South Florida Business Journal articles from October 1997

South Florida Business Journal archives from October 1997

Target: anywhere but U.S.: CHS Electronics makes high-tech deals in low-tech countries.(Cover Story)
October 3, 1997... * CHS Electronics makes high-tech deals in low-tech countries For someone who says he constantly feels like a tightrope walker, Claudio Osorio comes across as the king of balance. The Venezuelan native who was named Florida's Entrepreneur...

Developers find deals in L. America. (South Floridian real estate developers; Latin America)
October 3, 1997... Last week, Jim Lynskey needed a Costa Rican bureaucrat to scrutinize his beachfront resort. But the task wasn't as simple as making a phone call and setting up an appointment. The government official didn't own a car. So Lynskey, a developer...

Long live the Queen: growers set to market S. Florida pineapple. (Queen Victoria pineaple)
October 3, 1997... Growers set to market S. Florida pineapple Reminders of its ties to South Florida are all around. Pineapple Grove, a redevelopment district in downtown Delray Beach, is named after it. So are assorted shopping centers, dry cleaners, streets...

Malpractice insurer predicts wave of consolidation. (Physicians Protective Trust Fund to merge with Professionals Insurance Company Management Group)(Interview)
October 3, 1997... Suddenly, Physicians Protective Trust Fund is a hot property. The Coral Gables-based malpractice insurer - the largest in Florida - plans one merger and is talking with a suitor about a second deal. For 22 years, Physicians Protective Trust...

Store aims to feed your (better) habits: Franklin Covey 7 Habits training store opening in Plantation.
October 3, 1997... * Franklin Covey 7 Habits training store opening in Plantation The merger of two corporate training giants comes in the form of a new store at the Fashion Mall in Plantation. The Franklin Covey 7 Habits store opened as part of a mass...

Writing code in Kendall: software firm's sale grow. (Deneba Systems Inc.)(Company Profile)
October 3, 1997... Joaquin de Soto and his partners launched their software company in 1984 in time-honored entrepreneurial fashion. They were students who ran up hefty credit card bills and wrote code between classes and part-time jobs. The short-term result...

New management working to buff up troubled strip clubs. (Global Management Group)
October 3, 1997... * Upscale marketing strategy emphasizes gourmet dining, cigar bars, new decor and 'more than just naked women' When Gary Elliott bares his business strategy for turning around the flagging fortunes of three South Florida strip clubs it...

The area's tax men moveth. (IRS's new Plantation, Florida headquarters)
October 3, 1997... * Yearlong hunt for space has IRS paying $27M to rent new Plantation office building After a yearlong search for the best deal on its South Florida headquarters, the IRS said it will move to a new building in Plantation. The...

Prudential axes execs, cuts 69 jobs here. (Prudential HealthCare of Florida)
October 3, 1997... * Statewide leadership shakeup at health plan follows $50 million in losses since 1995 - is it for sale? Prudential HealthCare of Florida, which has lost more than $50 million since 1995, is shedding executives and laying off at least 161...

New law allows CPAS to collect commissions. (South Florida)
October 3, 1997... A new state law that lets CPAs collect commissions took effect this week, but it likely will be nine months before their clients see any changes. That's because the industry still is determining exactly how to deal with the new law, which...

Palm Beach launching new Business Loan Fund. (Palm Beach County, Florida)
October 3, 1997... * Program unlocks capital for socially or economically disadvantage entrepreneurs with loans from $250 to $500,000 After three years in the hopper, a new program aimed at putting capital into the pockets of socially or economically...

Golf course builder targets Mexico. (Paragon Construction International)
October 3, 1997... * Paragon Construction says few competitors are experienced and reliable Throughout the '90s, Paragon Construction International has built golf courses in exotic locales. The North Palm Beach company, a subsidiary of Golden Bear...

A son presses on. (Peter Rood, president of family-owned Suniland Press)(Company Profile)
October 3, 1997... Peter Rood's parents had big plans for their son, the would-be doctor. But Peter had even bigger plans for the family printing business Considering Peter Rood's blood lines, it's no surprise he's in the printing business. His grandfather ran...

Hospitals. (tabular data only)(Health Care Directory)(Directory)
October 3, 1997... BROWARD COUNTY Broward General Medical Center 1600 S Andrews Ave. Fort Lauderdale 33316 (954) 355-4400 Administrator: Ruth Eldridge No. of Beds: 744 No. of Physicians: 790 Total Personnel: 1,954 Special Services: Cardiac...

Nursing homes. (tabular data only)(Health Care Directory)(Directory)
October 3, 1997... GLOSSARY P: Facility is proprietary, owned by a corporation or individuals and operated for profit. N: Usually owned by a religious, fraternal, or charitable organization. G: Government Owned Payment Forms Accepted: ME: Medicare...

Home health care agencies. (tabular data only)(Health Care Directory)(Directory)
October 3, 1997... BROWARD COUNTY Alimed Home Health Agency 3601 W. Commercial Blvd., No. 7 Fort Lauderdale 33309 (954) 733-9800 All Care USA 945 W. Commercial Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33309 (954) 776-7713 All Nursing Services 612 NE 26th St. Wilton Manors...

