South Florida Business Journal articles from November 1999

South Florida Business Journal archives from November 1999

Revival in Cypress Creek.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Construction lapsed for 10 years, but 50-acre project announced A new office/industrial park is ready to rise on the last large chunk of vacant land in Cypress Creek. Southern Facilities Development has inked a 75-year ground lease...

Beach is next as Aventura island fills up.(Williams Island Associates )(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Faced with dwindling space on ultraposh Williams Island, its developer is setting sail for the beach. Williams Island Associates aims to roll with the redevelopment wave sweeping Sunny Isles Beach by creating a 36-story condominium hotel...

SEEING THE LIGHT.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Patented system makes truck signals more visible It figures that an airline pilot such as Jeff Hymer of Jupiter would come up with the idea: big, bright, highly visible LED lights stuck all over a truck trailer to reduce accidents. ...

Florida Crystals plows east for storage space.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Florida Crystals Corp., expecting to boost its annual sugar crop by 50,000 tons, has bought a 92,000-square-foot warehouse in Riviera Beach for more storage and distribution space. The Palm Beach-based sugar giant closed its $2.65 million...

Flower retailer blooming in west Broward.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Field of Flowers, Florida's floral superstore, has opened a new location in Coral Springs just in time for the holidays. With headquarters in Davie, privately held Field of Flowers (www.fieldofflowers.com) was founded in 1990 by Donn...

Battle for No. 1.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Fontainebleau ready to submit expansion plan as Diplomat threatens status The 2-year-old, once-flattened renovation plan for Miami Beach's grand jewel -- the Fontainebleau Hilton Resort & Towers -- has risen again. Its owners will seek...

Miami River dredging project flowing slowly.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Army Corps deadline comes and goes, but $5 million in funds not lost A Nov. 15 deadline to nail down a $74 million, five-year dredging project for the Miami River. has come and gone. That decreases the chances the long-sought-after...

E-commerce consulting firm's growth is Xcelerating.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Bruce Frcek wants to take Fort Lauderdale-based Xcelerate into the fast lane. The firm's founder says he's happy with all the publicity his e-commerce consulting firm has received these days, as Xcelerate moves from 9,000-square-foot...

Union fails in attempt to organize hospital workers.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... The Service Employees International Union, Local 1991, failed in its attempt last week to organize more than 5,200 employees of the North Broward Hospital District. Ballots of the three-day vote were counted late into the evening Friday...

Daleen Technologies garners magazine kudos.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Telecom Business magazine selected Daleen Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: DALN) as a "Top 500" firm in the telecommunications industry. The magazine dubbed Boca Raton-based Daleen "one of 1999's most dynamic competitive telecommunications...

Gerald Stevens is partner with Chevron for flowers.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Gerald Stevens Inc. (Nasdaq: GIFT), the Fort Lauderdale-based retailer and marketer of flowers and related products and gifts, has entered a strategic consumer marketing partnership between The Flower Club, its wholly owned subsidiary, and...

From2.com in strategic alliance with Visualcom.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... From2.com, the Miami-based e-commerce logistics company and creator of the patent-pending Global Delivered Cost Calculator, announced a strategic alliance with Visualcom, an Internet business solutions provider for clients oriented toward...

So. Fla. transit projects get $23.5 million in state funds.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... A second attempt to get state money to study the feasibility of putting passenger service on the Florida East Coast Railway failed this week, but other South Florida projects will collect almost $23.5 million. A group of Broward-based...

ProxyMed Inc.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Exchange: Nasdaq Symbol: PILL Address: 2501 Davie Road, Suite 230 Fort Lauderdale 33317-7424 Phone: (954) 473-1001 Web site: www.proxymed.com Employees: 324 Profile: ProxyMed provides e-commerce...

Northern Trust moving into Weston.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Northern Trust Bank of Florida will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Dec. 1 for a Weston office, which will be its third in Broward County and 13th in South Florida. "The demographics of Weston show that it has one of the highest growth...

International law group puts global deal makers together.
November 26, 1999... A Bogota manufacturing corporation is trying to collect from a Miami freight forwarder. A German investment group wants to purchase a Defray Beach hotel for a Peruvian client. Enter the Commercial Law Affiliates, a global association of...

