Corporate Report: January 25

Naples' EBL Partners buys Studio Snaidero Naples
Naples-based construction firm EBL Partners acquired Studio Snaidero Naples, an independent “Foundation Studio” in the Snaidero-USA network of dealers. The studio will operate under the name EBL Interiors, with Jeff Mahon, the studio's previous owner, continuing to be a part of the new organization.

Snaidero, based in Italy, is a manufacturer of interior kitchens.

“The superior quality and craftsmanship of the Snaidero product was an ideal fit for the vertical integration of EBL Partners and what we are trying to accomplish as a premier construction company,” says Managing Partner Paul Benson.

Naviera Master Line shipping cargo from Port Manatee
Naviera Master Line de Venezuela C.A. (Naviera Master Line) has selected Port Manatee in Palmetto for a new container and general cargo service to the Caribbean, Central and South American destinations.

Naviera Master Line, a division of Miami-based Master Line Shipping Co., is scheduled to start sailing from Port Manatee March 8.

“For the targeted business we have with Central Florida auctions, like Alex Lyon & Son, CAT, Ritchie Bros. and Yoder & Frey, Port Manatee is the closest port to Orlando and a very strategic port to the countries that we serve,” Naviera Master Line President Juan Carlos Esquivel says in a press release. “It's all about location.”

Typical cargoes will include oversize and heavy construction equipment and a variety of containerized cargoes destined for Cristobal, Panama; Cartagena and Barranquilla, Colombia; Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, La Guaira and Guanta, Venezuela; and La Brea, Trinidad.

Tampa law firm's discrimination suit successful
Tampa law firm Bricklemyer Smolker & Bolves has won an illegal discrimination lawsuit against Hernando County. According to the firm, its client Narconon Spring Hill won a unanimous federal jury verdict that the county discriminated against the nonprofit company, which provides drug and alcohol rehabilitation services to individuals nationwide.

After a five-day trial, the jury concluded that the county's decision to revoke a special exception permit in 2009 was intentional and, thus, illegal under the Federal Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act. The jury also awarded Narconon Spring Hill $74,000 in damages for the injuries caused by the June 2009 decision and attorneys' costs and fees.

Ethan Loeb, Jon Tasso and David Smolker of Bricklemyer Smolker & Bolves represented Narconon Spring Hill. Joe Mason and Carol Barice of McGee and Mason PA also participated in the lawsuit as local counsel.

Cornet Technology, xG Technology agree on $5 million resale agreement
Northern Virginia's Cornet Technology Inc. has reached an agreement with Sarasota-based xG Technology Inc. for the right to resell $5 million worth of xMax mobile broadband equipment over the next three years.

Cornet Technology has been granted rights to sell xG's products to the United States government and Department of Defense customers. The company has also been granted exclusive rights to resell xMax equipment when sold as part of an end-to-end two-way video streaming product for vehicles.

Cornet Technology designs, engineers and manufactures advanced command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions targeted at U.S. and international defense and aerospace agencies and prime contractors to the U.S. government.

“Robust and reliable mobile broadband communications form the backbone of many of the advanced applications that our customers demand,” Nat Kumar, CEO of Cornet Technology, says in a press release. “xG has the products and technology that meet the high level performance and flexibility we need to deliver our next-generation offerings. We look forward to working closely with xG to integrate xMax technology into our product set, particularly our streaming video solutions.”

Two PICO therapy C-section studies positive for Smith & Nephew
St. Petersburg-based Smith & Nephew reported data from two independent clinical evaluations showing PICO Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System (right) helped prevent surgical-site infections following a Caesarean section.

Two specialists from the Tacoma, Wash., area, Jeanette Harris, an infection preventionist, and Evelyn Hickson, a perinatal clinical nurse specialist, conducted a study on outcomes from a new post-operative strategy to manage C-sections. Introduced in January 2012 the study showed the new strategy was linked to an 83% reduction in surgical-site infections equal to a wound infection rate of six surgical site infections out of 1,200.

High-risk patients were treated with PICO instead of a conventional negative pressure wound therapy device. Antimicrobial barrier dressings were used in both risk groups.

A second study presented by Lindsey Bullough and Diane Wilkinson of the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan in the United Kingdom followed a group of 50 patients who were deemed at higher risk of contracting an infection post-C-section due to being clinically obese. The results showed there were no infections and zero re-admissions.

The average re-admission stay due to post-operative surgical- site infection is seven patient days at a cost of roughly $50,000.