The Business Journal (Serving Greater Tampa Bay) articles from June 2001

The Business Journal (Serving Greater Tampa Bay) archives from June 2001

Palmetto getting hotel.(from Wingate Inns International Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... * AMMUNITION: Development backers say commissioners should see potential PALMETTO -- Business people attending conventions, trade shows and other events at the Manatee Convention & Civic Center know about the problem. Chamber and...

Downtown turns around.(St. Petersburg, Florida)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... * LACKING: A quality location for a high-rise would make the transition complete ST. PETERSBURG -- An area long known for its gray-haired seniors shuffling to green park benches to feed pigeons stale bread now seems headed to becoming a...

New chamber targets minority businesses.(Sarasota African-American Chamber of Commerce)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... * CHALLENGE: Financial backing needed most, members say SARASOTA -- The newly formed Sarasota African-American Chamber of Commerce Inc. is trying to cultivate businesses north of downtown by providing networking, mentoring and education...

Plastic producers pinched by petro.(plastics industry sales)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 29, 2001... * COSTS: Growth hampered by increased costs for oil-based products in process CLEARWATER -- Paper or plastic? The answer is the latter for Tampa Bay area manufacturers who make a living turning plastic into parts used in a variety of...

Devil Rays new COO scoring with businesses.(John McHale Jr. of Tampa Bay Devil Rays)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... JOHN McHALE: Joins club, makes rounds, sees problems ST PETERSBURG -- John McHale Jr., the man in charge of turning the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' misfortunes around, has spent lot of time talking in his first few months on the job -- and...

Hispanic Business Initiative Foundation reaches out.(helps struggling business owners)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... * HELPING HAND: State funds will allow for greater assistance TAMPA -- A quarter-million dollars may not sound like much in the world of government grants, but to the Hispanic Business Initiative Foundation, it sounds great. And to...

Affordable business model helps bring back BCD.(BCD 2000 Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... TAMPA -- BCD Computer Distributions Inc. is back in business with a different name and new operating model. Lee Vaccaro, company founder, pulled the plug on the 6-year-old Tampa-based computer retailer in 1999. Three locations in Tampa...

Small business group, GOP demand action on energy.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... WASHINGTON -- The Small Business Survival Committee joined Senate Republicans at a rally outside the Capitol demanding immediate action on energy legislation. Small businesses "are extremely concerned about high energy costs -- and the...

Flying off the handle becoming an airline headache.(air rage on the rise)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... TAMPA -- First there was "going postal." Then there was "road rage." Now, there's "air rage." And people who do a lot of travel such as those in business and those in the travel industry need to be aware of it, an air travel...

Congress seeking more funding for technology transfer program.(Senators want to expand the program)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... WASHINGTON -- Six years ago, Idaho Technology Inc. employed six people and occupied one corner of an Idaho Falls potato equipment plant owned by the chief executive officer's family. Today the biotechnology company employs 65 scientists...

Tampa-St. Pete best for Florida living, not dating.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Tampa-St. Petersburg ranked No. 17 in the United States -- better than any other locale in Florida -- in the May 28 Forbes magazine Best Places top 200 metro economic rankings. The ranking criteria was: job growth; earned income; and...

MANATEE HONORS SMALL BUSINESSES.
June 29, 2001... A decor gallery, auto body shop, pool company and eye center are small businesses of the year in Manatee County. * Decor Gallery & Framing won in the category of five or fewer employees and sales less than $500,000 a year. * Burke's...

COURTROOM DRAMA?
June 29, 2001... "What Can Lawyers Learn From Actors" was a popular product at the June 20-23 Florida Bar Association convention in Orlando. Marketing reps from ACT of Communication, Consultants in the Art of Advocacy, said they had to run out and make more...

SUPER BOWL BOUNCE.(former employees of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl XXXV Task Force)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... The staff of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl XXXV Task Force worked for at least a year preparing for the big game at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 28. But after the game ended, so did their jobs. Fortunately, most of them found jobs or launched...

Fowler White finds networks a plus for its clients.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... John Robinson doesn't want his Tampa clients left in the lurch if they have to do business in Michigan or California. Chances of that happening are slim since Robinson practices at Fowler White Gillen Boggs Villareal & Banker PA, the only...

American Bar Association.(publishes books by M. Diane Vogt)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Tampa lawyer M. Diane Vogt of M. Diane Vogt PA reports that the American Bar Association has published her nonfiction work "Keeping Good Lawyers." She's also a fiction writer with her Judge Wilhelmina Carson series. Set in the Tampa Bay area,...