Hialeah Gardens would be home of new Premier Bank.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... An investment group led by several prominent Miami-Dade County businessmen has filed an application with state regulators to form Premier Bank of South Florida, which would have its headquarters in Hialeah Gardens. Premier Bank's...

Unload these 5 junk bonds before the bottom falls out.
November 26, 1999... Dear Mr. Berko: During the past six years, you've made many junk bond recommendations. Some of them have been real lousy; some have been fair, and some of them were very nicely profitable. I have enclosed my junk bond portfolio and, as...

Catalfumo Construction & Development.
November 26, 1999... Catalfumo Construction & Development in Palm Beach Gardens was named the 1999 Winner of Ernst & Young's Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group Best Real Estate Deals of the Year in the land deal category for the MacArthur Foundation land...

Edie Laquer.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Edie Laquer, president at Laquer Corporate Realty Group in Miami, was named the recipient of six Pinnacle Awards presented by the Commercial Realtor Association of Greater Miami & the Beaches. Laquer was named top producer in the categories...

Norman Tripp.
November 26, 1999... Norman Tripp, founder of the law firm of Tripp Scott in Fort Lauderdale, received the Literary Light Award from the Broward Public Library Foundation for his efforts on behalf of the Better Libraries for a Better Broward campaign.

Dr. Hilda Capo.
November 26, 1999... Dr. Hilda Capo, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami School of Medicine, received the 1999 GEMS Woman of the Year award in the area of medical sciences.

City of Tamarac.
November 26, 1999... The Government Finance Officers Association gave the city of Tamarac its Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the city's fiscal year 1999 budget document.

Kerri Vaughan.
November 26, 1999... Kerri Vaughan, executive director of the Perrine-Cutler Ridge Council, was awarded the Class of '99 Leadership Award by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for her contributions to the business, civic and cultural improvements to the city.

Baptist Hospital.
November 26, 1999... Baptist Hospital received the 1999 Consumer Choice Award tram the National Research Corp. and was named the "most preferred" hospital in Miami for the fourth year in a row. The hospital was among 126 hospitals in 101 cities honored by NRC.

Sensormatic Electronics Corp.
November 26, 1999... Sensormatic Electronics Corp. in Boca Raton was named the official supplier of access control and closed-circuit television systems for Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany. For additional information, call Sensormatic at (561) 989-7000.

Ruge Construction.
November 26, 1999... Ruge Construction was selected to build a fellowship hail and church offices at First United Methodist Church in Boca Raton. The construction is valued at $3 million. Call Ruge at (561) 776-7373 for more information.

Recycled Alternative Corporate Environments.
November 26, 1999... Recycled Alternative Corporate Environments in Boca Raton was awarded a contract to assist the accounting firm of Bolton, Manela, Devlin & Co. in moving 13 existing systems into a new office expanding the company's office systems by 50...

Wackenhut Corp.
November 26, 1999... Wackenhut Corp. in Palm Beach Gardens was awarded a five-year contract by the Federal Aviation Administration to provide operations and maintenance services at the William J. Hughes Technical Center at Atlantic City International Airport in...

Campanelli Design & Communications.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Campanelli Design & Communications in Boca Raton was contracted for design work with Atlantic Flight Group in Miami and Gold Coast Beverages of South Florida. Call Campanelli at (561) 447-6652 for additional information.

The Echeverria Group.
November 26, 1999... Federated Department Stores commissioned The Echeverria Group to provide associated planning, design and documentation services to remodel a Burdines at Countryside Mall in Clearwater and design the interiors of a second-floor addition. For...

Security Identification Systems Corp.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Security Identification Systems Corp. in Palm Beach Gardens was selected by Carnival Cruise Lines to install an A-PASS security system aboard all of Carnival's 14 ships and future ships being built. For details call SISCO at (561) 691-0050.

Transworld Business Brokers.
November 26, 1999... Transworld Business Brokers in Fort Lauderdale launched a new interactive Web site, www.HealthCareBizSales.com, that provides health care professionals local and national information on professional practice sales, mergers and acquisitions in...

