South Florida salvage firms respond to emergencies at sea
For an example of how to base a business on disaster, look no further than Resolve Marine Group’s Joshua James Response Center in Fort Lauderdale. The 33,000-square-foot warehouse, named for a historic life saver, bursts with fire pumps, hydraulic power units, roller bags, dive helmets, pullers, boats, anchors and countless other pieces of equipment that […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]