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

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

Cigna 'loses' three-fourths of Fla. members. (Cigna Healthcare of Florida Inc.)
October 31, 1997... Until this month, Cigna Healthcare of Florida was considered to be the fifth-largest health maintenance organization in Florida with nearly 370,000 members. Cigna was also the second-largest Bay Area HMO, with about 140,000 members. No more....

Bay Area stocks weather it out. (Tampa Bay Area)
October 31, 1997... Confidence remains high among most The Bay Area's publicly traded companies went along for the ride on last week's stock market rollercoaster, but executives of those companies, and the analysts who follow them, generally agreed the turmoil...

DCI loses top local managers. (Decision Consultants Inc.; Tampa Bay Area operations)
October 31, 1997... Decision Consultants Inc., a Detroit-based software design and systems integration concern with a large presence in the Bay Area, has seen the departure of at least five of its local senior managers in the past two weeks. CFO Frank Jerneycic...

Hyde Park Village in talks to be sold to Ohio developer. (Tampa, Florida shopping center)
October 31, 1997... Old Hyde Park Village, which has been striving to stand out in a retail landscape dominated by regional malls and big-box retailers, may be sold to a Cincinnati developer with a fancy for pumping cash into promising penis and revitalizing their...

Tech firm's expansion to create 80 jobs. (Registry Inc.; Tampa, Florida)
October 31, 1997... Demand prompts Registry Inc. to seek more consultants A Newton, Mass.-based information technology concern has opened an office in Tampa and plans to hire up to 80 consultants, programmers and network engineers. The Registry Inc.'s Tampa...

Companies bidding on 60 acres in office park. (Tampa, Florida)
October 31, 1997... Some 60 acres of raw land in the 326-acre Tampa Telecom Park in Temple Terrace may soon be sold to one of at least two competing bidders. A sale, according to real estate industry observers, would provide the latest evidence that developers...

Consolidation's a cool idea for this buyout-minded concern. (CSG Management Co. Inc.)
October 31, 1997... As Scott Hurst and Gary Powell see things, these are hot times for the air conditioning business. The two are partners in a Tampa concern that's been busy consolidating the Bay Area's air conditioning industry. To this end, the pair has...

USF creates health, safety research center. (University of South Florida)
October 31, 1997... Armed with $1.6 million in new funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the University of South Florida has created a NIOSH Educational Resource Center to serve both university and business interests. The...

Cuban nuclear plant raises fears. (danger to Florida residents)
October 31, 1997... Construction of a nuclear power plant in Cuba could be restarted as soon as next year, putting Florida residents and businesses squarely in the path of potential radioactive fallout. To stem the possibility of catastrophe, Congress recently...

REITs fight for bigger slices of region's real estate. (real estate investment trusts; Tampa Bay Area)(Special Report: Real Estate)
October 31, 1997... Publicly owned trusts expected to hold about half of region's Class A space within 10 years Just how hot has the Bay Area market gotten in the view of real estate investment trusts? Tom McGeachy, general manager of the 590,000-square-foot...

Area builders hit by shortage of skilled workers. (Tampa Bay Area construction industry)(Special Report: Real Estate)
October 31, 1997... Job competition, stadium project among reasons cited for tight construction labor market Finding skilled labor to build homes this year has turned into a chore for some Bay Area contractors. "There's a real shortage particularly with block...

In landlord's market, leases need not be sky high. (Tampa Bay Area commercial real estate market)(Special Report: Real Estate)
October 31, 1997... Cost-saving strategies often overlooked by commercial tenants Unless you haven't noticed, it's now suddenly become a landlord's market in the commercial real estate realm. The turnaround follows years of tenant concessions and giveaways,...

Family business stays course after loss. (Chalet Suzanne)(Company Profile)
October 31, 1997... Related enterpriseses at Chalet Suzanne keep a foothold during changes Chalet Suzanne, a Lake Wales restaurant and country inn, has long been a Florida landmark. Less well known are the related businesses operated on the 100-acre Chalet...

Startup aims to restore sight; blood purification treatment sparks eye care battles. (Rheologix Corp. of America)
October 24, 1997... What's it worth to avoid going blind? Millions of Americans with age-related macular degeneration may soon have a specific answer to that question. A Tampa startup called Rheologix Corp. of America is charging about $20,000 per patient to...