Hillsborough County Bar Association.
June 29, 2001... Kirk Davis and Paul Hardy, lawyers at Tampa law firm Akerman Senterfitt & Edison PA, have been selected for inclusion, in the 2001-2002 "Best Lawyers in America" publication. The publication's criteria calls for lawyers to nominate peers....

Battaglia Ross Dicus & Wein PA.
June 29, 2001... Anthony Battaglia, founding partner of the Tampa firm Battaglia Ross Dicus & Wein PA, was selected for the seventh time for inclusion in "Best Lawyers of America."

Carlton Fields Attorneys at Law.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Carlton Fields Attorneys at Law president and chief executive officer Tom Snow has been appointed membership nominating committee chairman of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers.

Doreen Young of Holland & Knight LLP.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Doreen Young of Holland & Knight LLP has been installed as the youngest St. Petersburg Bar Association president. Young, who turns 32 in July, is the third woman to hold that position.

Foley & Lardner Attorneys at Law.
June 29, 2001... Lewis Hill III, partner in the Tampa office of Foley & Lardner Attorneys at Law, has received the firm's Lynford Lardner Community Service award for volunteer work and civic involvement.

The Spring of Tampa Bay.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Fowler White recently turned over gently-worn women's suits, men's suits, blouses, dresses, skits and accessories to The Spring of Tampa Bay. Fowler White joined in the "Spring Fling" clothing drive with accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP and...

Vinoy holds line on raising rates as economy falters.(Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club )(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Although occupancy at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club is steady, it is offering summer rates a little less expensive, than usual to try to make sure rooms remain filled. "We're really lucky in this area because (the slowing...

STANDING OUT IN THE FIELD.(Florida Attractions Association)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Look, Ma! I'm an "outstanding attraction!" The Florida Attractions Association has named Bill Lupfer, the director of the Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville, "outstanding attraction member." The group gave the award to Lupfer during its...

RACE TO WIN.(Indy racing in Alabama)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... International Racing Associates of Birmingham, Ala., is trying to bring an Indy Car race to the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. The State Fair Authority's board agreed to consider the proposal by Mike Perry, International Racing...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IMAX.
June 29, 2001... The IMAX Dome Theatre at MOSI will be six years old on July 1. Birthday celebrations include food and activities for children on July 14. And during all of July, guests with a register receipt from Publix Super Markets for any ice cream...

FLIPPIN' BURGERS.(National Restaurant Association reports increase of restaurant workers during summer)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... It's summer, and the number of people working in restaurants nationwide will grow by 370,000 jobs. The National Restaurant Association reports that the job projections for June, July and August show a 4.6-percent increase compared with...

MEET THE GOVERNOR.
June 29, 2001... Visit Florida, the tourism marketing agency for the state, is drumming up sponsors and attendees for the annual governor's conference on tourism, scheduled for Aug. 12-14 in Boca Raton. The 34th annual conference at the Boca Raton Resort...

Anderson Road a target for Tampa development.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Anderson Road in northwest Tampa seems to have become the area's latest corridor for almost all types of commercial development. Since AMC Entertainment Inc. opened its 24-screen cineplex there off the Veterans Expressway two years ago,...

DENHOLTZ HIRES HUGHES.(Denholtz Associates, Steve Hughes)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Denholtz Associates has hired Steve Hughes as property manager for its expanded Tampa office. Hughes, a Tampa resident, has about 20 years experience in commercial real estate, working with such well-known companies as Gaedeke Landers,...

Honored entrepreneur tells multicultural story.(Ami Utji of Pilgrim Software Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Ami Utji addressed her parents in their native Indonesian after she was named Ernst & Young LLP 2001 Florida software technology entrepreneur of the year on June 21. Utji, born in Indonesia of Chinese descent, is president and chief...

TECH VILLAGE TALK.(Business incubator)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Tech Village Tampa Bay is the official name of the business incubator planned for the University of Tampa. Richard Lewis, program director at the Association of Information Technology Professionals, put together a dinner meeting on that...

TECH VILLAGE 2.(Conference)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Steve Fleming, partner with Alliance Technology Ventures, an Atlanta venture capital fund, discussed incubators and the Atlanta technology industry at a June 22 University of Tampa forum. The forum, sponsored by the Naimoli Institute for...

PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Centre.(Predicts Internet involvement)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... "The Mobile Internet: Unleashing the Power of Wireless" was the topic June 20 at MOSI. Terry Retter strategic technology services groups director at the PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Centre in Menlo Park, Calif. predicted that by 2005...

Lagano & Associates Inc.(President is off to Poland)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Pam Lagano, president of Lagano & Associates Inc. in Clearwater is off to Warsaw, Poland, with the Financial Services Volunteer Corps, a government agency working with former underdeveloped eastern European countries. Lagano, accompanied by...

Senate does not expect business tax cuts this year.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... WASHINGTON -- There will not be any major cuts in business taxes this year, said Senate Finance Committee Chair man Max Baucus, D-Mont. The $1.35 trillion tax cut passed by Congress a month ago "puts a lot of strain on the budget,"...

McHale takes swing at longstanding issues.(Baseball)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... (Editor's note: John McHale Jr., chief operating officer of the Tamp Bay Devil Rays, offered these responses about key questions facing the team during an interview with The Business Journal. The responses have been edited for length.) ...

Michael Murdock.(president and chief executive officer of Starphire Technologies)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: Michael Murdock Title: President and chief executive officer, Starphire Technologies Education: Attended St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minn. Education: Bachelor's degree in economics from...

BAY AREA 50 STOCK WATCH.(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
June 29, 2001... BAY AREA 50 STOCK WATCH Ticket Close Change 52 wk 52 wk NAME OF STOCK symbol $ % High Low 800 Travel Systems Inc. IFLY 0.99 0.0 2.25 0.50...

Downtown bound.(development in St. Petersburg)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Less travel, more convenience leads to building spurt A return to downtown areas is triggering new and refurbished single- and multifamily development projects. The catch is finding residents who can afford them. The trend is...

San Francisco provides the influence for architect.(Straub Court, Tim Clemmons)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... ST. PETERSBURG -- In an area that traditionally has seen single-family homes proliferate, a multifamily development trend makes up the foundation for future projects. Where individual lots once stood a 14-unit town house project designed...

Contractors build upon downtown revitalization.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... INVESTMENT: BayWalk, businesses sweeten the pot ST. PETERSBURG -- There's more to downtown St. Petersburg residential living than the historic Old Northeast. What geographically would parallel the area to the east of Fourth Street is...

DeFossett sees new market, costs cutting at Walter.(Don DeFosset, Jim Walter Homes)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... TAMPA -- Walter Industries Inc. is cultivating its roots. Under new leadership, the Tampa conglomerate that has been in turmoil has plans for Jim Waiter Homes, the home-building subsidiary that formed the corporation's foundation years...

New consulting concept works with consumers.(Build 4 U and Dan Dunn)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... FROM THE GROUND UP: Aid offered for home building NEW PORT RICHEY -- Dan Dunn: sees himself as sort of a quarterback for people building new homes He's off and running with a 3-month-old company he formed called Build 4 U. Dunn is...

Apartment communities.(ranked by number of units)(Directory)(Illustration)
June 29, 2001... Apartment communities ranked by number of units Rank Name Units last Address Square year Phone/fax ...

Apartment management companies.(ranked by number of units)(Directory)(Illustration)
June 29, 2001... Apartment management companies ranked by number of units Name Number of: Address Units Phone/fax Complexes 1...

Demand for new housing grows in Tampa Bay area.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 29, 2001... The national economy has cooled, job layoffs have increased and the stock market continues its wild ride. But despite these negative factors, the Tampa Bay area new housing market continues to grow. Why? Tampa Bay has two very strong...

Technologists make case for healthy-home amenities.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Imagine telling someone 50 years ago that in the future there would be wireless, cordless, portable telephones attached to the ear of almost everyone and some homes would go without line-based tele phone service. Most likely, they would 'have...

WORK UNDER WAY.(Roger Kennedy Construction Inc. begins work on Parkcrest)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Altamonte Springs-based general con tractor Roger Kennedy Construction Inc. reported that work is under way on the $23 million, 396-unit Parkcrest at the Westin Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor. The project is the second phase of...

SUPPLY AND DEMAND.(Homes)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... In response to the success of the Landings at Sable Ridge, in Land 0' Lakes Tampa-based M/I Homes announced it will begin selling and building homes in phase II of the new community. Presently, 58 home sites are scheduled for...

COLDWELL TAKES NEW APPROACH.(Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate Inc.'s advertising campaign)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate Inc. is trying a new high-profile medium in Pinellas County to reach more consumers. In an effort [to drive more traffic to. its Web site, http://www.floridamoves.com, the company has embarked on an...