Miami Children's Hospital.
November 26, 1999... Miami Children's Hospital launched a newly revised Web site, www.mch.com. designed to provide consumers with the latest information about the hospital's services. Visit the Web site or call (305) 666-6511 for additional information.

The Weston Chamber of Commerce.
November 26, 1999... The Weston Chamber of Commerce launched a job networking service on the Internet, www.BrowardJobNetwork.com to serve as a matchmaking service for businesses and job seekers. For additional information, visit the Web site or call the chamber...

WHY BUY, WHEN YOU CAN LEASE?
November 26, 1999... Get your firm's equipment, pay interest rate comparable to a bank loan Jerry Donnini expects between five and seven useful years from the gas pumps, coolers, automatic car wash brushes and other heavy equipment at his company's...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
November 26, 1999... ACCOUNTING RSM McGladrey in Fort Lauderdale, an accounting, tax and consulting firm, promoted Tammy Louis to senior manager. Paine Webber in Miami named Jonathan H. Parker senior vice president of investments. Julie A. Baird, a...

Building demand, rising costs frustrate contractors.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... The stress of keeping up with the building boom in South Florida - is changing the way business is being done, according to those in the construction industry. They talk about a "take it or leave it" approach to bidding by some busy...

Fort Lauderdale redevelopment makes downtown the hot spot to be.
November 26, 1999... In the mid-1800s, when gold was discovered in California mines, young newspaper reporter Horace Greeley wrote in the New York Tribune, "Go West young man, go West." But recently, downtown Fort Lauderdale is surging with a new mantra:...

Two offers better than one for getting foundation land.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 26, 1999... Ever wonder how Watermark Communities Inc. CEO Al Hoffman beat out Jacksonville-based St. Joe Co. last year for the much-coveted MacArthur Foundation land in northern Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties? Hoffman made the foundation...

LARGEST HOME BUILDERS.
November 26, 1999... LARGEST HOME BUILDERS Aubri Benjamin Cindy Cantagallo Ranked by dollar volume of Jan.-June 1999 total closings Rank last year's Home...

LARGEST CONDO DEVELOPERS.
November 26, 1999... LARGEST CONDO DEVELOPERS Ranked by dollar volume of Jan.-June 1999 total closings Rank last year's Condo Developer rank Address 1. Boca Developers 25 350 W. Camino Gardens Blvd., No....

Home builders entrench while condo developers shake things up.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 26, 1999... The top three home builders in South Florida solidified their positions on the list this year. But the story for condo developers was quite different, with a number of firms scaling up and down the list in great increments. Lennar of...

Miami's downtown area represents new frontier.
November 26, 1999... Every great city has had its decade of extreme growth, and downtown Miami is no exception. Miami is just now on the verge of profound change with plans under way to transform it into -- The New Frontier. Some years back, when the Miami...

The owners are Joe and Cliff, but patients call them Dr. Gym.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 26, 1999... Dr. Robert O. Watine believes in total fitness. He likes seeing his patients when they're healthy, rather than when they're ill, so in 1997 he created a fitness center next door to his Weston office. As an internist, certified personal...

Numbers crunch gives hospitals competitive edge.
November 26, 1999... Mercy Hospital knows which of its physicians are the most cost-effective, which send all their patients to the Miami facility, and which don't. Knowing those details is becoming more crucial in the effort to keep hospital costs under...

Non-providers can face peril if they ignore fraud.
November 26, 1999... Third party non-providers in the health care industry, such as billing agencies and consultants, have until recently lacked regulatory guidance in confronting potential fraud by their clients. Most feel that because they have no contract...

Many businesses waiting to fix Y2K bug after it hits.
November 26, 1999... Up to 500,000 small businesses have decided to wait until Jan. 1 to see wheither they have any Year 2000 computer problems, figuring they can address any glitches after they occur, says the White House's Y2K czar. This "fixing on...

Franchises back on agenda.
November 26, 1999... Legislation aimed at protecting franchise owners from being abused by franchisors was reintroduced by Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C. The Small Business Franchise Act would establish standards of conduct for franchise relationships. It also...

No ties to 'hate' groups.
November 26, 1999... If you're going to bid for federal contracts, you'd better not be tied to the Klan or the Nation of Islam. That's the upshot of a recent U.S. Court of Appeals ruling, which said public officials can question the eligibility of bidders for...

