Corporate Report

Corporate Report

Cork & Olive

opens seventh location

Tampa-based wine retailer Cork & Olive has opened a new store, 1108 S. Dale Mabry, in the Southdale Commons shopping plaza. The store joins other retail locations in Clearwater, Valrico, St. Petersburg, Wesley Chapel, and Largo, along with several new stores currently under construction in Carollwood, Lakeland, Oldsmar and Brandon. Eight additional locations are scheduled to open by the end of 2006.

Nuevo Advertising Group

marketing for State Fair

Sarasota-based Nuevo Advertising Group has been hired as the official Hispanic advertising agency for the Florida State Fair in Tampa. The agency will be in charge of the translating and distributing the Spanish-language marketing materials.

Chick-fil-A founder's relative

opening new restaurant

Andrew Cathy, grandson of Chick-fil-A founder and chairman S. Truett Cathy, has opened his first Chick-fil-A franchise restaurant in St. Petersburg. Andrew Cathy is the third generation of the Cathy family involved in operating Chick-fil-A restaurants. Dan Cathy, Andrew Cathy's father, currently serves as president and chief operating officer for Chick-fil-A.

Chick-fil-A is the second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the nation with more than 1,239 restaurants in 38 states and Washington, D.C. The company expects to add more than 72 locations in 2006.

Westfield Homes becomes

Standard Pacific Homes

Westfield Homes, a division of Standard Pacific Homes for the past four years, has changed its name to Standard Pacific Homes of Southwest Florida. In addition to the name change, the Southwest Florida division has moved its offices to 101 Arthur Andersen Pkwy., Suite 150, Sarasota.

The renamed company, which has been building homes in this area for almost a decade, is currently building in Sarasota, Manatee and Lee counties at Newburn Village in Sarasota, Pennington Place and The Villas at Stillwater in Englewood, River Plantation in Parrish, Townes at Lakeside Plantation in North Port, Venetian Village in Fort Myers and Chadwick Square in Bonita Springs.

Standard Pacific, one of the nation's largest homebuilders, has built about 81,000 homes in the past four decades. The company operates in California, Florida, Arizona, the Carolinas, Texas, Colorado, and Nevada.

Thermal conference

planned for Sarasota

Thermal Solutions, the largest independent conference for infrared thermographers, will be held Jan. 23-26 at the Hyatt in Sarasota. The conference will feature exhibits, short courses, networking and panel discussions on trends and the newest technologies in the infrared industry.

There will be two tracks for professional paper presentations: Building Thermography or Condition Monitoring. Presentations on energy audits, roof surveys, moisture/mold issues and pest control applications will be included.

Longboat Key Realtor tops Coldwell sales for second year

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate Associate Barbara Ackerman was recognized as the company's top sales associate in the Sarasota Bay region for the second consecutive year.

A member of Coldwell Banker's Legends Society, which represents less than 1% of the more than 126,000 Coldwell Banker sales associates worldwide, Ackerman was responsible for more than $80 million in closed sales volume in 2005. She specializes in residential properties in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Ackerman has been a real estate professional in the Sarasota area for 26 years and is based in the company's Previews International office on Longboat Key.

Morrison Homes reports

record sales in 2005

With more than $165 million in revenue in 2005, Morrison Homes sold 635 homes and closed 629 homes in its Tampa division, which includes both Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

The average price of a Morrison home in Tampa including homesite in 2005 was $276,429.

In Tampa, Morrison Homes introduced five new neighborhoods in 2005. In 2006 Morrison Homes will be opening new neighborhoods including Amberly Oaks Townhomes near the Carrollwood area, Mirabella in Riverview and Sherwood Manor in Ruskin. Morrison is one of the top 30 U.S. homebuilders.

in the United States.

JOB GROWTH CONTINUES

The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation reported last week that Florida added 253,200 jobs (seasonally adjusted) from October 2004 to October 2005. It also reported Florida's unemployment rate at 3.4%, the lowest in nearly three decades.

According to the agency's statistics:

Florida's unemployment rate was 1.6 percentage points below the national rate of 5%.

• Florida's unemployment rate is the lowest recorded in the history of the current methodology, which began in 1976.

• Florida continues to lead the nation in the number of new jobs created and has the fastest rate of annual job growth among the 10 most populous states.

• Germany is Florida's third-largest trading partner with two-way trade valued at $4.5 billion in 2004, an increase of 6.1% over the previous year.

