Take a Foreclosure Tour in South Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE -While on vacation in Florida, why not consider buying a discounted house while visiting? An easy way to do it is a foreclosure bus tour.

Craig Peleg, co-founder of Foreclosure Bus Rides LLC, is a bank-owned foreclosure listing agent with City Realty Partners Inc.. His company just introduced a new website, www.foreclosurebusrides.com, where buyers can research foreclosure listings.

The bus tour presents 8-10 foreclosed lender owned properties on a 3-hour tour that focuses on properties located in a specific geographical area and price point in South Florida subdivisions throughout the tri-county area. Weekly scheduled tours can be booked at no charge on the website on a comfortable, 30 passenger air conditioned tour bus where buyers can preview prime foreclosed properties located in Broward, Palm Beach & Miami-Dade Counties. Buyers will experience a unique “rolling classroom experience” learning how to purchase a bank owned foreclosure property.

Upcoming foreclosure tours include open house tours of bank owned foreclosure auction open houses in the Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, and West Palm Beach areas. Future tours are being planned in Orlando, Fort Myers, Naples, & Tampa/St. Petersburg. Multilingual tours are offered in Spanish, German & Hebrew. Call 954-341-9889 or visit www.foreclosurebusrides.com.

Air Tran Flies Allentown to Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale

ORLANDO - AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AAI) announced plans to begin service in Allentown/Bethlehem, Pa., effective June 25, 2009. The low-cost carrier will offer nonstop flights between Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown/Bethlehem, Pa., and both Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Fla., and Ft. Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

“AirTran Airways is excited to announce new service from Allentown/Bethlehem, our 62nd destination, to our hometown, Orlando, and to Ft. Lauderdale,” said Kevin Healy, senior vice president of marketing and planning for AirTran Airways.

“AirTran Airways’ new service announced today to the Lehigh Valley International Airport will be a great option for both business and leisure travelers,” said Glenn R. Walbert, chairman of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority Board of Governors.

Tampa Bay Business News

TAMPA – News briefs concerning economic and business growth in the Tampa Bay Region courtesy of the Tampa Bay Partnership and via PR Newswire:

Humana Cares Opens New National Service Center in Tampa Bay

Humana has expanded its local presence by opening a new 37,000-square-foot national service center for its Humana Cares division in the Carillon area of St. Petersburg. The center currently employs more than 275 associates, adding about 100 associates locally since last fall, and has plans to expand its on-site staff to more than 325 by the end of 2009. Positions to be hired include registered nurses, dieticians, and other health care experts. The need for health care workers and the overall medical industry has remained resilient and is cited as one of the Best 150 Recession Proof Jobs/Industries. Humana, the parent company of Humana Cares, represents Florida’s largest Medicare health-benefits company with more than 400,000 members statewide.

PaperFree Tampa Bay Launches Electronic Prescription Effort

A new public/private partnership called PaperFree Tampa Bay launched a plan to jump-start America’s electronic health revolution to make health records completely paper-free. PaperFree Tampa Bay, an initiative led by the University of South Florida and Allscripts, will deploy more than 100 “electronic healthcare ambassadors” with a goal to convert 100 percent of physicians in the Tampa Bay region from paper prescriptions, known to be the cause of costly medical errors, to electronic prescribing. The effort is a first step toward the implementation of Connected Electronic Health Records (HER) to improve patient safely and reduce costs, and intends to leverage funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Transamerica, InterSecurities New Headquarters in Tampa Bay

As part of the Aegon group of companies, Transamerica Financial Advisors and InterSecurities, both full-service broker/dealer firms, have announced plans to merge and create a new company to be headquartered in St. Petersburg. Currently InterSecurities is headquartered in the Carillon business park in St. Petersburg’s Gateway business district. The resulting merger will retain the Transamerica Financial Advisors entity and represents 1,800 registered representatives and $15 billion in client account values.

WellDyneRx Gets Tampa Bay Operations Rolling

Colorado-based pharmaceutical benefits management company, WellDyne, Inc. recently moved into a 66,000-square-foot facility in Lakeland and has plans to hire 100 employees during the course of the year. The new facility will use an advanced robotic dispensing and distribution system capable of filling more than 30 million prescriptions annually. WellDyne has plans to add 578 jobs to its Lakeland operations by the end of 2010.

Canadian GPS Company Moves Headquarters to Tampa Bay

GPS Industries, a 14-year-old Canadian company, has moved the company’s headquarters from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada to Sarasota. The firm engineers and markets global positioning system and Wi-Fi networks and products to golf courses and residential community developments. GPS Industries employs 21 in Sarasota and plans to grow to at least 45 employees in the next few years.