States plan to use third parties to tax Internet sales.
November 26, 1999... The nation's governors think they have figured out a way for states to begin collecting sales taxes on purchases made on the Internet. The plan calls for states to contract with third parties to calculate, collect and remit sales taxes...

7-Eleven broadens food line to attract women shoppers.
November 26, 1999... The Big Gulp still draws a crowd. But gone are the days when food at 7-Eleven only meant a doughnut or a chili dog. The convenience store giant has rolled out a line of fresh foods -- and a number of nonfood products -- in an effort to...

Resort retort.
November 26, 1999... It's a problem every region should have -- two resorts competing to see which will have the most rooms. South Florida's tourism industry stands to gain overall from the rebirth of the Diplomat Resort and Country Club in Hollywood, even...

Technology envy.
November 26, 1999... Talk about technology in the Southeast and often you hear about the Atlanta area or the Research Triangle in North Carolina before you hear about Florida. But venture capitalists are starting to write checks because they see plenty of...

Supreme Court resolves disability issue.
November 26, 1999... Scene for employers: A prospective employee is sitting in your office, being interviewed. Suppose this prospective employee has an impairment, such as severe myopia. Suppose further that this potential employee, without her prescription...

Letter from the President.
November 26, 1999... What makes a company successful? That question has as many answers as perhaps the number of people that are asked. To me, however, the answer is simple. People. A company is as successful as the men and women who on a day-to-day basis strive...

Core Values Translate into Sixty Years of Experience, Integrity and Growth.
November 26, 1999... Sixty Years of Experience, Integrity and Growth Reflect Core Values As we approach the close of the 20th Century we pause to reflect on days gone by, Days of "Old Florida". Flashback to 1939 - no I-95, few paved roads, and an easy...

Cultivating Customer Relationships.
November 26, 1999... Causeway Lumber Company is proud of the long lasting customer relationships started decades ago. We recognize the many changes within the building community and have structured our business to support the diversified customer base in Florida....

Strategic Locations Provide Competitive Advantage.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Causeway currently operates three strategically located modern facilities in South Florida. The Fort Lauderdale facility is located on 10 acres on the southwest corner of Andrews Avenue and State Road 84. This location supports the building...

Linking Tradition with Technology.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Customer demand, dynamic markets, and multiple suppliers are a challenge for many established companies today. Causeway Lumber Company recognizes and understands the complexities of delivering what the customer wants, when the customer wants...

Transforming Core Competency Into Total Quality.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Causeway has embarked on a journey into quality. The Causeway Total Quality Program was launched this year focusing on Action Teams to solve problems and improve work processes. The quality process allows many employees to be directly...

Giving Back.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... The family philosophy behind Causeway Lumber includes not only benefiting from conducting business in a community, but also in giving back through participation in civic and charitable organizations. Few individuals were as active in their...

SBA backing can lower loan rates, lengthen terms.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... For many reasons, a traditional lender may not want to assume the risk associated with capitalizing a small business. Attempting to start or expand a business in a crowded industry or one with high failure rates can raise the eyebrows of...

Choosing wrong phone system can disconnect customers.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... After answering her 1,200th phone call for the day, your receptionist decides he needs a little extra help with his switchboard duties. It seems as if your business has been getting far more calls than you had ever planned. Right now...

Planning is vital when selecting new office space.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Whether you're looking for a cozy office for 10 employees in a local office park or posh space for hundreds at the top floor of a skyscraper, finding new office space isn't lust a matter of getting enough room for all the furniture. ...

Competition, rate plans provide ways to cut long-distance costs.(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... When you're in business for yourself, one inescapable expense is that of long-distance telephoning. If most of your customers and suppliers ore local, the expense is minor and probably not worth worrying about. If your company does lots of...

Understand your needs to pick right wireless plan.
November 26, 1999... With the leapfrogging of wireless technologies, personal communications devices such as mobile phones and pagers have never been more accessible, nor more affordable. With the explosion of growth, however, came the explosion of options....

