderdale, was awarded the "Distinguished Alumnus" designation by the Rinker School of Building Construction at the University of Florida.

Aventura Breast Diagnostic Center.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... The Aventura Breast Diagnostic Center was awarded a three year term of accreditation in stereotactic breast biopsy by the American College of Radiology.

Lodging.com.(names as one of top 500 e-commerce business by The Boston Consulting Group)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Lodging.com, an Internet travel agency in Boca Raton, was selected as one of the top 500 e-commerce business by The Boston Consulting Group.

Elcon Electric.(receives Equity One contract)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Elcon Electric in Pompano Beach was awarded the electrical contract by Equity One Corp. Office, Ocean Steps, Paine Webber and Florida International University all in Miami.

Slattery and Associates.(awarded contracts)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Slattery and Associates, an architect and planners company in Boca Raton was retained to design a club facility and sports mall in the Cayman Islands, and to design the corporate headquarters of Atlantic Internet Services.

Meyers Building Co.(receives contract from Song Chuan USA)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Meyers Building Co. in Boca Raton was awarded a contract to build and remodel tenant improvements for Song Chuan USA.

Ferrari Interiors.(awarded contract by Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Hotel)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Ferrari Interiors in Fort Lauderdale was retained as interior designer for the $36 million Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Hotel.

Howard Snoweiss Design Group.(receives contract from Sub-Zero Distributors)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Howard Snoweiss Design Group in Hollywood was retained by Sub-Zero Distributors to design the interiors of its 7,200-square-foot showroom.

Federal Building Inspections.(merges with Service America)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Federal Building Inspections in Boca Raton has merged with Service America to offer contracts on major household appliances.

Halsey & Burns.(partners with White & Case)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Halsey & Burns, a law firm in Miami, has partnered with White & Case law firm in the environmental practice group.

Clientize.com.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Clientize.com providing Web site lead generation programs and marketing evaluation in Boca Raton.

Can't give it away.(BravoGifts.com, Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... BravoGifts.com, Inc. was founded in 1999 in San Francisco and is the first Web site devoted exclusively to the needs of the business gift giver. It offers a selection of both traditional and creative gifts, but also provides many...

Spice up the e-mail.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Is your idea of visually exciting e-mail to add color by highlighting a sentence or two? Check out www.favemail.com. This is a revolutionary idea to enhance, promote, and add life to your e-mail. You can even market your own Web site as a...

What millionaires?(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Do you feel like everyone on Earth is becoming rich while you're left to toil at your day job? They're not. Based on an online survey by Fast Company -- Roper Starch Worldwide, a small percentage of people surveyed have made money on...

AN INSTITUTION.(Bob Gill)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Bob Gill built tourism industry from sand to success In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth. In the 1890s, Henry Morrison Flagler and his railroad created the East Coast of Florida. In the 1950s, in a way, "Bob"...

Where's the loyalty? Look in the mirror.
May 5, 2000... I went to the first ever Charlotte Hornets game in the fall of 1988. They played the Cleveland Cavaliers. About 25,000 screaming fans watched the Hornets suffer a humiliating defeat, but they loved every second of it. The Hornets set an...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... ACCOUNTING Rachlin Cohen and Holtz, an accounting and business consulting firm in Miami, appointed Lilliam M. Vargas, Marian J. Vagle, Melissa M. Regalado, Jennifer L. Acton, Dona Dagon, Regan Roisman and Valerie Pigatt staff accountants....

Cleaning up the bay.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Guess how much trash 4,200 volunteers can collect on a day-long mission to clean up Biscayne Bay? How about 19 tons? It's true. The annual event April 15 - dubbed "Baynanza" - was organized by Miami-Dade County's department of environmental...

Smart tech companies know it's about the people.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... With workforce shortage expected to worsen, employers do well to keep employees happy In the past, employers used to emphasize what the employee can do for the company. Today it's what the company can do for the employee, says Randy...

New NSU dean teaches how to create, maximize value.(Nova Southeastern University; Randy Pohlman)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... A lot of companies talk about creating value, but sometimes that can be difficult to define - especially in an Internet world where CEOs fight to survive quarter to quarter. Randy Pohlman, Ph.D., dean of the newly named Wayne Huizenga...

Employers must guard against electronic workplace abuses.
May 5, 2000... Technology has transformed the traditional work environment into the electronic workplace. In ever increasing numbers, employers are providing employees with access to voice mail, e-mail, facsimile machines, cellular telephones, the Internet,...

Largest Environmental Services Firms.(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Largest Environmental Services Firms Ranked by 1999 gross billings Rank Firm Phone 2000 Address ...

Billings dry up for some environmental service firms.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Although five new firms joined the Business Journal's list of largest environmental services firms, four of the top five experienced a decrease in billings compared to 1998. Even last year's top performer slipped by $1 million. According...