Trade show follow-up essential.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... If offered a selling bonanza. Companies e-mailed quotes, confirmations and copies of orders directly from their exhibit booths to the office of the prospect or customer. That's fast sales. Customers and prospects dominated the Book...

Tame wild growth, market aggressively.(ProSure Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... * SURETY THING: Selling more bonds manages debt TAMPA -- It's happened to all of us one thing leads to another, and before you know it -- bam -- you have embarked on a new career path. Well, you can add David Shick to that group. ...

'What's in a name?' Tech firm knows answer.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... How do you make your company stand out above the crowd? Is it with marketing gimmicks, a snazzy logo or a catchy slogan? Believe it or not, your best tool could be in your moniker. Scott Taylor knows part of winning market share is...

WorldCatch Inc.(Comes to Tampa)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... WorldCatch Inc. opened an office in Tampa, its first Southeast location. The Seattle-based company sells seafood. "There's a huge population of seafood buyers in Florida," said Aaron Travis, WorldCatch's director of marketing. "That...

Ibsi.(Wants to expand capacity to Florida)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Ibsi also has been looking at the Bay area market. The Lancaster, Pa., company recently hired Manual Manso to develop business opportunities in Florida from his Riverview office. Ibsi, provides support services for insurance brokers.

AXA Advisors LLC.(expands branch office)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... AXA Advisors LLC expanded its Sarasota branch office from 2,000 square feet to 3,600 square feet. The company, located at 1819 Main St. Suite 201, provides financial services to Sarasota, Manatee and Lee counties. AXA Advisors also has...

First Watch Restaurants.(Comes to California)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... First Watch Restaurants has brought its menu to Burlingame, Calif. The Sarasota-headquartered chain has locations in California, Florida, Ohio, Kansas, Missouri and Arizona.

ENTERING NEW WATERS.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Emmett Dages, formerly of the now defunct SourceTrak LLC, launched a new venture called Anclote Partners Inc. Anclote focuses on private-label, work space technology for the banking market. Dages and three other partners, including...

BEST OF THE BEST.(RedVector.com Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... RedVector.com Inc. in Tampa was recognized by TenLinks.com as one of the top 10 Web sites for engineers, architects and other design professionals. TenLinks.com in San Francisco is an online engineering directory.

Elegant Illusions Inc.(opening a store in Sarasota, Florida)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Elegant Illusions Inc. is coming to Sarasota. The Pacific Grove, Calif.-based company will open a jewelry store and fine art gallery on St. Armands Circle on Sept. 15.

Rubin Management Inc.(relocates)
June 29, 2001... Rubin Management Inc. relocated to 15500 Roosevelt Blvd., Suite 301 in Clearwater.

CRG Training Consulting Inc.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... CRG Training Consulting Inc. is now in Tampa's Sable Park Corporate Center.

Silence the inner critic, hear your imagination.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Writing is important to me. It always has been. This significance is understandable when you consider that my father, Jack, was the chief correspondent for the Associated Press in St Paul, Minn., while I grew up. Everyday for 20-plus...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... ARCHITECTURE Landscape architect Jim Clees joined Harvard Jolly Clees Toppe PA in St. Petersburg. He has more than, nine years of experience on major landscaping projects in Florida and Georgia. BANKING-FINANCE Eric S. Johnson...

If the market plays by the rules, it's a fair economic game.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 29, 2001... (Editor's note: The data pertaining to historical stock market performance was compiled by the research department of Robert W. Baird & Co. The Standard & Poors 500 and the Nasdaq Composite are unmanaged common stock indices used to measure...

Health care: no simple fixes.(OxyContin drug prescription a nuisance for physicians)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
June 29, 2001... In Florida, Medicaid's approach to dealing with the drug OxyContin shows the complicated nature of prescription medicine decisions. And it shows legislation aimed at letting doctors handle medical decisions rather than bureaucrats or HMO...

Tired out: The big wheels keep spinning.(Ford Explorer tires, who will replace tires and when?)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
June 29, 2001... I suspect that at some point we might know whether the Wildemess AT tires attached to my recently acquired 2001 Ford Explorer really might come apart like Liz Taylor. and her latest husband. But I doubt I'll find that out from the Ford Motor...

Nutrition facts derail Subway Diet.(Jared Fogle)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... P.T. Barnum would love Jared Fogle. Fogle gained fame as the man who says he went from 425 to 190 pounds eating two Subway sandwiches every day for a year. Subway promotes Jared around the country in commercials just as Barnum...

