Corporate Report

Corporate Report

by Sean Roth | Real Estate Editor

IA Global moving to San Francisco, branch offices in Tokyo, Australia planned

Tampa-based IA Global Inc. officials have announced a series of initiatives as part of its strategic shift. Company officials report the company is moving its corporate office from Tampa to San Francisco during the second quarter of 2007. A new Atlanta office will serve as its east coast headquarters. The move to the west coast is designed to emphasize the company's commitment to expanding in the Pacific Rim region. IA Global simultaneously announced that it is registering branch offices in Tokyo and a third branch office will be announced in a major Australian city.

The company's new chairman and CEO, Derek Schneideman, will base his activities in Tokyo for the remainder of 2007 to personally drive the growth of its wholly owned subsidiary Global Hotline, and to oversee execution of the company's aggressive acquisition plans. The international moves are the first steps IA Global is taking to optimize its worldwide tax structure.

IA Global's revised strategy aims for the company to devote significant attention to expanding the revenue streams and profitability of its existing investments and to narrowly focus new merger or acquisition efforts on the technology, consumer, services, and health sectors. Over time, IA Global expects to establish a broadly based network of subsidiary and majority-owned synergistic and complementary investments in markets in Japan, Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, India, and China.

In other news IA Global Inc. reported that on Feb. 28, 2007, the company received notice from the American Stock Exchange that it needs to elect a new independent director to its board of directors by May 28, 2007. The company reported it had identified five qualified candidates and that a decision on the final candidate is expected to be announced by the end of this month.

IA Global owns 100% of Global Hotline, a telemarketing call center firm in Japan. IA Global also owns 36% of Australian Secured Financial Ltd., which raises funds through the issuance of debentures in Australia and provides short term, secured, real property loans to businesses or investors in Australia.

Real Digital Media product brings Broadway to hotels

The Broadway Channel selected Sarasota-based Real Digital Media's NEOCAST digital signage solution to manage programming for more than 60 hotels in New York City.

The Broadway Channel is a full-service multimedia company that produces high quality video, streaming media and television programming for Broadway, Off Broadway, Performing Art Centers and Regional Theatres. The five-year-old Broadway Channel provides Broadway Previews, a news and information program about Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, as well as state of the art 24-hour programming encompassing previews of current performances and star interviews.

"However, as technology in this space has improved, we realized there was an opportunity to gain greater visibility and improved control over the management and distribution of our programming," Ken Heg, president of The Broadway Channel said in a press release.

"NEOCAST from Real Digital Media provided these improvements, along with increased reliability, improved performance, access to additional RSS or weather content, as well as detailed reporting functions," Heg said. "Combined, we can more confidently serve our target audience and advertisers, as well as expand into new markets with NEOCAST."

Real Digital Media provides next generation digital signage products for marketing, advertising and corporate communication networks.The NEOCAST family of digital signage products store, deliver and play content in a wide range of digital formats on a variety of display devices.

Hunter Warfield software changes

Tampa-based collections firm Hunter Warfield Inc. reported that a fine-tuning of its collections process along with the implementation of instant payment software triggered a 214% increase in immediate debtor payments. The 2006 year-end tallies also indicate a 17% overall liquidation increase from the previous year.

In particular, the bulk of that increased recovery is credited to the development of new software technology that interfaces with Hunter Warfield's collection process. The new instant payment interface enables instantaneous approval and acceptance of debtor payment. Since the interface has been operational, the number of returned checks from bad debtors has also been cut in half.

The new software also is designed to more easily interface with Hunter Warfield's clients, allowing them to report a bill for collection with a mouse click. That allows Hunter Warfield's staff to start work on collections much faster than before.

Alico denies ethanol decision, receives grant from FDOT

Labelle-based Alico Inc. is disputing as "premature and inaccurate" press reports that the company is building an ethanol plant.

"For over two years we have been investigating the use of the gasification/fermentation technology developed by Bioengineering Resources Inc. of Fayetteville, Ark.," John Alexander, Alico Chairman and CEO said in a press release.

"Dr. Jim Gaddy, the founder of BRI, has spent 18 years developing this process and another six years proving it in a pilot plant. BRI's process converts any carbon-based material into ethanol and electricity," Alexander said. "As a company we are continuing our investigation of the potential of cellulosic ethanol as a business opportunity and these government sponsored grants, if received under acceptable terms and conditions, will be part of that consideration."

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Department of Energy announced last week that it selected Alico to receive a $2.5-million grant to help develop a plant to utilize farm-to-fuel technology. Today it also announced that the company had been selected as a possible recipient of a Department of Energy Grant.

Alico Inc., a land management company operating, owns about 136,500 acres in Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Polk counties. Alico is involved in various operations including citrus fruit production, harvesting and marketing, vegetable production, cattle ranching, sugarcane, sod production, rock mining, vegetable seedling greenhouse operations and forestry. Alico also leases land for farming, cattle grazing, recreation and oil exploration.