Fabric retailer buttons up $41M deal. (ABC Fabrics' acquisition of Silas Creek Retail Centers)
October 24, 1997... The owners of Mae's Fabrics and Fabric King, two of the largest fabric chains in the Southeast, are spending $41 million to acquire the assets of a bankrupt North Carolina fabric and crafts business in a deal that will double the local...

Coin traders keep a lid on all that glitters. (includes related article on National Gold Exchange's security)
October 24, 1997... You'd hardly give National Gold Exchange's storefront in Carrollwood a second glance. Just another business tucked into a ho-hum strip mall. But beyond the video cameras hanging from the ceiling and the security doors is the teaming coin...

Danka taps Bay Area firm to ease merger; ECWerks to help restructure office equipment giant's information systems. (Danka Business Systems PLC)
October 24, 1997... Danka Business Systems plc has hired a Tampa electronic commerce company to help restructure the copier giant's information systems operations worldwide. Danka Chief Information Officer Brace Eden said ECWerks Inc. will spearhead efforts to...

Ecotourism camps set to spring up; work on 5 projects under way or slated for Central Florida.
October 24, 1997... The ecologists are coming. No fewer than five ecotourism attractions are under way in Central Florida. At least three will open within the next two years. Behind this burst of back-to-nature entrepreneurship are recognizable names: Fred...

Bay Area stocks' slide exceeds major indexes.
October 24, 1997... Bay Area stocks lost ground last week as investors reacted to disappointing earnings reports by some market leaders and small-capitalization issues gave back some of their third-quarter gains to profit-takers. The Bay Area 50 regional stock...

Women sales reps sue publisher for gender bias. (West Publishing Co.)
October 24, 1997... Two women employees of West Publishing Co. have sued the legal information concern for sexual discrimination. Maxine M. Jones and Patricia Winn Carter, who claim to be among West Publishing's first female sales representatives, charge in a...

Clearwater financier quietly builds national business; Midland has evolved into backer of affordable housing development. (Midland Financial Holdings Inc.)(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
October 24, 1997... With almost military discipline, a Clearwater enterprise has carved out a niche for itself as one of the nation's leading multi-family housing construction finance companies - and, yet, hardly anyone in the Bay Area has noticed. Led by...

While others sell out, these banks stay independent. (Columbia Bank; Citizens Bank)(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
October 24, 1997... Founded in 1920s, family-run Columbia, Citizens of Frostproof maintain local ownership Banks nowadays come and go. The future, according to those watching the industry, will see four to five national banks dominating the industry. Where...

Investigations turn up heat on muni-bond dealers; SEC crackdown may already be prompting industry shakeout.(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
October 24, 1997... United Daniels Securities Inc. used to get plenty of business from Bay Area governments as a co-manager on municipal bond issues because of the diversity the minority-owned investment banking firm brought to the deals. But Willie Davis, the...

Mr. Relationship: Bank of Tampa's Jerry Divers.(Banking & Finance Quarterly)
October 24, 1997... After more than three decades in banking, Jerry Divers isn't just a seasoned veteran - he's a community banker's banker, a no-nonsense competitor and, to some, the preserver of ideals too often missing in today's cut-throat business...

Republic finds Orlando area 'difficult' to ignore. (Republic Bank)(Banking & Finance)
October 24, 1997... Republic Bank is venturing into Orlando from its home base in St. Petersburg with a single-minded quest: to establish a sizable presence in Central Florida and, in the process, lift profits. The bank put down roots in Central Florida last May...

Focusing on what's near and familiar: cultured marble manufacturer corrects mistakes. (Florentine Marble)(Small Business Enterprise)(Company Profile)
October 24, 1997... Sometimes the best way to develop a business is to stop and rewire internally. That's precisely how Ron Guertin has kept his company, Florentine Marble in Sarasota, in a growth pattern. Guertin and his wife, Janice, acquired Florentine, a...

CEO profile: Marvin Gralnick. (chmn., pres. and CEO of Chico's FAS Inc.)
October 24, 1997... PERSONAL INFORMATION. Name: Marvin Gralnick Title: Chairman, president and CEO of Chico's FAS Inc. Business: Women's apparel chain. Headquarters: Fort Myers Education: High School and some university courses; no degree. Residence: Sanibel....

Romac hopes to raise $110M on Wall Street. (Romac International Inc.)
October 17, 1997... Romac International Inc., fast becoming a player in the explosive staffing industry, is returning to Wall Street in hopes of raising nearly $110 million for it and its insiders, or roughly 10 times what it raised in its initial public offering...