• In 2004, Florida imported $3 billion in products from Germany and exported $1.5 billion to the country, rendering Germany the state's fourth largest import destination and seventh-largest export destination.

Mel's Diner to expand

30% in next year

Mel's Diner is planning to expand the company's stores by 30% in the next 18 months.

In addition, Bonita Springs-based Mel's Diner will also make several changes to its brand in the coming year, including a decor redesign and complete menu update. These steps are part of a company-wide plan to unify corporate efforts, to extend the life of the brand in terms of time and reach, and to better connect to its customer base. ATTRIBUTION?

Lakewood Ranch Center

receives BALA Award

Professional Builder magazine and the National Association of Home Builders has awarded LWR Communities LLC, the 2005 Best in American Living Award (BALA) for its Lakewood Ranch Information Center at the NAHB International Builder's Show in Orlando.

The annual competition is open to builders, architects, designers, developers, land planners and interior designers nationwide. LWR Communities LLC entered the awards contest in the Best Amenity/Facility up to and including 5,000 square feet. The entry credited Lawson Group Architects, Dunn & Denham Construction and Renaissance Creative Services for their contributions to develop and constructing the facility.

Naples Air Inc. adds plane

to expand operations

Naples Air Inc. has added another aircraft to its fleet, a nine-passenger King Air that can travel 265 miles per hour.

The Naples company provides charter services for business and tourist customers at Naples Municipal Airport, Marco Island, Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field in Fort Myers.

The company flies single-engine prop, twin-engine prop, twin-engine turbo props and jets.

Radiation Therapy Services

purchases Alabama center

Fort Myers-based Radiation Therapy Services Inc. has acquired a single radiation therapy treatment center in Opp, Ala., for about $1.75 million.

The center is Radiation Therapy's second in southeastern Alabama, adding to the company's existing center in Dothan, Ala.

The company plans to implement an Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy program and other advanced technologies at the new facility. The center treats an average of about 20 patients per day.

Nu-Cape wins construction

of cancer center

Cape Coral-based Nu-Cape Construction Co., a division of Owen-Ames-Kimball Co., will be the construction manager for Florida Cancer Specialists' new Cape Coral treatment center.

Florida Cancer Specialists is the largest privately owned oncology and hematology practice in Florida.

The new 6,100-square-foot treatment center will be located at the Cay West Pavilion and will include a patient waiting area, six examination rooms, nurses' station, physician offices, laboratory and more than 1,000 square feet dedicated for treatment of patients.

Stevens Construction awarded

South Seas Resort contract

MeriStar Hospitality Corp. awarded Fort Myers-based Stevens Construction Inc. a contract to build the Mariners Hall clubhouse and swimming pool complex at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island.

The new clubhouse at the island resort will include both indoor and outdoor waterfront dining and bar options. The facility will house several activity rooms for both adults and children, including a video arcade.

Premier Commercial selected as marketing agent

Simon Property Group of Indianapolis selected Premier Commercial Properties as exclusive marketing agent for its luxury office condominiums at Coconut Point in Estero.

Coconut Point is on U.S. 41 immediately north of Coconut Road and the entrance to The Brooks. The Offices at Coconut Point will feature about 30,000 square feet of luxury office suites to be located along the development's Main Street.

Construction of Bella Terra clubhouse begins

Fort Myers-based, J.L. Wallace Inc. started construction of the clubhouse for the Bella Terra development in Estero. 

The 8,000-square-foot clubhouse is designed to reflect the European flavor architecture of Northern Italy.

Former Brixton CEO starts real estate agency

Gregg Fous recently formed Market America Development LLC. Fous left his position as chief executive officer of Brixton Development and sold his 50% interest in the condo developer. He currently owns and operates Market America Realty and Investments Inc., a real estate agency specializing in development site selection and management, marketing and sales.

Also, Fous announced Market America Development LLC's first commercial project, Cyperlin Center, a seven-story office tower at the corner of Summerlin Drive and Cypress Lake Drive.

Etc...

• Signs Now, a division of Allegra Network LLC, moved its division offices to a larger facility at 6976 Professional Parkway E. in Sarasota. The offices were formerly located on Manatee Avenue in Bradenton.

• Lexicon Capital Partners LLC, a private real estate development and management firm, has relocated its headquarters to Sarasota.