Corporate Report

Corporate Report

by Sean Roth | Real Estate Editor

Urine Off lands European distributors

R&L Pet Products has singed an agreement to become the exclusive distributor for the Urine Off pet and veterinary lines of consumer and professional products in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Urine Off, manufactured by Bio-Pro Research LLC of Sarasota, is a product for urine odor and stain remediation. Urine Off's bio-enzymatic formula eats away at the source of the odor and stains.

R&L Pet Products is a distributor of pet products in the UK and Ireland and is the largest distributor of Ralston Purina pet products outside the United States.

"We chose R&L for their professionalism and 15-year history of success in United Kingdom," Bio-Pro Research CEO Bill Hadley, said in a press release. "With R&L's market penetration and established distribution system, we are expecting great things to develop in the UK and Ireland."

Urine Off will be distributed in the UK, Canada, Ireland, South Korea, Australia, and Germany, and Bio-Pro Research officials say agreements are imminent for distribution in other countries including Israel and Denmark

Tampa Electric

meets climate standards

Tampa Electric reports it has passed the Chicago Climate Exchange phase I greenhouse gas reduction commitment of 4% below the average of the years 1998-2001. As a member of the Chicago Climate Exchange through its parent company, TECO Energy, Tampa Electric complies with what are currently the most rigorous standards for greenhouse gas emissions in North America today. The company joined the Chicago Climate Exchange in 2004.

Since it embarked on a decade-long, $1.2 billion environmental improvement plan in 1998, the company has reduced its system's carbon dioxide emissions by 20%, while at the same time achieving other reductions in pollutants like sulfur dioxide (91%), nitrogen oxide (59%); mercury (74%) and particulate matter (75%), all compared with 1998 levels.

Chicago Climate Exchange, launched in 2003, is the world's first and North America's only active voluntary, but legally binding, integrated trading system to reduce emissions of all six major greenhouse gases.

Source Interlink

hires Ninja for mobility

Source Interlink Media, a division of Bonita Spring-based media company Source Interlink Cos., Inc., has selected NINJA Mobile to handle the launch of mobile-viewable video content from Source's magazines and other products.

The initial product launch will include video content available from brands within the Automotive Group, including Motor Trend, Hot Rod, Lowrider, 4 Wheel & Off Road, Four Wheeler and Sport Compact Car.

"We selected NINJA Mobile's solution because of its ability to deliver the full range of digital assets such as streaming broadcast video to a feature-rich UI across BREW, Java, WAP and iPhone platforms, which is unique in the industry," Sean Holzman, president of Source Interlink Media's Enterprise division, said in a press release. "In order to effectively leverage our brand and advertising reach across the mobile spectrum we need to ensure that the user experience is consistent with the expectation of our readers and advertising partners. We have worked with NINJA on other projects and continue to look to them to keep us ahead in the mobile technology space."

NINJA uses its distribution framework and content management system to allow advertisers within the Source Interlink Media Enthusiast Network to target their ads to specific demographics.

Source Interlink Cos. is a media and marketing services company, one of the largest publishers of magazines and online content for enthusiast audiences and a distributor of entertainment products.

American Strategic Insurance

expands to Louisiana

ASI Lloyds of St. Petersburg has entered the personal property insurance market in Louisiana. ASI was recently a recipient of the Insure Louisiana Incentive program sponsored by the state, and ASI officials say the company plans to write new homeowners and dwelling fire policies in Louisiana in the second quarter of 2008. The company was recently upgraded to an A- (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating by A.M. Best.

"ASI is excited to enter the Louisiana marketplace," John Auer, the insure's president and CEO, said in a press release. "We look forward to working with the independent agency force to provide an additional market to Louisiana homeowners. We specialize in catastrophe exposure management and are proud to be a leading property insurer in Florida and Texas."

ASI Lloyds Inc. is a subsidiary of American Strategic Insurance Corp. based in St. Petersburg. The ASI group of companies specialize in homeowners insurance and has more than 320,000 policyholders in Florida, Texas and Colorado. It employs 150 people in its St. Petersburg offices.

Teltronics buys

communication retailers

Sarasota-based communications products manufacturer Teltronics Inc. has partnered with Access Communications and Collier Business Systems in Sarasota. Terms of the deal, which is already effective, were not released.

Teltronics officials promote the fact that the deal will allow the manufacturing company to market its products, including its Cerato SE, Cerato IP, Cerato ME/LE, OMNIWorks and the voice, data and network monitoring solutions, directly to customers in Sarasota.

