The Business Journal (Serving Greater Tampa Bay) articles from January 1997

The Business Journal (Serving Greater Tampa Bay) archives from January 1997

Bay Area mutual funds lag the market, mostly. (Tampa Bay Area)(Industry Overview)
January 31, 1997... Equity mutual funds based in the Bay Area turned in a mixed performance in 1996, with few outscoring the stock market and others failing to measure up to their peers. That kind of uneven result is not uncommon in an industry where most...

Study rates Bucs fans poorly; Broncos backers remain best. (Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Denver Broncos)
January 31, 1997... There may be a new day' in Tampa Bay but the Buccaneers have been the worst National Football League team on the field during the past decade and there's little evidence that fans last year were much more supportive than before. Buccaneers...

Chiles seeks big bump for economic development; the governor's '97-98 budget also calls for a double-digit increase in tourism. (Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles)(includes related articles)
January 24, 1997... TALLAHASSEE - While other state agencies get by with less, Florida's economic development and tourism initiatives would see double-digit increases under Gov. Lawton Chiles' proposed $42 billion budget for 1997-1998. In all, economic...

Nonprofit hospitals jump into HMO fray. (health maintenance organization)
January 24, 1997... The Bay Area's largest non-profits hospitals have taken a giant, unprecedented step into the managed care world, providing HMO coverage for their employees in a move designed to cut costs. As of Jan. 1, about 9,000 of the 15,000 employees at...

Time Warner plans launch of 24-hour news channel; the operation will mean 70 new jobs. (Time Warner Communications)
January 24, 1997... Time Warner Communications plans to launch a 24-hour cable news channel this summer in the Bay Area, according to sources close to the deal. The operation would be the second such venture in Florida by Time Warner, which earlier this month...

Local phone firm dials into Bay Area market. (Teleport Communications Group Inc.)
January 24, 1997... Staten Island-based Teleport Communications Group Inc. plans to enter the Bay Area's local telephone service fray and is busy scouting for office space in Tampa and Orlando. As part of its plan, TCG will build its own fiber-optic networks in...

Ad agency builds book thanks to high-tech. (Amherst Marketing Associates Inc.)
January 24, 1997... John Amacker rode the Massachusetts Miracle for all it was worth in the 1980s, building an advertising and marketing agency that specialized in the state's many high-tech businesses. As the 1990s approached, however, it turned out that things...

Ybor City: hotbed for ad industry. (Ybor City, FL)
January 24, 1997... It's not the creative mecca that some would like it to be, but Ybor City has quietly become home to a growing number of ad agencies that turn out their work in spaces not yet claimed by the district's bars and restaurants. Most of the...

Doctors sue to break free from non-compete clause. (lawsuit against Maniscalco Glover Toole and Alagona)
January 24, 1997... A handful of Tampa doctors who want to start their own practice are suing the head of their former group in order to break free from a non-compete agreement. Seven cardiologists from the dozen-member Maniscalco Glover Toole & Alagona group...

Cardiology group digs in at Morton Plant pavillion. (Clearwater Cardiovascular Consultants; Morton Plant Hospital's new Cheek-Powell Heart and Vascular Pavillion)
January 24, 1997... Clearwater Cardiovascular Consultants, bucking a trend that has seen physician groups selling out to Wall Street-backed management companies, is instead spending millions to sink its roots deeper into the community. Over the New Year's...

Getting into the millionaire's club.
January 24, 1997... Given the rapid rise in the number of millionaires in this country, you might begin to wonder where you've gone wrong if your net worth is still coming in at just five figures or less. Don't despair, though. There's still plenty of time -...

Some credit unions illegally masquerade as banks.
January 24, 1997... Recent rulings by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson make it clear that some credit unions, not all, have been marketing their services with little or no regard for the common bond language of the federal law. During the past...

USF uses TV to bring MBA program into focus. (University of South Florida)
January 24, 1997... Time was, getting an MBA meant going off to college for a few years. But a new program at the University of South Florida could make pursuing an advanced business degree a lot less peripatetic. Starting a year ago, about a dozen full-time...

A noble cause - with concerns about its future. (Shriners Hospitals for Children)(Special Report: Health Care)
January 24, 1997... As it turns 75, Shriners Hospitals for Children seeks its place in a managed care environment Shriners Hospitals for Children celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. With a $4 billion endowment, that celebration should be a happy one. But...

Man for the mission takes over non-profit hospitals. (St. Joseph's-St. Anthony's Health System CEO Isaac Mallah)(Special Report: Health Care)
January 24, 1997... After two decades with St. Joseph's-St. Anthony's, layman Mallah reaches the CEO's office Isaac Mallah has spent the past 20 years helping to oversee and manage the growth of a health care organization that has become a half-billion-dollar...

