South Florida Business Journal articles from November 1999

South Florida Business Journal archives from November 1999

Levitz battles back from Chapter 11.
November 5, 1999... Stores are gone in Florida, but not headquarters Levitz Furniture's stores vanished from Florida, but the company is still alive -- battling back from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy court filing and hoping a new generation of shoppers will "Love...

HOUSE CALL IN TALLAHASSEE.
November 5, 1999... Broward doctors' leader campaigns with an outsider approach Dr. Vincent, DeGennaro sits casually in Topanga where he's dined many times before, nibbling away at a grilled mahi-mahi sandwich that he's ordered many times before. "I tend...

Industrial park, super Wal-Mart set in Pompano.
November 5, 1999... The new owners of the land flanking the Pompano Park Racing track plan to charge out of the gate in January with a 1.2 million-square-foot, $100 million industrial park. Leading the pack of eight buildings Premier Commercial Realty plans...

AT&T changes hit work force in S. Florida.
November 5, 1999... Job consolidations, layoffs punctuate corporate shift It's been a confusing month for AT&T employees in South Florida. The company announced last year it planned to reduce its payroll by 10,000 to 20,000 jobs and trim a whopping $2...

Noble Financial 'expanding dramatically'.
November 5, 1999... Boca Raton headquarters staff could double in 18-24 months Noble Financial Group in Boca Raton is stepping up its hiring and opening a new office in Charlotte, N.C., this week. "We're expanding in South Florida very dramatically. We're...

Noble's Logullo is active with a capital A.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Daryl T. Logullo isn't like the investment bankers found in the novel "Bonfire of the Vanities" or the movie "Wall Street." Sitting in his office at the Boca Corporate Plaza, the soft-spoken, 33-year-old Logullo would rather talk about...

Law firm restores original face on old Gables building.
November 5, 1999... It opened amidst oohs and aahs in the 1920s as the state-of-the-art home for Coral Gables' first orthopedic surgery practice. Nearly four score years later, a law firm leaving downtown Miami plans to restore the 263 Aragon building's...

Tech Data plans 430,000 square-foot-Airport West center.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Tech Data Corp., the world's second-largest distributor of microcomputer products, is connecting to Miami's Airport West market with a 430,000-square-foot distribution center. The office/warehouse project is expected to rise by early 2001...

18-story tower coming to Kendall.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... An 18-story office tower is ready to rise in downtown Kendall, marking the city's first major office construction in more than 10 years. The Green Cos. aims to complete Dadeland Centre by February 2001 at the southwest corner of South...

23 acres in Quantum complex now going back on the market.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Citing "Internal philosophical differences," Benenson Capital recently walked away from 23 acres in Quantum Corporate Park in Boynton Beach, a Benenson senior executive said. The Quantum deal "has got a cold. I am not sure if it is...

Q&A: Florida Bar leader talks about challenges.
November 5, 1999... Edith G. Osman, a shareholder in the Miami office of the Carlton Fields law firm, was elected president of the Florida Bar in June, only the second woman ever to hold that position. A native of the Bronx, N.Y., she is a graduate of the...

Miami Film Festival to be part of FIU's curriculum.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... It's a wrap for Florida International University. The state university school, with more than 30,000 students, has acquired the Miami Film Festival. The 17-year-old festival lost money the past two years after sponsorships worth $80,0000...

National Enquirer publisher expands empire, strategy.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Call it a marriage made in tabloid heaven. Lantana-based American Media controlled the nation's top two circulated tabloids, the National Enquirer and Star, and Boca Raton-based Globe Communications Corp. controlled the third. This...

Small businesses are getting ore help from SBA.(Small Business Administration.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Lending in the U.S. Small Business Administration's South Florida District grew 9 percent during the government's 1999 fiscal year, and District Director Gary Cook says a "customer-focused strategy" with lenders was a big reason for the...

Just in time for millennium, a new world of banking.
November 5, 1999... Banks, securities firms and insurance companies are preparing for a new era of competition that would coincide with the new millennium. That competition will ring in via the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, which would amend...

'Citibill' probably harmful, expert says.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... The financial bill that Congress is preparing to pass could have a mainly negative impact on consumers and small businesses in South Florida, says banking consultant Ken Thomas. But Thomas, based in Miami, says some South Florida financial...