"Teltronics has called Florida home for 39 years selling through distributors worldwide but has never had the opportunity to sell direct to the consumer in the local area," Ewen Cameron, president and CEO of Teltronics, said in a press release. "This teaming gives Teltronics an additional install base of over 3,500 satisfied customers who are now backed directly by the manufacturer."

Access Communications and Collier Business Systems, has sold communications platform offerings, including: telephone systems sales and service, VoIP technology, Voice and Data Cabling, Communications Consulting, and Voice Mail/Auto Attendant Systems, for the past more than 20 years.

Tigris Pharmaceuticals

studies anti-tumor drug

Bonita Springs-based drug development company Tigris Pharmaceuticals Inc. has started a clinical study of aminoflavone pro-drug (AFP-464) for cancer treatment. The first patient was dosed in December and enrollment is said to be ongoing.

The primary objective of the study is to determine the appropriate and maximum tolerated dosage level of AFP-464 in patients with advanced solid tumors. The trial is expected to enroll up to 35 patients across two sites in Europe: Institut Gustave-Roussy in Villejuif, France and Jules Bordet Institute in Brussels, Belgium. Results from the trial are scheduled to be available in early 2009.

"AFP-464 is a first-in-class molecule with the potential to fill a large unmet medical need in the treatment of cancer," Edmundo Muniz, CEO of Tigris, said in a press release. "This first trial in Europe along with the two U.S. phase 1 trials provides us our first opportunity to assess the drug activity in patients, and to further build on our understanding of the molecule's mechanism of action."

Preclinical studies seem to have shown that AFP-464 has a unique pattern of inhibiting the growth of tumor cells, with breast, ovarian, lung and renal tumor cell showing particular sensitivity to the compound.

Wilde Automotive

exclusive Smart dealership

The Smart Center Sarasota, part of the Wilde Automotive Family, and a division of Wilde Jaguar, was chosen as Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties exclusive dealer of the Smart Fortwo, a low emissions/ high fuel-economy vehicle manufactured by Mercedes-Benz and as a Daimler brand. The smart center is located at 4821 Clark Road in Sarasota

"We couldn't have chosen a better time to showcase this fun and revolutionary vehicle," Mark Wilde, president of Wilde Automotive, said in a press release. "The Smart Fortwo is a dynamic and technologically innovative car that's perfect for our community and for these times in which we're faced with volatile fuel prices and increased urban congestion. It offers a high level of comfort, agility, safety and ecology. The Smart Fortwo is the right car at the right time at the right place."

Prices for the vehicles will range from $11,590 to $16,590. The Wilde Automotive Family is the exclusive dealer for the southwest Florida region.

Wilde Automotive Family owns 12 dealerships in Florida and Wisconsin and employees more than 700 people. In Sarasota, the Wilde Automotive Family includes Wilde Sun Honda, Wilde Lexus of Sarasota, Wilde Jaguar of Sarasota and Smart Center Sarasota.

Oswald Trippe, Co.

buys N.C.'s Glasgow Hicks

Oswald Trippe and Co., a Fort Myers-based insurance agency has acquired Glasgow Hicks insurance agency's two locations in Wilmington, N.C. OTC-Glasgow Hicks Insurance Agency will be Oswald Trippe's fourth location in North Carolina.

"Glasgow Hicks has been serving the Wilmington area since 1924 and is well respected for its ethic and business practices," Gary V. Trippe, chairman and CEO of Oswald Trippe, said in a press release. "The acquisition represents OTC's continuing desire to become a significant presence beyond the Florida market. We believe Wilmington has superior growth opportunities, and OTC brings strength, resources and additional services to the agency and the area."

Oswald Trippe has offices in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Coral Springs, Holmes Beach, Lakewood Ranch, Miami, Naples, Ocala, Port Charlotte, Sarasota, and Weston, as well as Cornelius, Denver, and Hickory, N.C.

Etc...

Superior Uniform Group

offers 13.5-cent dividend

Seminole-based Superior Uniform Group Inc. has announced a quarterly dividend of 13.5 cents per share, payable Feb. 25 to shareholders of record Feb 13. Superior Uniform Group, through its Signature marketing brands - Fashion Seal, Fashion Seal Healthcare, Martin's, Worklon, UniVogue and Sope Creek - manufactures and sells uniforms, image apparel and accessories.