READER'S POLL.
June 29, 2001... DO YOU THINK the Devil Rays have a future in the Tampa Bay area? Jan Luongo President, CEO Alliance Communications Inc. Tampa What would America be without baseball? You always have to have entertainment, and what a...

TO OUR READERS.
June 29, 2001... Our reporters and editors understand the importance of small business in the Tampa Bay area. That's why we devote so much of our coverage to topics and companies that generally do not make daily newspaper pages or network broadcasts. ...

Construct Two's founder brings wealth of experience.(Construct Two Group)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 29, 2001... Construct Two Group is Florida's largest minority-owned construction management firm and one of the nation's, fastest growing private companies. Its corporate headquarters is in Orlando, and it has a branch office in Tallahassee. It is a...

Electric Supply plugged into 'open book' management.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... The father and son who run Electric Supply of Tampa never blow a fuse, and that is the secret to their success. George Adams Sr., company founder and chief financial officer, and his son, George Adams Jr., share a temperament that allows...

Ferman Motor Car Co. driven by The Golden Rule.(car dealers)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 29, 2001... It wasn't long after Vicente Martinez Ybor began selling cigars out of Tampa that Fred Ferman began selling cars just up the road from Ybor's cigar factories. Tampa does not feature a "Ferman City," but it's not such a farfetched idea....

Sagemont School's educators learned about business.(Renee and Richard Goldman, members of the Sagemont School in Weston school board)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 29, 2001... When it comes to managing a small, family owned business, the Goldman trio think they have the right idea. Renee, Richard and Brent Goldman try to create a learning environment based on the needs of the individual. The Sagemont...

Data analysis reveals some common denominators.(survey of family-owned businesses)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Anticipating our first Florida Family Business of the Year Awards program, we wanted to better understand some of the issues facing our nominees. Much more data remains to be analyzed, but we can quickly summarize the comments of 30...

Finalists show diversity within family business community.(various small businesses in Tampa Bay, Florida)
June 29, 2001... SMALL BUSINESS FINALISTS GORDON HOMES Principal products, services: home builder and developer Number of employees: 28 Principal owners: Gary Gordon, Rob Gordon. Continuously operated as a family business since: 1991 ...

Columbia Restaurant Group blends its old, new styles.(Richard Gonzmart, president of Columbia Restaurant Group)(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Richard Gonzmart, president of the Columbia Restaurant Group, began preparing for his role at age 4. "I remember being in the kitchen with my grandfather and being impressed by him working with the whole red snapper," said Gonzmart, 47....

Pitman & Sons Inc. produces for family and others.(Brief Article)
June 29, 2001... Susan Pitman Slappey learned her family's business while spending time in the company warehouse. The certified public accountant and chief financial officer of Pitman & Sons Inc. came to believe in the value of the Pitman personal, touch...

ACE aces deal as new division.(Advanced Concepts Engineering and Technology)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2001... * QUEST: Alaskan Native company brings tech firm in out of the cold TAMPA -- Less than a year after embarking on an international business venture to Canada, Advanced Concepts Engineering & Technology Inc. in Tampa has resurfaced as the...

Program places struggling parents.(Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2001... * EARNING MONEY: Workers pay off debts. TAMPA -- A grant awarded to Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services Inc. may offer Hillsborough County a win-win-win situation. The county, citizens and businesses may all come out ahead as a result...

345 Bayshore owners extol virtues of buying.(Bradford Group purchases apartment building)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2001... * BRADFORD GROUP: Top gun moves in to sell condominiums TAMPA -- Albert Bianco is on a mission to teach young professionals that they can own a home as economically as renting one. But the difference is that those homes are not in a...

Dot-com casualties emerge from ashes.(movement of two executives in the Tampa area)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2001... * SURVIVORS: Entrepreneurs find life after Internet ventures can still be successful TAMPA -- Bill Lougheed is near the top again. In his office on the 34th floor of the Suntrust Banks Inc. building downtown, Lougheed, the Aidman...

New, Old Economy meet at 2001 entrepreneur awards.(awards go to software technology entrepreneur and cigar company executive)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2001... TAMPA -- Tampa's New Economy technology sector and its Old Economy reputation as a "cigar city" crossed paths this week. Two very different Ernst & Young LLP Florida Entrepreneur of the Year 2001 award winners work in Tampa. Ami...