Courthouse Tower gets new lease on life.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... A verdict has been reached on the future of Miami's troubled Courthouse Tower. A subsidiary of Citicorp Real Estate recently sold the 26-story office building at 44 W. Flagler St. to Miami's Panther Real Estate Partners and New York's The...

Construction Monthly.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
November 5, 1999... An article in last week's Real Estate and Construction Monthly incorrectly stated the location of Toscana, which is in Highland Beach.

IVAX Corp.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
November 5, 1999... An article in the Health Care Directory incorrecly reported that IVAX Corp. was changing its name to IVX BioSciences. The company's name will remain IVAX Corp.

Insurance lawyers' conduct examined by bar committee.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... A special committee of the Florida Bar will hold a hearing in Miami soon to investigate whether insurance company attorneys are doing their duty. After an initial public hearing on the issue Nov. 4 in Kissimmee, the bar's Insurance...

Berger Davis law firm picks CPA to be its COO.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Even though the American Bar Association does not yet permit lawyers and CPAs to get too cozy professionally, Fort Lauderdale-based Berger Davis & Singerman has appointed veteran South Florida accountant Joey Epstein its COO. "We created...

Florida Women Lawyers elect Whalen president.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Jeanmarie Whalen, a partner in the Palm Beach Gardens firm of Slawson Cunningham Whalen & Stewart, has been elected president of the 2,500-member Florida Association of Women Lawyers. A graduate of Catholic University in Washington, D.C.,...

Legal Aid celebrates No. 25.
November 5, 1999... Legal Aid Services of Broward County Inc., which assists low-income clients with civil law issues, celebrates its 25th anniversary with a fund-raising dinner Nov. 13 at Fort Lauderdale's Marriott Harbor Beach Resort. The gala event...

Natural Solutions announces Turks & Caicos Islands orders.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Natural Solutions Corp. [OTC BB: ICEB] Vice President and COO Joseph S. Kroll announced that NSC's subsidiary Roadbind America Inc. received an order for RB Ultra Plus, Roadbind's patent-pending road stabilization product, from the government...

Workflow Management Inc. has new strategic alignment.
November 5, 1999... Palm Beach-based Workflow Management Inc. [Nasdaq: WORK] said its board of directors authorized an initial public offering of the iGetSmart.com Inc. subsidiary and subsequent tax-free spinoff to Workflow's shareholders. The iGetSmart.com...

NetSpeak Corp. reports good third quarter results.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... NetSpeak Corp. [NASDAQ: NSPK], a Boca Raton-based developer of telephonic products for IP networks, announced net revenues of $2.0 million for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, compared to $0.8 million for the third quarter of 1998 and $1.0...

Travel Services reports major gains in revenue.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Travel Services Inc. of Delray Beach [Nasdaq: TRVL], a specialized distributor of leisure travel services, has reported a 43 percent increase in revenues for the quarter and 50 percent for the nine months, both ended Sept. 30, compared to the...

Pediatrix earns 32 cents a share in third quarter.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Pediatrix Medical Group Inc. [NYSE: PDX] in Fort Lauderdale reported net income of 32 cents a share for the three months ended Sept. 30. Net patient service revenue increased by 17 Percent to $57.9 million, from $49.4 million for the comparable...

Visualcom announces a new strategic client relationship.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Visualcom Inc., a Miami Internet business provider specializing in Latin America, announced the development of a strategic client relationship with Latinsoccer.net, the Web portal that provides proprietary Latin American soccer content in...

Musician's Planet opening new store in Kansas City.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Fort Lauderdale-based MARS The Musician's Planet will open its 30th retail store Nov. 10. It will be in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kan., with 25,000 square feet and 40 employees. MARS stores sell musical instruments, amplifiers, mixing...

Technisource Inc. has improved financial data.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Fort Lauderdale's Technisource Inc. [Nasdaq: TSRC] said earnings for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 were $37.7 million, up 37 percent from the 1998 quarter. Net income was $831,434 or 8 cents a diluted share, down from $1.4 million and 13...

CHS Electronics transfers subsidiary interests back.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Continuing to try to work its way out of financial difficulties, CHS Electronics Inc. in Miami [NYSE: HS] further reduced its earn-out obligations by transferring interests in three operations to the original owners of each firm while retaining...

MasTec Inc.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Exchange: NYSE Symbol: MTZ Address: 3155 NW 77th Ave. Miami, FL 33122-1205 Phone: (305) 599-1800 Web site: www.mastec.com Employees: N/A Profile: MasTec is one of the world's largest contractors to telephone and...

