North stretch of Fort Lauderdale beach getting facelift
Beachgoers stroll by Pops Corn, a popcorn and ice cream shop in the North Beach Village area at Sunrise Boulevard and A1A on Fort Lauderdale beach. The strip of shops, bars and restaurants is being revitalized by the merchant owners in the area. The north beach area of Fort Lauderdale is getting a much-needed facelift. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]