Ex-Checkers exec launching new concept. (former Checkers Drive-In Restaurants senior vice-president George Cook)
October 17, 1997... A franchisee and former Checkers Drive-In Restaurants executive is starting a new fast-food chain that - should it live up to his ambitions - could compete against Checkers. George Cook, who had been a senior VP and a director of Checkers and...

Levi Strauss battles Tropical Sportswear over look-alike logos. (Levi Strauss & Co.; Tropical Sportswear International Corp.)
October 17, 1997... Levi Strauss & Co. is locked in a legal battle with one of the Bay Area's largest apparel manufacturers, alleging that logos used by the local company on some of its casual pants are knockoffs of those found on Levi's popular Dockers brand....

Report: Pru to settle for $10M. (Prudential Health Care Plan Inc.)
October 17, 1997... Prudential Health Care Plan Inc., beset by huge losses and layoffs in its HMO operations, is apparently close to settling a 1994 dispute with a group of Bay Area physicians it fired and may agree to pay up to $10 million to the doctors. A...

Physicians fight back, form union. (Federation of Certified Surgeons and Specialists Inc.)
October 17, 1997... Led by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' team physician, 31 local surgeons have formed a federation to gain leverage in what they perceive as the often-hostile-to-caregivers world of managed care. Their play, cleared by specialist attorneys, comes as...

Critchfield retiring: Fla. Progress chairman out at year's end. (Florida Progress Inc. Chmn. Jack Critchfield)
October 17, 1997... Jack Critchfield, one of the Bay Area's most influential business and community leaders, is reportedly planning to retire by year's end as chairman of Florida Progress Inc. Although Critchfield could not be reached this week, several Bay Area...

Pru looks to dump Bay Area clinics; after $40M in losses, health unit may be for sale. (Prudential Health Care Plan Inc.)
October 17, 1997... After $40M in losses, health unit may be for sale Prudential Health Care Plan Inc., whose Florida HMO operations lost more than $40 million in 1995-1996, is apparently abandoning its clinic system in the Bay Area and other markets....

Lawmakers take first, hard look at electric industry restructuring. (Florida)
October 17, 1997... TALLAHASSEE - Depending on where you stood, it was either Florida's final opportunity to take charge of its economic destiny or the last call to board the Titanic. Florida's first real look at restructuring the way the electrical industry is...

Checkers invites patrons to come on in. (Checkers Drive In Restaurants)
October 17, 1997... Checkers Drive In Restaurants has quietly initiated sit-down indoor service at one of its Bay Area restaurants and is planning to test the concept at two other company-owned locations. Earlier this month, Checkers attached a modular dining...

Ergonomics head returns to private sector; back brace inventor starts an intellectual property brokerage. (University of South Florida's Center for Product Ergonomics head Clifford M. Gross)
October 17, 1997... Back brace inventor starts an intellectual property brokerage The head of the University of South Florida's Center for Product Ergonomics has resigned to launch a venture aimed at turning academic research into business revenues. Clifford...

Startup aims to deliver missing link. (publisher Greg Jasso)
October 17, 1997... A Clearwater publisher of a landscaping magazine plans to launch a new publication aimed at another group of readers who love manicured lawns: golfers. The soon-to-be-printed glossy - dubbed Florida Golf Weekly - promises to cover all...

BayCare signs first HMO deals. (BayCare Health Network; health maintenance organization)
October 17, 1997... BayCare Health Network, a sister company to the newly formed alliance of some of the Bay Area's biggest nonprofit hospitals, has signed a deal to provide coverage to enrollees in American Medical HealthCare, an Orlando-based HMO. The deal...

New doctor group opens for business. (GMS Florida West Coast Inc.)
October 17, 1997... After more than two years of recruiting, planning and fine-tuning, 26 doctors and seven physicians' assistants/nurse practitioners on Oct. 1 opened their doors as GMS Florida West Coast Inc. In doing so, they've created what is roughly the...

Bond underwriters submit their bids.
October 17, 1997... Tampa wants to float up to $40 million in bonds to pay for parking Competing investment bankers have presented their bids to the city of Tampa with a host of options for financing a plan that could raise up to $40 million in bonds to solve a...

Review firms pursue state Medicaid contract.
October 17, 1997... Two Tampa-based companies and one from Indiana have submitted competing bids on a contract to review the work of doctors, hospitals and other providers in Florida's $6.5 billion Medicaid program. The Medicaid "peer-review organization"...