Aviation Sales puts $10 million into more Miramar land.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Miami-based aircraft parts redistributor Aviation Sales has taken another big bite of Miramar's industrial market. The firm paid $10 million last week for 60 acres in the Countyline Corporate Center, a few miles east of I-75 on Miramar Parkway....

BankUnited heeds a call for more small business.
November 5, 1999... Late last month, a BankUnited small business banker received a phone call that indicates how far some services have slipped in banking. The caller, on his cell phone, was stuck in a line and waiting to see a loan officer at a branch of a...

International investment scams more sophisticated, lawyer says.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Don't look now, but international investment scam artists are getting more sophisticated. "Used to be that the pamphlets we saw had a look like they were run off at the local Kinko's copy shop," said Albert Tellechea, a partner in the...

How not to build portfolio for funding your retirement.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Dear Mr. Berko: I want to purchase some income issues and compiled a list of ones that pay 14-25 percent, and have enclosed that list for your review. I intend to place half my IRA [about $73,000] in these 12 issues and allow the other...

SMALL FIRM IS BIG HELP TO HOSPITALS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... West Palm Beach company creates database of nurses looking for work Two years ago, newspapers were filled with stories of Internet-based job boards paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for commercial time during the Super Bowl. Ken...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
November 5, 1999... ACCOUNTING JoAnn L. Wagner and Michael R. Dillon were named partners at Lamn, Krielow, Dytrych & Co. in Palm Beach Gardens. Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant in Miami named John F. Young a director in the assurance services department;...

Workers may get 3 more days on family leave.(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... FMLA extension confusing, expensive for small businesses What's good for workers isn't necessarily good for the companies they work for. While Congress considers expanding the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), small to mid-size...

Pay closer attention to legalities, HR executive says.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Personnel services firms are struggling to keep pace with fundamental changes in the human resources industry, says Joan Ciferri, senior vice president of David Wood Personnel in West Palm Beach. Retention issues, temp-to-hire worker placement,...

Do you know legal risks of employees' e-mail, Web use?(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... Corporate America has seen an explosion in the use of e-mail, Web surfing, telecommuting and voice mail. In 1992, there were only one million corporate e-mail addresses; but today, the number is 167 million! It is estimated that 3 billion...

TOUGHEST PRIVATE GOLFCOURSES.(Statistical Data Included)(Directory)(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... TOUGHEST PRIVATE GOLFCOURSES Aubri Benjamin Robin Cruise Ranked by USGA slope rating from back tees Rank ...

TOUGHEST PUBLIC GOLF COURSES.(Brief Article)(Directory)(Statistical Data Included)
November 5, 1999... TOUGHEST PUBLIC GOLF COURSES Aubri Benjamin Robin Cruise Ranked by USGA slope rating from back tees Rank ...

Old Marsh, PGA National toughest private courses.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... With the crisp winter weather approaching, the time has come to dust off the golf clubs from the garage and once again conquer South Florida's toughest golf courses. On this year's South Florida Business Journal list of the toughest...

Internet tea party.
November 5, 1999... A congressional advisory committee is gathering information and holding meetings about whether and how e-commerce should be taxed. We're happy to note that many consumers have the same reaction to this taxation as a group did in Boston a few...

Filming a millennium makeover.
November 5, 1999... Are you looking to lower your utility bills? Do your employees or tenants suffer from "hot spots" and glare? Could your building or storefront use added safety and security? Technologically advanced window films can provide the solutions. ...

Small business owners should be aware of fast-talking brokers.
November 5, 1999... Many Americans have benefited greatly from the strong economy and unprecedented rise in the stock market during the past five to six years. Although some business owners and professionals carefully follow the financial markets and make all of...

Fresh Del Monte Produce has lower quarterly results.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. in Coral Gables [NYSE: FDP] reported financial results for the third quarter ended Oct. 1. Net income was $6.6 million, compared with $19.8 million for the same period a year ago. Net sales were $369.1 million,...

Workflow Management Inc. has new strategic alignment.(Brief Article)
November 5, 1999... Palm Beach-based Workflow Management Inc. [Nasdaq: WORK] said its board of directors authorized an initial public offering of the iGetSmart.com Inc. subsidiary and subsequent tax-free spinoff to Workflow's shareholders. The iGetSmart.com...

