Corporate Report

Corporate Report

by Sean Roth | Real Estate Editor

Evolution Underwriting buys agency

Agency Marketing Services, a 25-year-old St. Petersburg-based professional liability program manager and wholesale insurance broker, is being acquired by Evolution Underwriting Inc., a newly formed affiliate of Darwin Professional Underwriters Inc. of Farmington, Conn.

Following the purchase, Boyd Wolf and David Gough, currently principal members of Tampa's Wolf Professional Risk organization, will assume leadership of AMS. AMS's founder and principal owner, Kevin Schuck, will remain with the business as consultant.

Other terms of the acquisition transaction were not disclosed.

"I believe that in Boyd Wolf and David Gough we've found the kind of leadership that AMS' industry partners and their clients can rely on for continued high service standards," Schuck said in a press release. "This transaction signals a renewed dedication to growth and innovation that will benefit both our own team here in Florida as well as the retailers throughout the Southeast with whom we do professional liability insurance business."

AMS specializes in professional liability insurance products and a variety of property/casualty products.

Administrative Concepts

promotes new CEO

Teresa Dick has been named the CEO of professional employer organization Administrative Concepts in Bradenton.

Dick began her career in management as senior manager of payroll and tax administrator for Chi Chi's Inc. Later, she went on to work with Leverock's Seafood House as its director of administrative service.

Dick moved into the PEO arena in April of 2000, assisting HR Logic as its controller, director of payroll and vice president of finance. She then served as director of operations, chief administrative officer and chief operating officer for Progressive Employer Services.

She joined Administrative Concepts in March.

Founded by George Bushong and Sarah Peel in 1995, Administrative Concepts assists business owners in handling risk management, payroll and administration, government compliance and benefits.

IOWorld Media grows Internet radio service

Tampa's IOWorld Media Inc. plans to more than double the number of music channels currently offered by its online music radio service, www.radioIO.com, from 22 to 60 by the end of this year.

The rollout has already begun, as seven channels have been added in the last 30 days, bringing the current total to 29.

This move follows the recent re-launch of RadioIO.com, which introduced new interactive elements and several new music channels.

The site has since grown to a monthly listening audience of more than one million in October. Its exclusive content delivery and hosting network.

RadioIO offers more mainstream channels as well as niche music formats that may not be available from other Internet, terrestrial or satellite radio services.

RadioIO created the Guitar Heroes channel, which streams the kind of guitar-driven rock songs found in the popular music video games. Its new Idols channel plays music heard in hit reality-TV shows including American Idol, Rock Star, Nashville Star and even Pop Idols from the United Kingdom.

The company is aiming to reach two million listeners in early 2008.

IOWorld Media currently owns www.RadioIO.com, an advertiser-supported Internet radio station, and SearchPlay LLC, whose technology allows search engines to operate in a media player.

Etc...

Hillcrest Bank

expands across state

Naples-based Hillcrest Bank Florida has opened a loan production office in Lake Worth.

The office, located at 8461 Lake Worth Road, Suite 106, will provide commercial loan services for Palm Beach, Broward, St. Lucie and Martin counties. Lon A. Gopie, vice president, commercial lending manager, manages the loan production office. Prior to joining Hillcrest Bank Florida, Gopie was vice president, relationship manager for Wachovia Bank in West Palm Beach.

The bank currently has total assets of more than $100 million and operates one full-service banking office located at 5325 N. Airport-Pulling Road in northern Naples.

American Economic Association

works with Unlimited Priorities

Unlimited Priorities Corp. has been retained to provide sales analysis support and marketing services for the American Economic Association publications office.

AEA publishes American Economic Review, Journal of Economic Literature and Journal of Economic Perspectives as well as the EconLit bibliography of journals, books, collective volume articles, book reviews, working papers and dissertations.

Cape Coral-based Unlimited Priorities will review the AEAweb.org website and provide suggestions regarding the updating of graphic materials and the creation of additional information for users, as applicable; design a new exhibit booth and display materials for use at conferences; create updated marketing essentials including folders, brochures and information sheets; originate advertising copy and layouts; create and distribute press releases on a timely basis; and provide a sales data review that will strategically organize information coming from information providers.

Florida State Fair

retains Nuevo Advertising

Sarasota's Nuevo Advertising Group has been hired to create a targeted Hispanic marketing campaign to build brand awareness and recognition for the 2008 Florida State Fair.

The La Plaza Hispanic Village will offer authentic food from various Hispanic countries, shopping, live entertainment and other cultural activities representing the Latino community. Nuevo Advertising's work for FSFA, in addition to naming and marketing the La Plaza, also includes translating vendor and exhibitor applications, some Web site translation and public relations materials. Nuevo Advertising Group is focused on marketing and communications to Hispanics.

Roper Industries

issues 7 cent dividend

Sarasota's Roper Industries Inc.'s board of directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of 7.25 cents per share, payable on Jan. 31 to stockholders of record as of Jan. 11. The dividend represents an 11.5% increase over the 2007 quarterly dividend of 6.5 cents and marks the fifteenth consecutive year of increases in Roper's dividend.

Roper Industries produces engineered products for the water, energy, radio frequency and research/medical industries.

TIB Financial

increases December dividend

The board of directors for TIB Financial Corp., a Naples-based community banking company, has approved an increase of 0.25 cent in its fourth quarter cash dividend, bringing the dividend to 6.25 cents.

The dividend is payable in January TIB Financial stockholders of record Dec. 31. The annualized cash dividend for 2007 was a quarter per share.

TIB Financial Corp. is the parent company of TIB Bank and The Bank of Venice.

BioLife's QRS

at Sue's Safety Supplies

Fort Myers-based first-aid kit/safety supply company Sue's Safety Supplies Inc. has started selling Sarasota-based BioLife LLC's QR, a topical powder designed to stop bleeding wounds. The company plans to target QR at restaurant and manufacturing companies as a tool to treat on the job injuries. Developed for the military, QR stops 70% of bleeding in wounds within 15 seconds and forms a protective coating over the wound.

Chico's, American Heart Assoc.

partner on fundraising pins

Fort Myers-based retailer Chico's is partnering with the American Heart Association to create limited edition heart pins to raise money for the association's Start! campaign. All of the proceeds from the pin's sale will go to the campaign, which encourages physical activity to reduce heart disease and other health problems. The pins will be sold by the retail store in November and December.

Odyssey Marine

on Disney Channel

Continuing its promotional tie-in with Disney and its upcoming movie "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," Odyssey Marine Exploration's real treasure hunting will be featured on the Disney Channel.

The company will be mentioned as part of a Movie Surfers, five mini-features that run between TV programs' focused on the National Treasure movie. Segments of Movie Surfers were shot aboard the Odyssey Explorer, at the Shipwreck! Pirates & Treasure exhibit at MOSI in Tampa, and at Odyssey's conservation lab with Odyssey staff and crew members.

Lutgert Insurance office

opens in Ave Maria

Naples-based Lutgert Insurance has opened a new office in La Piazza, the Town Center of Ave Maria, the new town in Eastern Collier County.

"Our long standing relationship with the Barron Collier Cos. and the Immokalee agricultural arena made this a logical fit for our organization," Bud Hornbeck, president of the Lutgert Insurance, said in a press release. "We look forward to being an integral part of the growth of this community."