Corporate Report: May 7 - May 13

Focus Management Group hires Weiner as managing director
Alan L. Weiner, formerly co-CEO of Arthur Rutenberg Homes, has joined the Tampa-based business-restructuring firm Focus Management Group as a managing director.

At Arthur Rutenberg Homes, the leading franchisor of independently owned and operated building companies, he supervised strategic direction, financial management and franchisee relationships.

His 25-plus years as a senior financial executive also include being executive vice president of a private equity-backed dermatology physician management company, which acquired and operated 11 practices in three states, and as de facto chief restructuring officer of a commercial cleaning equipment manufacturer, leading it through bankruptcy and exiting via a successful asset sale.

He began his career as an investment banker and managing director, raising public and private capital for companies in real estate and consumer industries.

Focus Management Group provides turnaround management, insolvency proceedings, business restructuring and operational improvement services. It also has offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

Smith & Nephew subsidiary to provide more products to network
The Advanced Wound Management Division of Smith & Nephew Inc., a St. Petersburg-based subsidiary of Smith & Nephew plc, will provide patient cleansing and skin care products to health care purchasing network Premier Purchasing Partners LP for three years beginning June 1.

Premier serves more than 2,300 hospitals and 64,000 other health care sites. Smith & Nephew already provides its NPWT, Advanced Wound Care and Silver products to Premier.

Marines hire St. Pete firm to test non-lethal grenade launcher
The U.S. Marine Corps System Command has awarded General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems of St. Petersburg a $3-million contract to demonstrate and evaluate a new hardware's ability to meet the requirements for the new Medusa Weapon System.

The mission payload module weapon system — developed by General Dynamics and ATK Aerospace Systems — adapts advanced 66mm grenade and launcher technology to create a non-lethal device that temporarily incapacitates targets through intense light, sound and pressure stimuli.

The Medusa's launcher and fire control system deploys a non-lethal grenade with electronic, in-tube, range-programmable fusing that ensures the non-lethal effect. The system will offer longer range, greater area coverage, extended use, lower risk of permanent injury and better scalability compared to other current, non-lethal weapon systems.

It will be integrated onto the Marine Corps Transparent Armor Gun Shield, a ballistic-glass shield for use in close urban environments.

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics, also makes large-, medium- and small-caliber direct and indirect-fire munitions, shaped charge warheads and propellants, plus precision metal components, and products for the tactical missiles.

Meadow Burke of Tampa debuts concrete-wall connector
Tampa-based Meadow Burke has introduced the MB Erector Connector Generation II, a construction device to connect concrete walls, for both building contractors and property owners.

The product system is designed to create a stress-free connection between concrete double tees and wall panels with only one weld to reduce or eliminate tension cracks and the need for repairs.

Most traditional systems use multiple welds or plates and accompanying slugs that can heat up and then weaken the surrounding concrete.

Among others, the company sees developers of parking garages as one of the prime markets for the system.

Whitebox Pharmaceutical Growth converts GeoPharma debt to stock
Largo-based GeoPharma Inc. has reduced its debt owed to Whitebox Pharmaceutical Growth Fund by $1.3 million. As of Dec. 31, the company owed Whitebox $15.9 million, and since then Whitebox has elected to convert $1.7 million of principal outstanding — $500,000 of which went to interest — in exchange for the company's one-cent par value common stock. Whitebox has made several conversion requests this year ranging from $100,000 to $250,000, and GeoPharma has issued 5.16 million common shares or 19.3% of the 26.7 million total shares currently outstanding.

SW Florida doctor to appear on TV show
Fort Myers-based fertility doctor Dr. Craig R. Sweet of Specialists in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery PA will be featured in a segment of the new TV series “The Fertility Chase” on the Women's Entertainment network on May 15.

Produced by Exodus Productions, the new series debuted on May 1. The segment with Sweet and some of his patients, including Walter and Amy Costello of Sanibel, will highlight the issue of embryo donation.

The area couple underwent in vitro fertilization following diagnosis and treatment for endometriosis. Sweet and his staff implanted two embryos for the couple and helped them to cryo-preserve another four embryos.