Bar hires outside service to find jobs for non-lawyers. (Hillsborough County Bar Association)
October 17, 1997... Professional Placement Services Inc., a boutique legal placement firm, has been selected by the Hillsborough County Bar Association to tackle the non-profit organization's placement of non-attorneys. Approved by the bar's board of directors...

$145M bond sale to pay for expressway improvements.
October 17, 1997... Some $145 million in state bonds that are being replaced go on sale next week, when the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority executes the first phase of a long-term plan for upgrading the Lee Roy Selmon (Crosstown) Expressway....

Underwriter carves out niche on Bay Area waters. (Tampa Bay Underwriters Inc.)(Insurance & Employment Benefits: Special Report)
October 17, 1997... Firm founder's interest in boating fueled as he insures vessels, marinas, cargo containers Some sages have suggested that the key to happiness is to find something you like doing and make it your living, to "follow your bliss." For Steve...

Insurer builds from within to be among state's leaders. (DavisBaldwin Insurance & Risk Management Inc.)(Insurance & Employment Benefits: Special Report)
October 17, 1997... Since merger in 1991, revenues expected to triple at DavisBaldwin It may well be that DavisBaldwin Insurance & Risk Management Inc. is an example of how one plus one can equal three, or even six. That's because rather than just be content...

Nelson, insurers: at never-ending loggerheads. (Florida's State Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner Bill Nelson)(Insurance & Employment Benefits: Special Report)
October 17, 1997... TALLAHASSEE - It may not make some insurance companies happy, but State Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner Bill Nelson says his recent moves to cut workers' compensation insurance and beef up the hurricane insurance fund are good for the rest...

Tennis coaching to on-camera coaxing: ex-pro makes it his job to tape company outings. (former tennis coach and Wild World of Sports' owner Howdy Letzring)
October 17, 1997... Ex-pro makes a it his job to tape company outings You might say Howdy Letzring is a star maker. For nearly 20 years, Letzring has been capturing people doing funny things and having fun on videotape. Letzring's Belleair Beach company,...

L. Eugene Oliver. (SouthTrust Bank of West Florida chairman)(Interview)
October 17, 1997... PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: L. Eugene "Gene" Oliver Title: Chairman of SouthTrust Bank of West Florida Education: Bachelor of science degree in industrial management from Georgia Tech Residence: College Landings in St. Petersburg...

Web finance: tech the money and run. (World Wide Web)(Biz)
October 17, 1997... LOS ANGELES - Despite Wired Ventures' high-profile failure in the public markets - the online magazine company cancelled initial public offerings twice - venture capitalists are high on Web start-ups, wherever they are. The big centers of...

An online river runs through it. (Amazon.com)(Biz)
October 17, 1997... SEATTLE - While Wall Street is closely watching the competition between online bookseller Amazon.com and new online entrant Barnes & Noble, executives of the Seattle company are concentrating on a bigger hurdle: Getting the thousands of...

Web advertising grows. (World Wide Web)(Biz)
October 17, 1997... BOSTON - Although advertising on the Web is growing faster than you can say "cost per thousand," it's such a new medium that tried and true marketing approaches sometimes work and sometimes don't. Dollar estimates vary, but most observers...

Bill Gates. (Microsoft Corp. chairman)(Biz)(Interview)
October 17, 1997... Software giant Microsoft Corp. was a bit slow to pick up on the Internet explosion. But once Microsoft chairman Bill Gates grasped its significance, he threw the company's vast resources behind an effort to "embrace and extend" the Internet's...

ISDN lines: passe on fast lane? (integrated services digital network)(Biz)
October 17, 1997... More. Better. Faster, faster. That's the mantra of Internet users whose now-whetted appetites have made them eager for online information. It's a vicious cycle: applications attract users, who demand better programs, and quicker. Like Tom...

Internet success stories: visionaries tell their stories of how they are making money on the Internet. (includes related article on the Internet Watch Depot)(Biz)(Cover Story)
October 17, 1997... PHOTODISC: ONE SHOT AT A GOOD IMPRESSION SEATTLE - By 2000 Mark Torrance pictures half of PhotoDisc Inc.'s revenues coming from its Internet site. That's significant when you take into account that PhotoDisc, which sells digital stock...