Summer months a rough time for Bay Area hospitals.(Special Report: Health Care)
January 24, 1997... A number of Bay Area hospitals posted anemic figures in a just-released third-quarter occupancy report put out by the state. Eleven of the region's 55 hospitals posted occupancy rates below 30 percent in the three months of July-September....

Company profits from clearer air. (Pure Air Control Services Inc.)(Small Business Enterprise)(Company Profile)
January 24, 1997... Firm changes from air conditioning and cleans up Eight years ago Pure Air Control Services Inc. held its breath as it dove into a new direction. Today, the Clearwater company can breathe easier. Pure Air is the brainchild of Alan Wozniak,...

TV retail firm made to pay restitution. (Saratosa businessman Mark Gray fails to fulfill promise to nationally advertise products of small businesses)
January 17, 1997... The state Attorney General's Office is investigating allegations that the owner of a startup TV shopping channel in Sarasota failed to deliver on promises to advertise the products of dozens of small businesses to national audiences....

Racing clan vies to get back on track. (Chitwood family at the Indy 200, Walt Disney World Speedway)
January 17, 1997... Come Jan. 25, with a bit of luck and after a five-decade delay, Tampa's Chitwood family will resume big-time racing at the Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Speedway. Joie Chitwood Jr. and his brother Tim want to take the checkered flag at the...

Stock fraud defendants sanctioned by SEC: figure in murder mystery among those involved. (former Standard Oil & Exploration of Delaware Inc. executives Christopher P. Veltmann, Matthew E. Klenovic and Thomas R. Yearms)
January 17, 1997... Three former officers of a defunct Sarasota-based oil company, accused by the federal government of securities fraud, have consented to a variety of sanctions, including repayment of nearly $2 million they allegedly bilked from investors....

Pick Kwick weighs sale, merger.
January 17, 1997... Pick Kwik Corp., a Tampa-based convenience store chain and one of the largest privately held companies in the Bay Area, has hired an investment bank to look at possible growth strategies, including the sale of the business. Pick Kwik...

Pinellas Plant tenant expands, another moves in: Constellation Tech will occupy 60,000 sq. ft. (Constellation Technology Corp.; National Electronic Commerce Resource Center)
January 17, 1997... Constellation Tech will occupy 60,000 sq. ft. The Pinellas Plant's biggest tenant is moving to even bigger digs - down the hall. Constellation Technology Corp. last week began shifting operations from the 10,000 square feet it occupies in...

What will new stadium look like? Just visualize it. (approved Tampa, FL, sports stadium still without model or artist rendering)
January 17, 1997... Except for architects and other insiders, few people really know what the new $168.5 million stadium in Tampa will look like when it is completed in the fall of 1998. That's because the Tampa Sports Authority doesn't have a current model or...

Mutiny sets its ad agency adrift. (Tampa Bay Mutiny replaces Paradigm Communications Inc. with Schon Advertising)
January 17, 1997... The management of the Tampa Bay Mutiny, unhappy with last year's marketing efforts on the soccer team's behalf, has changed advertising agencies, replacing Paradigm Communications with Schon Advertising. It is a move that seems to make...

Lightning goal: keep community in mind. (community involvement of hockey team Tampa Bay Lightning)
January 17, 1997... The ideal has scored big points with its fans When the Tampa Bay Lightning decided they needed to think about a new Christmas card design, they picked up the phone and called the Children's Cancer Center. The result? A handsome design that...

Polk seeks to capture tourist traffic. (Polk County, Florida)
January 17, 1997... Polk County, whose roads are filled with tourists headed to Tampa or Orlando, is now trying to capture some of that traffic for itself. The county recently started touting its virtues from a portable information kiosk at the newly refurbished...

Study finds securities reform may have backfired.
January 17, 1997... WASHINGTON - Much of the brouhaha revolving around President Clinton's veto and subsequent override by Congress to pass a securities litigation reform bill may have been a gross over-reaction. Declaring war on rogue attorneys specializing in...

On competition and miscalculations. (American Express in the accountancy market and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants)(Editorial)
January 17, 1997... These are not the easiest of times to be a certified public accountant I don't mean business is bad. Actually, it may be too good. So good that new competitors keep cropping up. Competitors like American Express, which last year announced that...

Water wars can end - if we want them to. (alternative vs. traditional water sources)(Editorial)
January 17, 1997... We can end the water wars for a cost of somewhere between $3 and $4 dollars per month on your water bill. The next "battle" you read or hear about will likely be over how the water should be developed. The lines are being drawn fairly simply:...

