The Business Journal (Serving Greater Tampa Bay) articles from May 1999

The Business Journal (Serving Greater Tampa Bay) archives from May 1999

Attack leads to new look at anti-crime programs.(attack on commercial real estate agent in normally peaceful Tampa Bay downtown area stuns city leaders)
May 28, 1999... ON ALERT: Key players respond to downtown crime The first thing Rick Narkiewicz thought was that someone was playing a prank on him. It was about 10:15 p.m. on May 5, and Narkiewicz had just gotten into his car on the second floor of...

Firm blames imports for possible cuts.(Filko Automotive may layoff 110 workers in Bradenton, FL, plant, because imports have caused sales to decline)
May 28, 1999... IMPACTS: 110 jobs at risk The jobs of 110 workers at a car parts plant in Bradenton are in jeopardy, and the owners are blaming free trade in the Americas. Filko Automotive, a division of publicly traded Standard Motor Products Inc.,...

Marketing firm charts new horizons.(Horizon Marketing)
May 28, 1999... VIRTUAL REALITY? Lack of walls enhances creativity Office politics don't exist at Horizon Marketing. Nor, in fact, does an office. Although some might suggest it is a virtual dream, Horizon Marketing has been able to build a strong...

Lower tariffs on imports worry farmers.
May 28, 1999... TRADE TALKS: Winter Haven hosts hearing June 4 A proposal to reduce or eliminate tariffs and duties on imported citrus and agriculture products is expected to draw Florida farmers and citrus growers en masse to a meeting with the United...

Small citrus crop pleases growers.(Florida)
May 28, 1999... SEASON ENDING: Fruit was in short supply, increasing prices As the citrus season winds down, Florida growers and juice processors are reaping the benefits of a small crop, which means higher prices for consumers. Early and midseason...

Port to rebuild aging commercial docks.
May 28, 1999... WINDFALL: Legislature cuts Port's cost to rebuild 3 docks Nearly $30 million in dock rebuilding is about to begin at the Port of Tampa thanks to a last-minute legislative appeal, which included a provision that cut the port's share of the...

Storm ticket sales lagging despite milestone.(Arena Football League indoor football franchise Tampa Bay Storm)
May 28, 1999... Depending on who you hear it from, the Tampa Bay Storm is either the first indoor football team to reach 1 million in attendance, or it's not quite there yet. The Storm observed the milestone at its May 15 game against the Florida...

Orlando suffers from decreasing Canadian tourism.(Florida)
May 28, 1999... SNOWBIRDS: Some elect to bypass state for Cuba, Texas MIAMI - The snowbirds are staying home. Slumps in Brazilian and British tourism steal headlines, but behind the scenes, industry mavens are worried that a linchpin of Florida...

Nurse discovers alternative healing, starts business.(Center for Natural Healing's founder and head, Karen Murphy)
May 28, 1999... You might think a nurse who has spent a quarter of a century in the operating rooms of Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, rising to be head nurse of the Open Heart Surgery Team, would champion nothing but conventional medicine. But...

Death, rules and regulations keep overseers busy.(Florida state Board of Medicine's proposal to tighten cosmetic procedures regulations being resisted by Florida Medical Association)
May 28, 1999... HIGH STAKES: Tampa the next stop for Board of Medicine Every plastic surgery involves risk, of course. Those risks include infection, unwanted scarring, blood clots, adverse reactions to the anesthesia - and even death. Liposuction,...

Natural business grows at 'unnatural' rate.
May 28, 1999... DIRECT TO CUSTOMERS: Shipping to order cuts costs Like many businesses, Aubrey Hampton's started in the kitchen. But unlike most cottage industries, the Tampa natural cosmetics mogul may gross $25 million this year. Hidden in a Drew...

Hospital's payroll: $10 billion.(economic impact of medical institutions to Florida)
May 21, 1999... USF REPORT: Florida facilities' impact is immense The economic impact of Florida's hospitals, according to a new University of South Florida report, is massive and perhaps far greater than previously realized. The state's 251...