Internet security.(Biz)
October 17, 1997... Fear of Buying On The Internet: Coming In For A Soft Landing? The way Henry Messenger figures it, he's about as likely to be ripped off using his credit card to buy goods or services over the Internet as he is buying goods and services at a...

Use it or lose it. (small businesses that use the Internet)(Biz)(Cover Story)
October 17, 1997... The results of a Biz survey on small business and the internet can be summed up in five small words, 13 letters in all: Use it or lose it. Small companies that are using the Internet to communicate with customers, market their products and to...

Humana 'hospitalists' usher in new era in medicine. (introduces its new Hospital Inpatient Management System in the Tampa Bay Area)
October 10, 1997... Humana Inc., striving to cut costs by millions of dollars, has introduced its new Hospital Inpatient Management System in the Bay Area. A primary goal of the program is to shorten patient stays in hospitals and nursing homes. Humana believes...

The price of water: about $628 million. (West Coast Regional Water Supply Authority)
October 10, 1997... Paying for the reorganization of the West Coast Regional Water Supply Authority A plan to provide the Bay Area with a solution to its long-term water needs could require more than a half-billion dollars in municipal bond financing over just...

Pages Inc. story filled with bad turns, return of losses.
October 10, 1997... But the book seller isn't ready to write the final chapter More than three years ago, children's book seller Pages Inc. embarked on an ambitious acquisition spree, gobbling up a handful of publishing concerns and penning deals for rights to...

Clearwater Gas fires up Pasco expansion. (Clearwater Gas Systems sells $8 million worth of municipal bonds to finance expansion into Pasco County)
October 10, 1997... Municipal utility may add 1,400 customers next year Clearwater Gas Systems has sold about $8 million in municipal construction bonds primarily to finance an aggressive expansion plan over the next two years into southwest Pasco County....

Bread chain bakes plan to hit Bay Area. (Baker Street Artisan Breads to open several stores in the Tampa Bay Area)
October 10, 1997... A specialty bread shop chain whose loaves sell for as much as $7.50 and come in exotic flavors like apple cider and chocolate cherry is planning to open 10-15 stores in the Bay Area in the next few years. Baker Street Artisan Breads expects...

Former executive sues publication over his firing. (Brett R. Hatch, former national operations manager of Auto Trader)
October 10, 1997... When Brett R. Hatch showed up for work at Auto Trader one day last year, he was greeted with a pink slip. Hatch, formerly national operations/product manager at the Clearwater publication, claims he was fired July 30, 1996 after six years...

AmeriSteel to scrap supplier for competitor. (OmniSource Corp. outbids David J. Joseph Co. for the supply of scrap metal)
October 10, 1997... AmeriSteel, a Tampa-based steel maker, will end a 20-year partnership with its on-site supplier of raw materials in favor of a new suitor. OmniSource Corp., based in Fort Wayne, Ind., won a bid to provide scrap metal to AmeriSteel's...

Creating the right signs for these times. (Ellis Graphics)
October 10, 1997... Screen printer manages to serve broad client base For Harry Ellis and his wife, Cindy, running a small business means living on the edge. As the owners of Ellis Graphics, a screen printing operation in Clearwater, the Ellises have been...

William J. Meurer. (Arthur Andersen managing partner for central Florida)
October 10, 1997... PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: William J. "Bill" Maurer Title: Managing partner for Central Florida, Arthur Andersen, Tampa Education: B.S. degree from Regis University, Denver. Residence: Avila, Tampa BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY Essential...

Smith Barney hit by $5.4M SEC ruling; how a $431 million revenue bond deal went bad. (Smith Barney, Harris Upham and Co Inc)
October 3, 1997... The Securities and Exchange Commission has slapped a $5.4 million assessment against Smith Barney in a soured 1994 Dade County bond deal that involved two of the firm's former executives who now work for the Bay Area's biggest independent bond...

Orimulsion debate fueled by conflicting safety claims: both sides wage a war to discredit the other. (American Petroleum Institute's Fate and Effects of Oil Spills Committee disputes claims by South Florida's Florida Power and Light Co)
October 3, 1997... It's not hard to imagine: A supertanker laden with hundreds of thousands of gallons of the controversial fuel oil Orimulsion ruptures in Tampa Bay, spilling its fetid cargo and fouling the waters. Spills have happened before. In 1993, a...