Citrus & Chemical Bank finds fertile fields in Polk. (Polk County, Florida)(Company Profile)
January 17, 1997... The bank is now the largest in its county and is the second-largest in the Bay Area When a key competitor was bought last year by an out-of-state holding company, Citrus & Chemical Bank suddenly found itself the largest locally owned bank in...

SCOR: Still unavailable to Florida entrepreneurs, yet many companies elsewhere have gone public thanks to a Small Corp. Offering Registration.
January 17, 1997... Yet many companies elsewhere have gone public thanks to a Small Corp. Offering Registration. Since 1992, small businesses in need of capital in most of the United States have been able to issue public equity offerings without going through...

Coping with the highs and the lows: Smith and Associates hasn't found magic bullet but real estate firm's owner says he's dodged many.(Company Profile)
January 17, 1997... Robert Glaser is a self-described optimist. It's a good thing. In the real estate industry since the 1970s, Glaser has felt its slumps and high points. Even while losing money for in the late '80s, he stuck it out until the market turned...

More business will file federal taxes electronically. (includes quick tips on electronic filing procedures)(Column)
January 17, 1997... Most of the time, the federal government tends to lag far behind the crave in adapting and using new technologies. Occasionally, however, it introduces programs that seem to push the technological envelope. One such case is the new...

Both parties ponder tax reform to affect small firms. (Democrats and Republicans over tax reforms)
January 17, 1997... Big tax cuts may be out in 1997, but with both political parties wanting to provide relief for taxpayers, small businesses and entrepreneurs could be the beneficiaries of "targeted tax cuts" next year. Small-business owners generally support...

Tampa office park sold for $72 million. (Tampa Bay Park)
January 10, 1997... Tampa Bay Park, an 800,000-square-foot office park across from Houlihan's Stadium, has been sold to an Orlando-based company for $72.5 million. The buyer, ACP-Tampa Bay, is a limited partnership controlled by Associated Capital Properties...

Robotic parking: a space-saving solution.
January 10, 1997... Imagine never having to prowl a parking garage in search of your misplaced Mercedes. Or joust with other commuters for that solitary silver of a parking space. Or even park at all. Sound like some predawn weekday fantasy? Try potential...

Renaissance on upper Fourth: a new slate of national, local retailers help remake boulevard. (Fourth Street corridor in St. Petersburg, FL)
January 10, 1997... The Fourth Street corridor in St. Petersburg, long a hub of retail activity, is experiencing a renaissance at its northern end, thanks to a new, wealthier breed of customers. Popular national chains like Blockbuster Entertainment, Einstein...

Is Mido for sale? (Belleview Mido resort)
January 10, 1997... The 100-year-old Belleview Mido resort in Clearwater, the nation's oldest and largest inhabited woodframed building, may be close to a sale, sources said. The huge old hotel has been owned since 1990 by a Japanese company that spent millions...

Year's end brings flurry of real estate deals.(Industry Overview)
January 10, 1997... Tight lease market prompts closings Bill Eshenbaugh of BBRE/Eshenbaugh Commercial Services had been planning a year-end Colorado ski vacation for several months, but when the time came he found it difficult to tear himself away from the...

Game gives local companies quick kick to bottom lines. (Outback Bowl in Tampa Bay Area)
January 10, 1997... In early December, long before the teams that would play in the Outback Bowl were even selected, Eliot Wiseman of Tampa Tent and Rental Co. Inc. marshaled his troops, preparing for one of year's most tent-intensive events in the Bay Area....

Baird expands Tampa office. (Robert W. Baird and Company Inc.)
January 10, 1997... Robert W. Baird & Co., the Milwaukee-based investment company that has received attention recently for its aggressive expansion in Florida, has reorganized and expanded its state headquarters in Tampa. Two top Baird executives are moving from...

Most Florida HMOs reporting losses. (health maintenance organizations)
January 10, 1997... Though they continued to grow, more than half of Florida's HMOs were awash in red ink in the third quarter last year. Florida's 38 health maintenance organizations grew by 7 percent during the second and third quarter, and now have more than...

Private coverages emerge as state program stalls; plans marry health care, workers' comp. (Florida Department of Insurance's plan for a new type of medical insurance)
January 10, 1997... Last September, the state Department of Insurance announced plans for development of a new type of medical insurance that would combine workers' compensation with health insurance. Dubbed "24-hour coverage," the pilot project was created by...