Law school, TV station add to Barry's holdings.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Accreditation sought from Bar for school Working with an annual operating budget of more than $115 million, Barry University's holdings have broadened in the past three years to encompass a law school in Orlando and a public broadcasting...

HostLogic opens HQ in Boca Raton.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... HostLogic Inc., a Boca Baton-based application service provider, has opened a global headquarters and network operations center in the FAU Research Park at Florida Atlantic University. About 50 people are employed in the 11,647-spuare-foot...

S&P downgrades Oriole Homes.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Standard & Poor's has lowered its corporate credit rating and senior debt ratings on Oriole Homes Corp. to CCC from CCC-plus. The outlook is negative. These ratings indicate the difficulty Oriole has experienced in recent attempts to improve...

Trade zones coming to Broward.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... The city of Fort Lauderdale has secured approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce to establish a foreign-trade zone at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and six other sites around Broward County. The main advantage of foreign trade zones is...

New Miami office for Digitas.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Digitas Inc. (NASDAQ: DTAS), an Internet professional services firm, is opening a Miami office in June that will cater to Latin American and multinational businesses. The office will be led by Digitas co-founder Ruben Pinchanski. Digitas...

Paxson reaches 10 JSAs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... West Palm Beach-based Paxson Communications Corp. (AMEX: PAX) has reached 10 joint sales agreements, including six with NBC owned and operated stations. In these joint sales relationships, NBC stations provide local news and programming, sales...

5th Avenue warrants expire.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Miami's 5th Avenue Channel Corp.'s (Nasdaq: FAVE) warrants expired on Wednesday after the company decided not to extend their termination date. 5th Avenue Channel is creating and aggregating television and video content available through...

New digital camera for teens.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Hollywood-based Concord Camera Corp. (NASDAQ: LENS) announced an alliance with KB Gear Interactive Inc. of Minneapolis for the development, design and manufacture of KB Gear's next generation, entry-level still digital camera, the JamCam 3.0....

TheFirstNews.com launches program.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... TheFirstNews.com, a subsidiary of Visual Data Corp. (Nasdaq: VDAT) of Pompano Beach, has signed agreements with six online brokerage, investment and business news sites to promote TheFirstNews.com's streaming audio news service on their Web...

OpSail Miami looks for volunteers.
May 5, 2000... Organizers of OpSail Miami 2000 are seeking volunteers for the June 7-10 Tall Ships event at the Port of Miami. More than two dozen Tall Sailing Ships from around the world will join together in Miami for the largest maritime event in history...

Time for fun and games.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... What we need more often in South Florida is some good clean fun, which is just what the North American Corporate Games will provide this October. What better place than fitness-oriented South Florida to hold the games? Credit for bringing...

Tips to help recruit the right employees.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Demographics show there will continue to be fewer people entering the work force, which will make it increasingly difficult to find good employees for at least another five years. The most important recruitment strategy today is to be creative....

If you don't have a policy on privacy, start one now.
May 5, 2000... Internet decision makers are beginning to recognize the need for adopting and policing a privacy policy for the information they collect from visitors to their Web sites. Because that information can be extremely valuable, companies should try...

Trust us on this tax.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Talk about downright unAmerican: If you are a trustee domiciled in a foreign country and manage a trust in Florida, you don't have to pay the state intangibles tax on those trust assets. A trustee domiciled in Florida does. We thank...

Dr. Alan J. Bauman.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Dr. Alan J. Bauman, founder and medical director of the Bauman Medical Group in Boca Raton, uses state-of-the-art micrografting techniques to help men and women permanently restore their own living and growing hair.

Office Depot.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Office Depot in Delray Beach is offering instore workshops to provide customers cutting-edge information on e-commerce and digital photography.

Angel Chips.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 5, 2000... Angel Chips in Boca Raton is developing a production facility to have a capacity of 245 pounds of Angel Chips per hour.

Alamo Rent-A-Car.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2000... Alamo Rent-A-Car in Fort Lauderdale will begin renting entertainment vans featuring TV/VCR packages and On Star(R) navigational systems for its Fort Lauderdale rental facility.

Where's the middle?
May 12, 2000... "I'm sorry ma'am, we don't have small. We have large, extra large or super large, but no small or medium." Am I dating myself? I remember when, not long ago, I could order a medium Coke with my personal pizza. I remember, not long ago, when I...

MasTec in $100 million deal to build Comcast's networks.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 12, 2000... Miami's MasTec Inc. (NYSE: MTZ) this week announced that it has been awarded a master contract by Comcast Cable Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) to assist in the build-out of the advanced fiber optic network infrastructure in Comcast's...