Creative businesses find their niche on Etsy
Painters, potters, designers and artists in South Florida have found another medium to display and sell their work. Etsy, an online community for creative entrepreneurs who sell homemade and vintage gifts, art and supplies, hosts shops in a setting similar to Amazon or eBay. But unlike other websites, Etsy has created a community specifically for […]
Miami’s Tire Group International on a roll globally
As soon as Antonio Gonzalez was big enough, he began rolling tires around his father’s service station and tire business in Miami, pumping gas and repairing tires to help out. Today, the CEO of Tire Group International, a Miami company he founded with a friend in 1992, is moving more than 1.3 million tires a […]
Downtown Miami post office gets new lease on life
Over its approximately 100-year history, downtown Miami’s post office building has been home to a federal courthouse, the Miami Weather Bureau and most recently, an Office Depot. After standing empty for at least a half-dozen years, the circa-1912 building is about to get a new tenant befitting of its stature on the U.S. National Register […]
Small businesses in South Florida provide a destination for shopping
South Florida is home to a variety of small businesses, many that offer products and services you can’t find anywhere else. Some establishments attract shoppers from across the tri-county area and beyond for their unique offerings or a surge in demand for their products. South Florida residents have been flocking to Naples for day trips […]
Investors reselling condo units bought during housing collapse
Bulk buyers have resold more than 60 percent of the coastal condominiums snapped up during the housing bust, according to a recent report. The investment groups have unloaded roughly 3,200 of the 5,100 units that were in or near foreclosure, said CondoVultures.com, a Bal Harbour-based real estate consulting firm. Many of the bulk sales occurred […]
Decoding U.S.-Colombia FTA keeps Miami law firms busy
Trade isn’t the only thing that’s expected to increase with the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. It’s also a growth opportunity for lawyers. Since the agreement went into effect May 15, law firms have been holding roundtable discussions, offering seminars on how to take advantage of the new trading relationship and visiting Colombia to advise business […]
Made in South Florida: Home-grown firms thrive
South Florida’s known as a retirement haven and vacation destination to most, but it’s also a place where some entrepreneurs find inspiration for business startups. Several tri-county business owners are proud to call South Florida their headquarters. Many have roots in sunny South Florida that have weathered some rough years and are now continuing to […]
Retailers report tepid sales for June
Shoppers, worried about jobs and the overall economy, pulled back on spending in June, resulting in tepid sales for many retailers. The results raise concerns about Americans’ ability to spend during the back-to-school season, which is the second-biggest shopping period of the year and starts later this month. As merchants reported their sales early Thursday, […]
South Florida auto magnate Ed Morse dies at 91
Ed Morse, prominent and pioneering South Florida auto magnate, died Friday in Boca Raton at the age of 91. He died of natural causes, a Morse company spokeswoman said. Mr. Morse was chairman and founder of Ed Morse Automotive Group. The 66-year-old family business that spans four generations began in 1946, when Mr. Morse and […]
Men-only barber shops on the rise in South Florida
A growing number of barber shops across South Florida offer a different kind of salon service targeted exclusively at men — like a hot shave that comes with a cold draft beer and televisions that have the hot sports game on. Although men-only barbershops have been around a long time, the concepts are evolving and […]
Changing of the Miami guard at American Airlines
Longtime American Airlines executive Peter Dolara retires Friday in Miami, handing the reins to the region’s new vice president, Art Torno. Art Torno still remembers the meeting that changed his career — and ultimately his life. On a Saturday in 1986 at New York City’s Chrysler building, Peter Dolara — an American Airlines executive who […]
July 4 means business for many South Florida firms
From makers of flag shirts to purveyors of fireworks and hot dogs, Independence Day means business, not time off for a barbecue. At theflagshirt.com, orders have been pouring in so fast that co-owner Stephen Stern said he sometimes makes eight trips to the post office in one day. He can hardly keep up with demand […]
Miami Spice raises rates on top restaurants, adds second pricing category
A Miami Spice meal at Miami’s top luxury restaurants isn’t going to be as much of a bargain this year. The three-course lunch will cost $23 and dinner will run $39. That’s about a 10 percent jump over Miami Spice dinner prices last year, which rang up at $35 and just a hair over last […]
Florida offers $12 million to South Florida companies
South Florida gets a small share of Florida’s $155 million payout to companies thinking of adding jobs in the state. Lisa McKerracher might set up a spinal-cord lab in Miami, or she might set it up in Massachusetts. Florida will pay her $83,000 to pick the Sunshine State. “I’m not sure this is where I […]
Advocates urge struggling homeowners in South Florida to seek help
Advocates for struggling homeowners say the first and often most difficult step in dealing with financial woes tied to homeownership is confronting the problem and finding the right help. “People are afraid to call their [mortgage] servicers. When letters come in the mail, they put them in a drawer and don’t read them or they […]
Kaplan University to lay off 200, mostly in South Florida
Due to declining enrollment, Kaplan University said Wednesday it is laying off 200 admissions workers, primarily in its Fort Lauderdale, Plantation and Boca Raton offices. Kaplan has been downsizing as it struggles with fallen enrollment and investigations into its sales tactics. “We’ve taken the necessary steps to reduce our workforce … to stabilize after a […]
Puerto Rico’s Medalla beer now distributed in Florida
Puerto Rico’s Medalla beer is being distributed in Florida for the first time, aiming to tap the soaring number of Puerto Ricans who have relocated to the beer-loving Sunshine State. On Father’s Dayat La Cocina Puertorriquena restaurant in Pembroke Pines, Puerto Rican families ordered scores of the light beer to accompany such traditional dishes as […]
Port Miami wants free-trade zones throughout county
Under a Port Miami plan, any business north of Southwest Eighth Street could apply for free-trade status and be exempt from import duties for cargo heading abroad. Any warehouse in northern Miami-Dade County could quickly free itself from import tariffs under a proposal by Port Miami allowing it to establish dozens of free-trade zones. Port […]
Return of the bidding war for South Florida homes
When John and Edna Deluccia went house hunting to upgrade from their Fort Lauderdale condo, they experienced the new frenzy in the South Florida home market. “One unit I bid on, a bank foreclosure, went for $480,600 — $94,000 over the asking price,” said John Deluccia, a 39-year-old insurance agent with SWBC. “I bid $10,000 […]
Single women earning more money, degrees
Single South Florida women are outperforming single men, new studies show. They are getting better educations. They are buying twice as many homes. And they are out-earning their male counterparts. Michelle Friedman, 28, exemplifies the new breed. The senior account executive at a public relations firm already has received several promotions after graduating with honors […]