Dialysis centers. (tabular data only)(Health Care Directory)(Directory)
October 3, 1997... BROWARD COUNTY Artificial Kidney Center 7150 W. McNab Rd. Tamarac 33321 (954) 720-5336 Artificial Kidney Center Broward 1311 E Atlantic Blvd. Pompano Beach 33060 (954) 942-5115 BMA-Hollywood 2655 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood 33020 (954)...

Diagnostic centers. (tabular data only)(Health Care Directory)(Directory)
October 3, 1997... BROWARD COUNTY Atlantic Pro Med Inc. 1764 NW 38th Ave. Lauderhill 33311 (954) 584-3711 Broward Diagnostic Imaging Center 4850 W. Oakland Park Blvd. Lauderdale Lakes 33313 (954) 735-6330 Cleveland Clinic Florida 3000 W. Cypress Creek Rd....

Other providers. (tabular data only)(Health Care Directory)(Directory)
October 3, 1997... Air Ambulance Professionals Inc. 1575 W. Commercial Blvd., Annex 2, No. 102 Fort Lauderdale 33309 (954) 491-0555 Air ambulance All Metro Health Care 4337 N. State Road 7 Lauderdale Lakes 33319 (954) 739-3300 Medical Alarms American...

Forest Trace finally gives in. (Forest Trace of Inverrary signed an agreement with CareMatrix Corp.)
October 10, 1997... After repeated offers, Lauderhill senior facility got the deal it wanted Stanley Rosenthal has been approached repeatedly by senior housing companies interested in buying his 78-acre independent living complex in Lauderhill. Rosenthal...

A shared experience. (Ryder System Inc.)
October 10, 1997... Marvenia Fowler was one of a handful of black employees on hand when Ryder System CEO Anthony Burns was named chairman of the National Urban League at a Detroit conference in 1988. Taking advantage of the situation, Fowler and her colleagues...

Rodstrom on his suit over port land sale: 'one of the worst deals the county ever entered into.' (interview with Broward County Commission Chmn John Rodstrom)(Interview)
October 10, 1997... Broward County's contentious purchase of 272 acres for its port expansion took a strange twist this week. County Commission Chairman John Rodstrom sued to overturn the deal. Last month, county commissioners voted 4-3 to pay Hollywood developer...

Airport ad firm lands Lauderdale project. (Interspace Airport Advertising was hired by Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport)
October 10, 1997... New business displays will be part of a 'corporate and community' showcase, says Interspace Airport Advertising When is the best time to teach out-of-town visitors about your business? How about snagging their attention while they wait for...

Plane parts firm rebounds after move. (International Airline Support Group Inc.)
October 10, 1997... International Airline Support Group pulls out of a financial dive - in Atlanta After a bumpy ride in the early 1990s, a company that sells used airplane parts has found some smooth air after quitting Miami for Atlanta. Just three years ago,...

Which way will it fall. (effect of Latin American currency crisis to South Florida firms)
October 10, 1997... The potential for another Latin American currency crisis has some experts warning South Florida firms to hedge theft bets against an overly strong dollar As a computer sales representative in Mexico in 1994, Rudy Braga learned the hard way...

It's a real wash. (truck dealer Dick Rechtien)
October 10, 1997... To keep profits rolling, a Dade truck dealer decides it's time to clean up literally with an environmentally safe truck wash Commercial truck dealer Dick Rechtien faces a couple of frightening fiscal obstacles: He makes his living in a...

More ups and downs for Viragen. (Viragen Inc.)
October 24, 1997... After impressive gains, doubts and delays drop shares to the $2 range Redemption has been a long time coming for Plantation's Viragen Inc., developer of what could be the world's most advanced technology for extracting a natural version of the...

Miami's high cost of dying on Medicare.
October 24, 1997... Study: More Medicare patients spend their last six months in intensive care A touchy debate among South Florida's health care community has been stirred by a nationwide study showing that Miami's Medicare patients spend more time in intensive...

How suite it will be. (mid-luxury seats or suites at Broward County Arena)
October 24, 1997... When the Broward County Arena opens for the Florida Panthers' hockey season a year from now, an elite crowd will fill some mid-level luxury seats. But mind you, in Wayne's World, these seats are not called skyboxes. They are "suites," and...

New management training program is going national. (The Competent Leader)
October 24, 1997... Lauderdale firm rolls out 'The Competent Leader' after pilot test in Chicago Imagine if Jimmy Johnson gave his Miami Dolphin football players positive and negative feedback only once a year in a written performance evaluation. Think the...

Mag heads back to Miami for new image. (renaming of South Florida magazine to Miami Metro)
October 24, 1997... South Florida magazine aims to hit harder as Miami Metro; Wissink out at new City Link In a move to capitalize on Miami's renaissance, South Florida magazine is changing its name to Miami Metro. The renamed publication hits the stands Jan....

Shorenstein's big bid bought trophy property. (First Union Financial Center in downtown Miami)
October 24, 1997... When Shorenstein Co. bid for Florida s largest office building last year, it didn't base its dizzying offer on the office tower's current rent roll. Instead, the San Francisco-based investor looked at Miami's office market and tried to predict...