Progress Energy Florida, USF Work on Smart Grid

Progress Energy Florida and the University of South Florida’s Power Center for Utility Explorations have been selected by Florida’s Energy and Climate Commission to create the power grid of the future, known as the “Smart Grid.” The Smart Grid has the capability of helping customers manage their bills and will allow the utility’s grid to operate more efficiently, maintain high-quality energy delivery and seamlessly integrate distributed energy resources, including renewable energy generation and energy storage. Once developed, the Smart Grid will be the first in Florida and one of the largest in the nation delivering power to homes and businesses. Other project partners include, the Governor’s Energy Office, Publix Super Markets Inc. and HD Supply.

Florida Ranked Fourth-Largest ‘Cyberstate’ for Technology Employment

Florida remains the fourth largest in technology employment according to the Cyberstates 2009 report by the group TechAmerica. Florida employs 280,300 workers in the tech industry, representing a payroll of $19 billion in 2007, the most current year for which state data is available. The state’s computer systems design and related services sector picked up 4,100 net jobs. Florida was also ranked first in computer training employment with 1,600 jobs, third in communications services employment with 84,900 jobs and third in engineering services employment with 59,200 jobs.

St. Pete Times Forum Ranked No. 1 Venue in World

The St. Pete Times Forum ranked as the No. 1 venue in the world for gross ticket sales in the first part of 2009, according to industry magazine Venues Today. From mid January to mid February, the venue’s total gross ticket sales were over $6 million, which topped the No. 2 venue, Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, by almost $700,000. For the second year in a row, Venues Today named the Times Forum the top-grossing arena in Florida. In 2008, the Forum grossed nearly $32 million for 80 shows and more than 460,000 people.

Avissar New Miami Marine Dean

CORAL GABLES – Dr. Roni Avissar, a Duke University climatologist who has studied the way Amazon deforestation affects precipitation patterns around the world and was one of the first to employ a specially equipped helicopter to collect environmental data, has been named the new Dean of the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. He will begin his post on June 1.

“Dr. Roni Avissar is a distinguished scientist and prominent scholar who will bring strong leadership to the rich academic resources of the Rosenstiel School,” said University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala.

Born and raised in France, Avissar is a professor at Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering. He joined the Durham, North Carolina-based University in 2001, serving for five years as the W.H. Gardner Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

HSBC Brands Miami Airport

METTAWA, Ill. – The HSBC banking brand now features prominently across the interior and exterior of 102 jet bridges at Miami International Airport, one of the 30 busiest airports in the world, with over 34 million travelers passing through it each year.

The interior of the jet bridges displays HSBC’s ‘Points of Value’ campaign – a global advertising campaign.

Kevin Martin, EVP of Personal Financial Services, HSBC Bank USA, N.A., said, “Miami International Airport is a crossroads for literally millions of people each year, particularly those travelling to and from Central and South America. HSBC’s strong presence in these markets and growing network in Florida makes Miami a natural place to continue building awareness of our brand.”

Hurricane Grill Expands, Seeks Franchisees

WEST PALM BEACH - After acquiring the Hurricane Grill & Wings franchisor on December 17 2008, Hurricane AMT, LLC is moving forward with aggressive expansion plans for the Florida-based, tropically themed restaurants.

Investor partners Gail Meyer Asarch, John C. Metz (Chairman and CEO), and Dean Tendrich (Chief Marketing Officer), and company president Ken Adams have 10 new locations are currently under development and hope to expand in Florida, New York and Ohio.

“Even in a slumping economy, families need to get away from life’s hustle and bustle,” said Tendrich in a press release. “We offer great food at a great price in a fun, laid-back atmosphere – you feel like you’ve walked into your own mini-Caribbean vacation!”

The original Hurricane Grill & Wings opened in Ft. Pierce, Fla., in 1995. The current Florida locations include 18 in Palm Beach, Martin & St. Lucie counties up through Vero Beach; four in Orlando; three in the Naples/Fort Myers area; four in Miami-Dade/Broward counties; and four in Jacksonville. Locations are inline strip or shopping centers.

For franchise information, contact Tendrich at 561-254-5686, dean.tendrich@hurricanewings.com or visit www.hurricanewings.com.

