BrandsMart USA opens Sony store within a store concept
BrandsMart USA and Sony Electronics Inc. have collaborated to open a showroom just for Sony products inside a Miami store. The electronics retailer is celebrating the first “store within a store” concept with Sony this weekend at its north Miami location in 167th Street. Unlike the many other brands carried in the store, the specially […]
Wind turbines to spin at Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach
Wind energy is coming to South Florida’s hospitality industry. The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort is installing wind turbines to make some of its own electricity and to attract more guests and conventions that seek out hotels with eco-friendly features. The hotel plans to spend more than $500,000 to erect six turbines — each roughly […]
Dutch bank hit with record fine for passing money through U.S. financial entities on behalf of Cuban and Iranian clients
In the largest fine ever assessed against a financial institution for violating U.S. sanctions on Cuba and Iran, Netherlands-based ING Bank will pay $619 million to the U.S. government, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. ING agreed to pay the fine for secretly moving more than $2 billion through U.S. financial institutions in 20,000 transactions from […]
Isle hangs in there
Their largest competitor just unveiled a $150 million expansion, which might make some casino managers want to fold. But the Isle Casino & Racing in Pompano Beach has tried a different approach: They doubled down. Something must be working. The casino’s slot revenues — their main income source — are up about 10 percent year-over-year […]
Guy Harvey Outpost hotel brand starts up in Florida
Will fans of Fort Lauderdale-based marine artist and conservationist Guy Harvey stay at waterfront hotels and inns that bear his name? That’s the question analysts are asking as the Guy Harvey Outpost brand launches its first Florida resort this summer: the 211-room TradeWinds Sandpiper Hotel and Suites on St. Pete Beach. Harvey, 56, who was […]
These entrepreneurs aim higher than the bottom line
South Florida’s social entrepreneurs use business methods to improve education, environment and living conditions. Amid South Florida’s flashy consumerism wave, a vastly different breed of entrepreneur — aimed at solving social problems — is quietly gaining momentum. Take Navroze Mehta and his daughter Sonali Mehta-Rao, who became increasingly aware that master craftsmen in India were […]
South Florida’s B hotel chain to expand in Orlando and downtown Miami
Weston-based B Hotels & Resorts is expanding into Orlando and downtown Miami. The chain will place its name on two existing hotels that will be renovated to meet B standards. The downtown Miami operation will be the first for the chain’s b2 line, which offers more limited services than B resorts, much like Courtyard by […]
Heat’s Miller to auction Broward mansion
Miami Heat forward Mike Miller plans to auction his oceanfront mansion to the highest bidder. Miller listed the six-bedroom home in the Hillsboro Shores community for $9 million in January. A handful of buyers came forward but didn’t think he was serious about selling, said Trayor Lesnock, president of Platinum Luxury Auctions. So he and […]
RIM promotes Playbook tablet in South Florida
Maybe you’ve heard that Research in Motion, the maker of Blackberry mobile devices, has updated its Playbook tablet to rival the iPad. Or maybe you haven’t, which is one of the company’s biggest challenges today: getting the word out. People think of RIM as limited to business Blackberry handsets, not consumer products. “That’s a problem,” […]
South Florida helping state’s economic recovery, economist says
Florida’s economy has gained momentum in the past year, with Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties helping the state on its slow trek to recovering from the devastating Great Recession, according to an analysis released Friday by the Wells Fargo Economic Group. “All indications point to stronger gains this year,” Wells Fargo senior economist Mark […]
H&M opens Friday in Miami Beach
From the neon yellow tank tops to the rainbow colored floor length kaftan and the plaid board shorts, the summer fashions at the new H&M South Beach store look like they were designed for Miami. Warning: Quantities are limited, and the fashion-forward, affordable merchandise is expected to go fast when the H&M pop-up opens to […]
Consumer confidence rebounds in Florida
Consumers felt better about the economy in May, probably thanks to a decline in both gas prices and unemployment, according to a University of Florida survey. As economic prognosticators get more anxious, Floridians feel more optimistic. Consumer confidence improved across the state this month, the University of Florida reported Tuesday, even as a national survey […]
Business count back in the black in South Florida
Why did unemployment drop so sharply in South Florida during the recession? In part, the cause was a sharp drop in the businesses available to hire people. That trend has officially reversed itself in recent months, with business establishments on the way back up in both Broward and Miami-Dade. Broward was late to the rebound, […]
Florida swindlers’ $77 million cow pasture
Just before fleeing the country, Victor and Natalia Wolf launched a national project that wiped out investors of millions — leaving nothing but cattle and sage brush behind During a lavish party for hundreds of guests, North Miami Beach developers Victor and Natalia Wolf unveiled their most ambitious project: a new city in the heart […]
Downtown Miami condo sales climb 27 percent
Downtown Miami’s condo market is still going strong with sales and rental activity climbing, despite a jump in prices. A new study by the Miami Downtown Development Authority found that 1,000 residential condo sales closed in Downtown Miami during the first quarter of 2012, a 26.7 percent jump compared to the same period last year. […]
South Florida boating industry expects good turnout for Memorial Day weekend
Marinas and boating retailers are preparing for the start of the summer boating season in South Florida — if the weather cooperates. Broward and Palm Beach counties are home to more than 77,000 boats, many of which will crowd the Intracoastal Waterway, nearby sandbars and the open Atlantic to enjoy the warm and hopefully sunny […]
MasTec’s ‘Undercover Boss’ confirms lessons in leadership
The scene at The Stage Miami on the evening of May 11 felt more like a family gathering than a night out at a hot club in Miami’s trendy Design District. The Stage, (www.thestagemiami.com) a locally owned nightclub that fuses art, film and music by some of South Florida’s best talent, was the ideal venue […]
Charge your cellphone — for a fee
GoCharge is spreading its network of cellphone charging stations across South Florida, targeting the area for the next phase of its expansion. Ever run out of battery life on your cellphone just when you need it most? GoCharge wants to be your go-to place to get your smartphone charged — for a fee. The network […]
South Florida is marked down for companies looking for a new home
A corporate relocation study gives South Florida high marks in terms of affordability. Low taxes and depressed real estate prices help. The recession hammered South Florida’s housing and labor markets more than most, leaving at least one bright side amid the damage. Companies now find the region a cheaper place to do business. Thanks largely […]
New Citizens insurance customers could face 56 percent rate increase
Broward County homeowners who sign up for windstorm insurance from Citizens Property Insurance Corp. next year could pay up to 56 percent more than a neighbor with an existing policy, if a cap is removed on rate increases for new customers. Some new wind-only condominium customers would pay more than twice what existing policyholders pay […]