Prudential lays off execs, staff statewide. (Prudential HealthCare of Florida undergoes restructuring)
October 3, 1997... Prudential HealthCare of Florida, which has lost more than $50 million since 1995, is shedding executives and laying off at least 161 employees statewide as part of a national restructuring to cut costs by $250-$500 million. Prudential' stop...

Time Warner, Tampa at odds over renewal. (city of Tampa and Time Warner negotiate agrement terms)
October 3, 1997... As the city of Tampa gears up to renegotiate its cable franchise contract with Time Warner in coming weeks, both sides will have plenty to talk about. A review of Time Warner's recently submitted "informal" renewal proposal shows that the...

Merger creates Bradenton's largest independent CPA firm. (Varnadore, Tyler, Hoffner, King, Hawthorne, Hammer and Stathis P.A. merger with Parent Marlar Modrak and Co forms CPA Associates Inc)
October 3, 1997... Bradenton's largest independent CPA firm officially opened for business Wednesday, with plans to pursue new lines of business and to expand geographically. CPA Associates P.A. was created through the merger of Varnadore, Tyler, Hoffner,...

Hospitals, docs gear up to battle HMOs. (provider-sponsored organizations versus health maintenance organizations)
October 3, 1997... At issue: Regulation of new alliances in the health care business A growing number of Florida's leading hospitals and doctors are lining up against insurance companies in a looming battle over legislation that they tear may end up strangling...

Columbia restructures local operations. (Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp merges Bay Area and Florida divisions)
October 3, 1997... Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., under investigation for alleged Medicare fraud, is restructuring some of its operations in Florida by merging its Bay Area and Central Florida divisions, according to sources close to the company. Unless other...

Europa sets new course, hoping to pick up steam. (Europa Cruises Corp contracts with Bruce Merrin Public Relations and Advertising)
October 3, 1997... The company hires a big-gun PR agency in an effort to remake itself Europa Cruises Corp., seeking to put its checkered past behind it and increase the value of its stock, has hired a West Coast public relations firm to generate publicity...

Valencia Garden owners may build highrise.
October 3, 1997... The owners of Valencia Garden, a landmark restaurant in South Tampa, are Considering building a luxury mixed-use high-rise across the street from the restaurant. The complex - condos, offices and retail space - would be developed by the...

Title Insurance player jumps to competitor. (Daniel A. Wallace of GulfAtlantic Title Insurance Co transfers to Fidelity National Title Co)
October 3, 1997... Daniel A. Wallace, a man some have dubbed "Mr. Title Insurance" for his prowess in the business, has resigned from GulfAtlantic Title Insurance Co. - the Orlando company he founded 10 years ago - to join Fidelity National Tide Co. as senior...

Area stocks make it seven for seven. (Bay Area telecommunications industry register high stock gains)
October 3, 1997... Bay Area stocks continued their winning ways last week, returning ever more gains while many of their peers took losses. The Bay Area 50 regional stock average rose 1.2 percent during the week ended Oct. 1. It was the seventh week in a row...

SunTrust, Visa to test smart card at Celebration. (SunTrust Banks Inc and Visa USA Inc develop high-tech bank cards)
October 3, 1997... SunTrust Banks Inc. and Visa USA plan to test "smart card" technology in Disney's Celebration community in Osceola County, giving consumers the option of using high-tech bank cards instead of cash. Beginning in the first quarter of 1998,...

Israeli rockets may soon be launched from Canaveral. (Enterprise Florida invests in joint venture between Coleman Research Center and Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd)
October 3, 1997... CAPE CANAVERAL - Enterprise Florida is throwing $200,000 into a joint local effort to bring Israeli rocket launches to the Cape. The money has been sought by the Brevard-based Florida Space Business Roundtable and Orlando's Coleman Research...

Withlacoochee Electric powers up as region grows; the cooperative earns high marks for its innovation and a development-minded GM. (Billy Brown paves the way for Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative)
October 3, 1997... It might be easier for Billy Brown to sit back and react to the growth that's about to hit Pasco and Hernando counties, but he prefers to anticipate it - if not embrace it. Yet even as the general manager of the Withlacoochee River Electric...

Where there's smoke, there's opportunity; budding entrepreneurs start a business with a cigar vending machine. (Ana and Jeff Good start Vendigar, cigar vending machine)
October 3, 1997... Vending machines dispense everything from snacks to cigarettes. And now, thanks to an entrepreneurial couple from Tampa, there's a humidified vending machine at a local eatery that'll dispense cigars. Tucked into a corner at the end of the...