Dr. Hilda Capo.(receives 1999 GEMS Woman of the Year award)(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Dr. Hilda Capo, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami School of Medicine, received the 1999 GEMS Woman of the Year award in the area of medical sciences.

Ruge Construction.(to build church offices in Boca Raton, FL)(Brief Article)
November 26, 1999... Ruge Construction was selected to build a fellowship hail and church offices at First United Methodist Church in Boca Raton. The construction is valued at $3 million. Call Ruge at (561) 776-7373 for more information.

Tamarac transformed.
November 19, 1999... West Broward development boundary moving north A Chicago developer has splashed onto South Florida's real estate scene with plans for a 2.15-million-square-foot business park in Tamarac. Westpoint Centre marks the first local project...

TURNAROUND GAME.
November 19, 1999... No. 1 sports retailer struggles with slump in sales, stock Retail sporting goods is a tough racquet -- just ask Marty Hanaka, CEO of The Sports Authority. He is trying to turn the Lauderdale Lakes company around amidst a plunging stock...

Feast your eyes on these big turkeys.
November 19, 1999... Our picks for the worst in business during 1999 That awful bloated feeling is coming. It's the source of uncontrollable yawning after a huge meal of turkey, gravy, potatoes, fixin's, more turkey, stuffing, dessert and then leftovers. ...

U. S. agencies give benefits plans an extension.(Brief Article)
November 19, 1999... Hurricanes' names must be put on top of forms The Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Labor have set Nov. 30 as the extended deadline for South Florida employee benefit plan administrators to file returns, reports and...

Study to look at putting people back on the FEC.
November 19, 1999... Giving out $70 million for nontraditional transportation projects might sound like a lot, but not when $1.6 billion is being requested. That's what the Florida Department of Transportation's Travis Dugan faces today in announcing who will...

Washington Mutual has some big plans for South Florida.
November 19, 1999... Washington Mutual Bank has a new strategic plan with an increased emphasis on commercial and consumer loans, and it anticipates that South Florida will be one its biggest growth markets. Washington Mutual, the nation's largest savings...

Sunbeam's improved earnings, share price fail to seduce Wall St.(Statistical Data Included)
November 19, 1999... Ghosts from Sunbeam's past continue to block its portal to profitability. Sunbeam, (NYSE: SOC) Boca Raton's resident outdoor and home gadget maker recently reported sales for the third quarter swelled 21 percent to $602 million, due to...

Giving thanks: time to appreciate service.
November 19, 1999... "The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." This simple thought from William James captures a fundamental element of service success for guests and employees alike. With Thanksgiving around the corner and...

Celebrity Cruises.(Brief Article)
November 19, 1999... Celebrity Cruises in Miami sailed away with top honors in Travel & Leisure's Transportation/Cruise Line category of the "World's Best Awards." Cruise lines were rated for accommodations, food, entertainment/activities,...

Radisson Resort Coral Springs.(Brief Article)
November 19, 1999... The Radisson Resort Coral Springs received an award for industry leadership from Enterprise Coral Springs. The award recognizes Coral Springs-based companies that make a substantial impact on the local economy and for civic contributions to...

Mark Testa.(Brief Article)
November 19, 1999... The first Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research "Best Article of the Year" Award was presented to Mark Testa, a professor at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, for the paper titled "Linking Job Satisfaction and Customer...

Andre Dupont.(Brief Article)
November 19, 1999... Andre Dupont of Show Management was the October recipient of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Lodging & Hospitality Association's President's Award for random acts of "Guest Service Excellence." Dupont's work with the boat show and the...

Tecton Hospitality.(Brief Article)
November 19, 1999... Tecton Hospitality in Miami was selected to manage the Howard Johnson hotel on Biscayne Boulevard in down-town Miami. For more information, call Tecton at (305) 577-8484.

Sun Cruz Casino.(Brief Article)
November 19, 1999... Sun Cruz Casino in Dania Beach held an annual charity golf tournament to rasie funds for Kids in Distress.

Casino Princesa.(Brief Article)
November 19, 1999... In Miami, offshore gaming ship Casino Princesa donated its facility to host D-FY-IT's 1999-2000 Club Advisors meeting. D-FY-IT is a community-based substance abuse prevention organization that rewards and acknowledges middle and senior high...