'Smart' airbag race gets hot.
January 10, 1997... Breed Technologies is in a race that could win it the checkered flag or leave it in a ditch - wheels up. The Lakeland-based manufacturer of automobile airbags and crash sensors is furiously at work to develop "smart" airbags that employ...

Ex-Silicon Valley exec moves into local tech scene. (Hal Moyers)
January 10, 1997... If you're looking for a few plum pointers about how to tweak your high-tech manufacturing processes, don't call Hal Moyers. That's because the Redington Shores technology consultant - a recent California transplant with an impressive resume -...

Donation allows Trinity to plan YMCA facility. (planned community in Pasco County, FL)
January 10, 1997... Trinity, the huge planned community in Pasco County, will be getting a state-of-the-art YMCA early in 1998, thanks to a million-dollar donation of cash and land from the community's developer, Dr. James Gills. The facility will occupy a...

Westin planning renovation of Westshore property. (Westin Hotels)
January 10, 1997... Westin Hotels, which bought the former Doubletree Suites in Tampa's Westshore district in December, will spend $4.4 million to spiff up the property. The 260-suite hotel has been renamed the Westin Tampa Airport. It's the Seattle-based...

Staffing services get jobs done; finance a big loser. (Tampa Bay Area)(Special Report: Jobs)
January 10, 1997... Back-office operations a leader in Bay Area opportunities, but vegetable raising jobs squashed The Bay Area, much like the rest of the Southeast, has been a national leader in terms of job creation in recent years, a state of affairs that...

Romac ties growth to demand for flex work force. (Romac International Inc.)(Special Report: Jobs)
January 10, 1997... With 30% annual growth rate goal, Tampa firm plans to be in all 25 largest U.S. markets by 2000 Young, yet growing by leaps and bounds, Tampa-based Romac International Inc. is one of a handful of companies taking advantage of the new climate...

Tampa picked for Florida entrepreneur consultancy. (Ernst and Young L.L.P.)(Special Report: Jobs)
January 10, 1997... One of the Big Six accounting firms has begun rolling out a new consulting service in Florida for mid-sized companies facing those tricky transitions that come with growth. Tampa will be the home base for the Florida entrepreneurial...

TV, film producer named in SEC probe. (Affinity Entertainment Inc.)
January 3, 1997... Affinity Entertainment Inc., a Tampa-based television and movie production and distribution firm, has been named as one of 10 companies that allegedly gave stock to the operators of an online stock tip sheet in exchange for favorable comments....

Oil firm accuses brokerage of unauthorized trading. (United Petroleum Corp.; Taj Global Equities Inc.)
January 3, 1997... A Bay Area broker-dealer with a history of controversy has been accused of making millions of dollars in allegedly unauthorized trades that may have contributed to a collapse in the stock price of a Tennessee company. Taj Global Equities...

Uniroyal Technology drafts poison pill plan.
January 3, 1997... Uniroyal Technology Corp. has drafted a poison pill plan aimed at thwarting a hostile takeover after Cincinnati investment advisors Pacholder Associates Inc. upped its holdings in the Sarasota company to 17 percent Although the two events...

ADP buying into HealthPlan Services. (Automatic Data Processing Inc.)
January 3, 1997... The $26.4 million deal will give ADP an 8% stake in the company Automatic Data Processing Inc., one of the world's largest computer services firms, has agreed to buy 1.32 million shares of Tampa-based HealthPlan Services Inc., a leading...

Congress to weigh pensions.
January 3, 1997... WASHINGTON -- Congress once again is considering action to make it easier for small-business owners to offer lucrative pension plans for their employees. Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., will introduce legislation in...

SBA developing export program. (Small Business Administration)
January 3, 1997... WASHINGTON - Small business owners reluctant to expand their businesses globally because of overwhelming paperwork and cumbersome regulations may want to reconsider their strategy. That's because the U.S. Small Business Administration is now...

Firm appoints first female managing shareholder. (Margaret D. Matthews; Akerman Senterfitt and Eidson P.A.)
January 3, 1997... In the dog-eat-dog world of lawyering, Margaret D. Mathews has become leader of her legal pack. Last month, the 40-year-old attorney was named as the first female managing shareholder of Akerman Senterfitt & Eidson's Tampa branch. "I'm...

Ad agency profiting from experience; Ausec & Cheney doubled its billings in 1996.(Small Business Enterprise)(Company Profile)
January 3, 1997... Young minds, daring hearts and energetic bodies may have been what got the Ausec & Cheney Group ad agency off the ground more than a dozen years ago. Now, it's experience that's taking this growing Tampa-based partnership into the future....