Unconventional wisdom.(Palm Beach County, Florida, convention center; includes chronology)
November 12, 1999... Palm Beach County keeps hope alive for convention center In intimidating stacks of twos and threes, the folders blanket a small conference table in deputy Palm Beach County admistrator Pat Miller's office. They form a sea of white...

Traffic jams put brakes on economy.(South Florida)
November 12, 1999... Congestion slows local companies, study suggests Traffic snarls in South Florida are delaying the distribution of goods to market and eating away at corporate profits, according to a report that says transportation systems lag behind...

Leveling the field in South Beach.(Miami Beach, Florida, redevelopment)
November 12, 1999... Fifteen Group takes aim at need for midpriced apartments Fifteen Group isn't the only residential real estate firm to smell opportunity in the chic South Beach market. It just may be the most humble. While real estate titans scrape...

Fresh fund flow needed for customs.(Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Airp)(Statistical Data Included)
November 12, 1999... A $1.1 million gift last year from Broward County taxpayers to fund U.S. Customs inspectors at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Airport helped land cargo airline AmeriJet and hundreds of new jobs for Broward. But come June, that money runs out and...

Got a business idea? Get it tested here.(InnovationLab)
November 12, 1999... InnovationLab in West Palm Beach will take your concept from thought to finish "There's a lot of dumb money in South Florida," said Michael Lang, founder and chairman of InnovationLab, an information technology start-up in West Palm Beach....

ASPs boost share price for Citrix.(application service providers, Citrix Systems Inc.)
November 12, 1999... Stocks up 33 percent in two weeks to $80+ Shares of Citrix Systems (Nasdaq: CTXS) jumped 33 percent in less than two weeks as the local software giant further allied itself with Application Service Providers (ASPs) -- the emerging hot...

Broward hospital district employees to vote on union.(Florida)
November 12, 1999... More than a year ago, Broward General Hospital closed its "fast track" emergency room, designed to handle less serious cases, when a community clinic opened on Northwest 7th Avenue. Now, according to one hospital ER nurse, noncritical...

FNA 'too weak' to be nurses' union.(Florida Nurses Association)
November 12, 1999... The Florida Nurses Association has collective bargaining power but has not taken a proactive position to recruiting members to join it as a union. This summer, the American Nurses Association voted to create an official arm to focus on...

City National already one step ahead of new laws.(City National Bank of Florida)
November 12, 1999... Who needs Congress to repeal decades-old laws that have kept banks separate from insurance companies and securities brokers? Not City National Bank of Florida. Since 1997, the Miami-based bank has added financial planning, insurance and...

The South Florida ITEC-Conquering Technology Challenges in a Growing Marketplace.
November 12, 1999... The South Florida Information Technology Exposition & Conference (ITEC) comes to the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale on November 17th and 18th for the 1st year, hosting the most complete technology showcase assembled in the...

The Electronic Commerce Resource Center (ECRC).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 12, 1999... The Electronic Commerce Resource Center (ECRC) is a federally funded initiative to improve the competitive posture of U.S. companies. Our mission is to promote awareness and use of electronic commerce (EC) and related technologies. The Largo...

CIO Roundtable and IT Executive of the Year Awards.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 12, 1999... CIO Roundtable and IT Executive of the Year Awards sponsored by the South Florida IT Leadership Exchange. A feature of this year's South Florida ITEC will be the CIO Roundtable Breakfast and the IT Executive of the Year Award. Roundtable...

South Florida Information Technology Leadership Exchange.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 12, 1999... The South Florida IT Leadership Exchange is a network of South Florida IT executives and academics that focuses on sharing knowledge, research, and experiences on top-level IT management issues. The group meets bi-monthly to effective practices...

Enterprise Development Corporation.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 12, 1999... Enterprise Development Corporation of South Florida (EDC) has been creating and assisting emerging growth technology companies since 1994. EDC provides *hands-on* expertise in: Creating New Technology Companies, finding technology and...

GlobalXchange.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... GlobalXchange, of Miami, is part of the Telia's group of Global Internet Service Providers which operates a tier 1 WorldWide IP backbone network with Network Access Points connected to multiple teleports in the region, and high capacity...

Absolutely Software Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 12, 1999... Absolutely Software Inc. is the leader in wireless messaging software. Secure, reliable and adaptable to virtually any network environment, Absolutely Software's WirelessOffice suite has revolutionized the way businesses communicate with mobile...