Myriad stymied by recruitment shortfalls.(relocation efforts lead to manpower shortage in Myriad Technologies)
May 21, 1999... MONEY TALKS: Tech workers want better benefits With the recent acquisition of Myriad Technologies, Clearwater will become the headquarters for Netera Management Services' national support center. However, the network solutions company has...

Valve maker develops unique path to growth.(Sun Hydraulics signs joint venture with German hydraulic equipment manufacturer Rexroth)
May 21, 1999... One of the world's leaders in cartridge valve manufacturing has taken on the unusual goal of creating competition for itself. Sarasota-based Sun Hydraulics has established a business relationship with Rexroth. a manufacturer in Germany,...

First Federal asks investors to be patient.(sluggish financial performance of Lakeland, Florida-based First Federal Florida)
May 21, 1999... Stock in the holding company for First Federal Florida remains below its initial public offering price after about a month of trading, prompting some analysts to call it a bargain. However, executives with the Lakeland-based thrift are...

Shands selling 10 home health offices to Flagship.(financial constraints force Shands HomeCare to sell offices to Flagship HomeCare)
May 21, 1999... MIAMI-BOUND: Brandon, Largo facilities included in deal Shands HomeCare, which reportedly lost $10.4 million last year on home health operations at 26 Florida offices, has agreed to sell 10 of those offices to Miami Lakes-based Flagship...

New roller coasters escalate competition.
May 21, 1999... THRILLS: Busch Gardens uses thrill rides to lure tourists Islands of Adventure, the newest theme park in central Florida opening May 28, raises the bar in the attraction industry and the competition for coveted gate revenue, industry...

Staffing company grows by staying in manual drive.(Spartan Premier Inc.)
May 21, 1999... It took a name change to convince Spartan Premier Inc. that it needed to regroup for future growth. The company's former name, Sprint Staffing, conflicted with that of the long-distance telephone giant. When Sprint asked other similarly...

Despite success, local companies face labor shortage.(Tampa Bay, Florida)
May 21, 1999... For privately owned companies in the Tampa Bay area, the good news is that the economy continues to be strong. And the bad news? It's that the economy continues to be strong. While the longstanding economic boom has led to explosive...

RV supercenter takes fast track to $1 billion in sales.(Lazy Days RV Supercenter)
May 21, 1999... Employees at Lazy Days RV Supercenter, off Interstate 4 in east Hillsborough County, don't have much lazy time at work these days. Selling 50 recreational vehicle models from 12 manufacturers, some costing up to $750,000, Lazy Days' 1999...

Printing company changes with the changing time.(management strategies at Clearwater Eva-Tone Inc.)
May 21, 1999... Clearwater Eva-Tone Inc. has been a family-owned business for 74 years and counting. The manufacturer of audio products, including cassettes and CDs, and owner of a commercial printing facility began in 1925 with Richard Evans. It was then...

Wachovia puts Florida base here.(Wachovia Corp. makes Tampa, Florida the headquarters of its Florida operations)
May 14, 1999... One of the Southeast's largest banks is making Tampa the new headquarters of its Florida operations, starting with the opening of at least six new local branches. Wachovia Corp. is engineering a statewide expansion that began with the...

Humana's goal: cut cancer costs.(Humana Inc. launches national oncology disease management program)
May 14, 1999... Starting in the Tampa Bay market, where cancer rates are among the nation's highest, Humana Inc. has quietly launched a national oncology disease management program. The managed care giant's ambitious goal is to cut its cancer care costs...

St. Petersburg office tower up for grabs.(City Center, St. Petersburg, Florida)
May 14, 1999... City Center in St. Petersburg is the latest downtown office building to go on the block in the Tampa Bay area. The owner, New York-based Delma Properties, recently listed the 12-story, 239,178-square-foot building with Jubeen Vaghefi and...

Free from court, Celotex rebuilds.(Celotex emerges from bankruptcy cases)
May 14, 1999... MAKING MOVES: Tampa manufacturer buying companies, closing plants When Celotex emerged from one of the largest bankruptcy court cases in history, the first thing it did was sideline its biggest customers. No longer part of the family...

Medicare HMOs mull exit plans.(health maintenance organizations)
May 14, 1999... Several major managed care companies, their profits falling because of lower federal payments and higher medical costs, may exit Medicare HMO business in Tampa Bay and other Florida counties. If so, it will continue a trend begun last...