Chico's sales up 15% in February, same stores slip

Fort Myers-based specialty retailer Chico's FAS, Inc. reported February sales results for the four-week period ended March 3, 2007, increased 15% to $113.6 million from $98.7 million reported for the four-week period ended Feb. 25, 2006.

Comparable store sales for company-owned stores decreased 4.3% compared to the same four-week period last year ending March 4, 2006.

The company operates 925 women's specialty stores, including stores in 47 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico operating under the Chico's, White House | Black Market, Soma by Chico's and Fitigues names.

FEBRUARY SALES

Comparable Store Sales

(Dollars in millions)

2007 2006 Total Fiscal Comp.

$113.6 $98.7 15.0% 1.0% (4.3)%

BY THE NUMBERS: OSI

OSI Restaurant Partners comparables slide continues

Tampa-based OSI Restaurant Partners Inc. reported a continued decline in comparable store sales for most of its restaurants for the four-week period ended Feb. 24, 2007 compared with the same period in 2006. The OSI Restaurant Partner, Inc. restaurant system operates in 50 states and 20 countries internationally.

Four weeks ended Feb. 24, 2007

Domestic comparable store sales

(stores open 18 months or more)

Outback Steakhouses -1.1% -2.6% -1.3%

Carrabba's Italian Grills -2.0% N/A -2.0%

Bonefish Grills -1.3% 2.0% -1.1%

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

& Wine Bars 6.0% N/A 6.0%

Roy's -1.4% N/A -1.4%

Domestic average unit volumes

Outback Steakhouses -0.9% -2.5% -1.1%

Carrabba's Italian Grills -3.6% N/A -3.6%

Bonefish Grills -4.0% 3.7% -3.6%

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

& Wine Bars 0.3% N/A 0.3%

Roy's -1.8% N/A -1.8%

Menu price changes for the Month

Four weeks ended February 24, 2007

Company-owned menu

price changes (1)

Outback Steakhouses 0.4%

Carrabba's Italian Grills 3.2%

Bonefish Grills 2.2%

OPENINGS

Outback Steakhouses

Company-owned - domestic (1) 681

Company-owned - intl. 1 121

Franchised/joint - domestic - 107

Franchised/joint - intl. - 44

Total 0 953

Carrabba's Italian Grills

Company-owned 1 232

Bonefish Grills

Company-owned 3 119

Franchised - 7

Total 3 126

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

Company-owned 1 48

Roy's

Company-owned - 23

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Company-owned 1 39

Lee Roy Selmon's

Company-owned 1 6

Blue Coral Seafood and Spirits

Company-owned - 2

System-wide total 7 1,429

Gates McVey shuffles management

Gates McVey has changed a few of its management positions in order to better operate the company's specialized services.

John Hayes has been named president and CEO of Gates McVey Builders Inc. and president of Gates McVey Butz Institutional Construction LLC.

At the same time, John Flavin has been named president and CEO of Gates McVey Capital Group, LLC, including Gates D'Alessandro & Woodyard, LLC. Flavin joined Gates McVey as President and CEO of the firm's Capital Group in 2006. Flavin worked in the Washington, D.C., area for The Oliver Carr Co. as vice president of urban development for several years. In 1987, Flavin became president and COO of the Barlow Corp. in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In 1989, he returned to the Oliver Carr Co. as Senior Vice president and chief development officer of the company.

In addition, Bridget Trombley was promoted to director of business development for Gates McVey Builders, Inc. and Gates McVey Butz Institutional Construction LLC.

"With these final leaders in place, we look forward to a long and prosperous future in this area's commercial real estate market," Todd Gates, Chairman of Gates McVey, said in a press release.

Gates McVey is a construction, development and real estate company providing comprehensive services in development, commercial and institutional construction, multi-family residential construction, sales, leasing, and property management.

Dattoli publishes results of cancer treatment study

A paper authored by local radiation oncologist Dr. Michael Dattoli, of Sarasota's Dattoli Cancer Center & Brachytherapy Research Institute, has been accepted for publication in the February issue of the international journal, Urology.

The paper chronicles the 13-year results of combination beam radiation and radioactive seed implant used to treat high-risk men whose prostate cancer was suspected of having escaped the capsule. The study results showed 81% of these men were cancer-free 13 years later. Dattoli's research-based treatment protocol produced the unusual "cure rates" without the surgical removal of the prostate and many of the other traditional negative side effects of other therapies, including incontinence or impotence.

"We believe this combination treatment to be far superior to radical prostatectomy because of its demonstrated efficacy in destroying the cancer and its ability to protect the man's urinary and sexual functioning after treatment," Dattoli said in a press release. "In fact, with our newest technology - 4D IG-IMRT - we are seeing even more dramatic results."

Dattoli and his partner, Dr. Richard Sorace, founded the institute six years ago to treat prostate cancer.

Etc...

Beasley Broadcast issues 6-cent dividend

Naples-based radio broadcaster Beasley Broadcast Group Inc.'s board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.0625 for each share of its Class A and Class B common stock. The dividend is payable on April 20, 2007, to shareholders of record on March 30, 2007.

Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. owns and/or operates 43 stations in eleven large- and mid-size markets in the United States.