Fourbit Group.(e-commerce software products)(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... Fourbit Group develops object-oriented e-commerce frameworks for the Java platform, designed for rapid development of integrated, enterprise-wide, scalable, web-enabled applications. Fourbit's products provide an architecture across the full...

Embedded and Mobile Systems Inc.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... Embedded and Mobile Systems Inc, is an embedded system consulting company based in Delray Beach, Florida. Embedded systems include communication devices such as pagers, cell-phones, and cable set-top boxes. Embedded and Mobile Systems Inc....

WE ELIMINATE THE HASSLE OF UPGRADING TO A NEW COMPUTER.
November 12, 1999... We have created unique software that performs automated system migration at a significant cost savings and with greater flexibility than current methods available (such as disk cloning or file transfers). The software intelligently transfers...

Touch Tone Technologies, Inc.(office communications)(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... (T3i) provides complete communications solutions to small and medium sized companies. With T3I's Virtual Office Services, you receive the benefits of a $500,000 system without any investment in hardware, software or support staff. The exclusive...

WAMnet.(internet service provider)(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... WAMnet is a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) and Internet Service Provider (ISP) established in Boca Raton, Florida in 1995 to serve the South Florida market with a variety of connectivity, hosting and co-location services. WAMnet has...

ITEC Theater.
November 12, 1999... Where else could you learn more about 3COM, Citrix, Intel, and Convergent Communications? The ITEC Theater. In every ITEC across the country there is an ITEC Theater where exhibitors can present the latest in technology services and products.

Microsoft Partner Pavilion Landsln South Florida.
November 12, 1999... Microsoft is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the Microsoft Solutions Theater and Partner Pavilion at the South Florida ITEC. The Microsoft will host a special pavilion area surrounding an on-floor seminar theater dedicated to solutions...

The Broward Alliance.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... The Broward Alliance is proud to present the 1st annual South Florida ITEC. The Broward Alliance is the County's official public/private partnership for economic development. Its mission is to create new high quality jobs by attracting business...

The South Florida Business Journal.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... TITLE SPONSOR As a proud sponsor of the 1st Annual South Florida ITEC, The Business Journal is the publisher of the official event guide. This partnership is evidence of The Business Journal's long tradition of involvement with top...

Citrix.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... PLATINUM SPONSOR Visit Citrix to see how you can improve the performance of your computing environment while reducing the costs and complexity of application deployment and management. At our booth you'll find out why more than half of...

3COM.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... GOLD SPONSOR With approximately 300 million customers worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people to information in more ways than any other networking company. 3Com delivers innovative information access products and network system...

CiberLynx.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... EVENT INTERNET SPONSOR CiberLynx is proud to be the Internet sponsor for ITEC/South Florida. As technology continues to explode into the next millennium, the Internet will obviously be at the forefront of this explosion. The ITEC/South...

Sprint PCS.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... Sprint PCS Puts The Internet In The Palm Of Your Hand Imagine you're traveling or visiting a client and you need to get information from your office, and fast. You may have scrambled to find a phone jack to plug in your laptop and access...

Skyline Displays South Florida.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... Official Exhibit Display Sponsor As the official Display and Exhibit provider for the 1999 ITEC, Skyline Displays is your complete provider of state-of-the-art tradeshow exhibit displays. Contact Roger Turner at 1-954-963-0002 for details....

Miami CitySearch.Com.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... CyberCafe Sponser As the official CyberCafe sponsor for the 1999 ITEC, Miami CitySearc.Com will be showcasing their website for the best city information around. See them in Booth # 240. Throughout the (web)pages of (recent) history,...

Keystone Rentals.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... Official Computer Rental Sponsor As the official computer rental provider for the 1999 ITEC, Keystone Rentals is your complete provider of tradeshow equipment rentals. Contact Diana Ewing at 1-800-388-7858 for details. Or see them in...

Nextel.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... Official Wireless Provider As the official wireless provider for the 1999 ITEC, Nextel is your complete provider of cellular phones. Contact Eric Isherwood at 1-954-275-2400 for details. Or see them in Booth # 122. Nextel...

Cisco Systems.(Brief Article)
November 12, 1999... Official Network Sponsor Cisco Systems is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco provides end-to-end networking solutions that customers use to build a unified information infrastructure of their own, or to connect...