Gourmet hamburger chain to make Bay area debut.(Red Robin to open its restaurants in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area in Florida)
May 14, 1999... HATCHING: Red Robin comes bob, bob, bobbing along A gourmet hamburger chain called Red Robin, with an operating philosophy called "unbridled acts," is entering the state through the Tampa-St. Petersburg market. The initial plan is to...

Clearwater manufacturer taps trade assistance program.(Adjust-A-Brush)
May 14, 1999... ADAPTING: Adjust-A-Brush looks to boost efficiency Adjust-A-Brush made nearly a million dollars the past year selling the telescopic brush handles it made at its Clearwater plant. But when the manufacturer couldn't adjust its prices...

Some companies face Y2K problems with fiscal year.
May 14, 1999... As businesses batten down their credenzas for the Year 2000, some Tampa Bay area companies have quietly flipped their calenders to their new fiscal year. Of the top 75 public companies in Tampa Bay, nine have ushered in their fiscal year...

On the rise.(tilt-up construction emerging in Tampa, Florida)
May 14, 1999... Tilt-up construction is more than a growing trend, it is a necessity in today's market Tilt-up construction, the building method that changed the way developers approach industrial projects, is now making waves in the local office market...

FREA, Goodman Segar join St. Joe's flock as Advantis.(Florida Real Estate Advisors and Goodman Segar acquired by St. Joe to form Advantis)
May 14, 1999... Do I want to be a big fish in a small pond, or a small fish in a big pond? That's the dilemma many real estate company owners are forced to face in today's acquisition-happy business climate. The folks at Tampa-based Florida Real...

It's where Visa wants to be.(Visa International to build headquarters in Miami, Florida)
May 14, 1999... Visa International's talk about building a signature headquarters in Miami has turned to ink. The credit card company, spread between several buildings west of Miami International Airport, recently signed a deal to buy eight acres in the...

St. Pete eyes redevelopment.(St. Petersburg, Florida)
May 7, 1999... Gateway Mall thrived with retailers and restaurants when Don Ondrejcak was in high school. But as the strip mall on Martin Luther King Street in north St. Petersburg got older, it also became run down. Now, as part of rebuilding Gateway,...

Shriners Hospital planning $13 million expansion.(Shriners Hospitals for Children, Tampa Bay Area, Florida)
May 7, 1999... Shriners Hospitals for Children-Tampa, a 60-bed orthopedic hospital and research facility on the University of South Florida campus in north Tampa, is slated for $13.1 million worth of expansion and renovation. About 22 months of...

FDIC finally closes receiverships on three local banks.(Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s closure of receivership of Goldome Savings Bank, Park Bank of Florida and Life Federal Savings Bank)
May 7, 1999... The sign at the former Freedom Savings and Loan Association on Tampa's Gandy Boulevard stands as little more than a marker these days. The marker could symbolize many different things - the nationwide S&L crisis of the late 1980s, the...

Nielsen Media enters Internet ratings market.(Nielsen Media Research Inc.'s tie-up with Net Ratings)
May 7, 1999... Nielsen is late to the game. Nielsen Media Research's entrance into the Internet ratings spree last October is being received by advertising industry analysts as a welcome. if a bit belated move. The media ratings giant, which...

Z-Tel takes calls to the Internet.(Z-Tel Communications Inc.)(Company Profile)
May 7, 1999... Over on Harbour Island, on the second floor above the hotel, is a company that received $32 million in venture capital last year, the largest sum accumulated by any private Florida firm in 1998. Tough to believe when one realizes that...

Minority firms gain footing with USF contract awards.(University of South Florida)
May 7, 1999... It was more than just an education that David Carmena received from the University of South Florida. An ex-computer maintenance technician in the U.S. Navy, Carmena capitalized on an idea as a student worker nearly 10 years ago that has...

Turning beans into gold.(Sun Time Enterprises Inc.)(Company Profile)
May 7, 1999... Clearwater firm develops new niche in licensed dolls Pride radiates from the three Colangelo brothers as they display their latest product line - beanie dolls that characterize a variety of entertainment figures, from home-run king Mark...