Catalfumo moved quickly to build Office Depot HQ. (Catalfumo Construction & Development Inc.)
October 24, 1997... Teamwork and determination were the keys to naming Office Depot's new Delray Beach headquarters the "best new development" in the office category of this year's best real estate deals competition. Catalfumo Construction & Development Inc. of...

Lefmark spent $27.5 million to rescue former Delray Mall. (Lefmark Group)
October 24, 1997... The Plaza at Delray, a 335,000-square-foot shopping center in Delray Beach, was functionally obsolete when Miami-based Lefmark Group bought the nearly 20-year-old property two years ago last July. "We had to tear down 200,000 out of 375,000...

Complex purchase preceded fast-paced sales at Ocean Club.
October 24, 1997... When John Hinson cast a covetous eye on 52 acres of Key Biscayne in the early 90s, he saw prime land for condo development. But to turn his vision into town-houses and towers, Hinson had to execute a hostile takeover, of the property's owner....

Affordable country-club living takes shape at Carr's Winston Trails.
October 24, 1997... Several builders failed to prosper during the years before James Carr took over his prize-winning project, but for the past two years business has boomed at Carr's Westbrooke at Winston Trails, an 800-acre residential community in south Palm...

Perna's Addison Reserve offers deluxe 'Old Florida' style.
October 24, 1997... Addison Reserve is Craig A. Perna's from start to finish. As project director for Taylor Woodrow/Kenco Ltd., Perna manages this 653-acre upscale private community, and he has been responsible for everything from design to construction to...

Catalfumo had to negotiate tricky deal for food distributor. (Cheney Brothers Inc.)
October 24, 1997... About a year ago, when Byron Russell, president of Cheney Brothers Inc., one of the largest food distributors in Florida, went looking for a construction firm to build a new warehouse, he knew the task would not be easy. The company's...

Pawlowski's deal transformed eyesore into thriving locale. (Colliers Lehrer International Inc. Dir. David J. Pawlowski)
October 24, 1997... Not long ago, the huge building at 18000 State Road 9, alongside I-95 just north of the Golden Glades interchange, was a vacant hulk covered with graffiti - a cast-off, unkempt relic of the Keller Industries bankruptcy. Then David J....

Land deal to yield five-star hotel. (Coconut Grove)
October 24, 1997... A less-than-luxurious block in Coconut Grove is slated to turn into five-star Ritz Carlton. The planned luxury hotel is the result of a land assemblage that took years of effort to close. And the complexity of the deal won it "best land deal"...

IBM buyers' key move? Joining forces. (Blue Lake Ltd.)
October 24, 1997... Months before IBM Corp. formally announced it was putting its Boca Raton complex on the auction block some Palm Beach County business people had already gone to work to snag it. Most of them had originally planned to go after the 1.8...

Campbell and Kleber bring Silver King Productions to SoBe. (South Beach)(Cushman and Wakefield Inc. Senior Dir. Douglas G. Campbell and Associate Alan R. Kleber)
October 24, 1997... Even for a major real estate brokerage company like Cushman & Wakefield, finalizing the deal that brought Silver King Productions to South Beach was a daunting task. Just nine months ago, Silver King Productions, an affiliate of Home Shopping...

A taste of success - and revenge. (Happy and Healthy Products Pres. Linda Kerr Kamm)
October 24, 1997... After her first company was pushed out of business, Linda Kerr Kamm bounced back with a fruit bar that can't be licked One old saw says that revenge tastes sweet. Another warns that it's a dish best served cold. That's right on both counts,...

Music to their ears. (Omega Research)
October 31, 1997... Violinists' TradeStation is capturing the market Bill and Ralph Cruz clearly remember the most exciting day in their lives. The brothers, then 18 and 16, opened a futures trading account with their combined life savings of $2,400. In the...

REIT rush sends prices skyrocketing. (real estate investment trust)
October 31, 1997... But some real estate pros fear buying binge will overheat the market The buying spree spurred by publicly traded real estate investment trusts shows no signs of slowing. The latest evidence comes from two out-of-state REITs planning what...

Hand-held computer aims to keep home care legal. (SmartMed Healthcare Systems Inc)
October 31, 1997... Dania firm's device tracks home health care visits to help cut down on fraud and abuse Not long ago, nurses who went to visit home-bound patients would devote all their attention to medical care. Paperwork was left for later, sometimes several...

Grubb & Ellis tries another new boss. (Grubb & Ellis' South Florida manager Gregg Popkin)
October 31, 1997... Gregg Popkin wants to boost area office that's 'fallen flat on its face' Gregg Popkin, the latest manager to be plopped into Grubb & Ellis' hot seat, knows he faces a daunting challenge. Grubb & Ellis, based in Northbrook, Ill., is a major...

Diversifying - with taste. (Lorraine Travel)
October 31, 1997... Jack and Luisa Guiteras needed a bigger building for Lorraine Travel. Their son dreamed of running his own restaurant. Now the resulting combination can send you - and your taste buds - all over the Globe. A bustling noon-hour crowd fills the...