Hurricane AMT LLC Principals

• Gail Meyer Asarch, Partner and Co-owner of the multi-brand franchise company RREMC Restaurants LLC. Gail Meyer Asarch serves in numerous partner, managing member and investor capacities with the Meyer Family business and philanthropic interests in South Florida. She is sole owner of Meyer-Asarch Realty Corporation, a Florida real estate brokerage. Previously, she worked as a real estate broker, financial officer on Wall Street, magazine publisher, and Director of Marketing for the Boca Raton Museum of Art. She is active in community service with many South Florida educational, cultural and civic institutions.
• John C. Metz, Investor Partner and Chairman/CEO. John Metz is founder of the multi-brand franchise company RREMC Restaurants, LLC, which includes restaurant, hotel and real estate groups. The restaurant group consists of 30 Denny’s restaurants with more than 1,500 employees; a Dairy Queen; Capone’s, a new concept to open in Miami this spring; and Hurricane Grill & Wings. The hotel group includes a Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites and the real estate group includes 35 retail properties comprised on 20 Denny’s locations, eight Value Pawn locations and seven former WAG’s restaurants locations.
• Ken H. Adams, President. Ken Adams is a former multi-unit Burger King and Bojangles franchisee. He is a restructuring and turn-around consultant to restaurant companies including Friday’s franchisees, Damon’s Restaurant Corporation and Roadhouse Grill. He is a former practicing CPA with PricewaterhouseCoopers and consultant with KPMG. He is also an adjunct professor of accounting and economics at North Georgia College & State University.
• Dean Tendrich, Investor Partner and Chief Marketing Officer. Dean Tendrich worked for 21 years as a broadcast meteorologist before retiring from a 12-year career at the NBC television affiliate in West Palm Beach, Fla. He founded Tendrich Media, which produces content in addition to performing traditional agency services. He is Spokesperson and Marketing Officer for Devonshire at Wellington Green, a 460-unit senior living campus in Wellington, Fla. He is also a principal at the Tendrich Companies, which has varied interests in investments ranging from senior living communities to consumer products.

AirTran Airways Adds Orlando to Asheville, Atlantic City

ORLANDO – AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AAI) , announced today that it will expand its service to Orlando International Airport with new nonstop flights from Atlantic City International Airport in Atlantic City, N.J., Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville, N.C., and McGhee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tenn.

New nonstop flights to Asheville, N.C., will begin June 11, 2009, and new nonstop flights to Knoxville, Tenn., and Atlantic City, N.J., will begin June 12, 2009.

Seascape Resort Renovates Meeting Space

DESTIN – Seascape Golf & Beach Resort is proud to debut a newly renovated Conference Center, featuring over 4,000 square feet of meeting space. Seascape is quickly becoming the Florida resort destination for meetings, groups and events held along the Gulf Coast. The new Destin meeting resort boasts a professional and flexible staff of conference service managers that can assist you with meeting planning, corporate retreats and special events.

Seascape Resort delivers flawless service and affordable meeting packages with impressive corporate retreat facilities, catering to both large and small groups. The resort amenities and services will help make your business gathering productive as well as fun. Enjoy access to beautiful white-sand beaches and a lush golf course. Golf group tournament services and golf group outings are specialties – making Seascape a fantastic choice for blending business with pleasure.

An array of Destin condos and the Emerald Bay Guesthouse offer a relaxed atmosphere that will make your stay feel like home. Large gathering space is available in our grassy dune with lots of room for families to recreate and socialize. For breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico and scenic sunsets, bring your party to the beach for dinner and cocktails at Whale’s Tale Beach Bar & Restaurant.

A helpful staff of group directors is available to assist with planning activities of any size, including a forever-memorable Destin beach wedding. Seascape provides an all-inclusive choice with plenty of room for all your guests to share and group coordinators will assist you in creating a wedding of dreams; even with the bachelor/bachelorette party and farewell brunch.

Seascape Golf & Beach Resort offers luxury vacation rental options at an affordable price for groups big and small. The resort encompasses over 300 flourishing acres with spacious villas and condos throughout, including the brand-new Ariel Dunes I and Ariel Dunes II condominiums along with the Majestic Sun – an architectural icon rising high above Destin’s emerald-green waters.

With a new Destin Groups website launched in 2008 that caters to vacation groups; with over $300 a day in resort discounts for your party to enjoy, including golf and beach activities; and with the newly remodeled Conference Center; Seascape invites you to join them in Destin, Florida for your next group event.

See www.seascape-resort.com

Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Holds Gala

PEMBROKE PINES – It was a spectacular evening at the beautiful Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach – the setting for cruise executives from the ten Member Lines of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, who hosted tables for the 15th Annual FCCA Gala Dinner and Entertainment Extravaganza.

The event took place on Thursday, March 19, 2009, beginning with a jovial cocktail reception and silent auction featuring beautiful artwork donated by West End Gallery, Inc., including a personal portrait of the winning bidder by Peter Max. Attendees were welcomed by a Mariachi Band and were treated to a tantalizing array of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres.

Sponsored by the Port of Miami, this premier social event hosted more than 60 of the cruise industry’s top executives as table hosts for the evening. The Gala afforded the opportunity for developing strong cooperative relationships between the cruise industry and our destination partners.

FCCA President, Michele M. Paige stated, “In this time of opportunity, we need to keep our partners close, which is what the Gala enabled us to do.”

Senator Allen Chastanet, Minister of Tourism & Civil Aviation, St. Lucia commented, “The Gala was incredibly indicative of the strength of the industry; to get the quality of people to come out to a new venue shows that the industry is not backing down due to the environment.”

“Fabulous event at a great venue. The service and the food were excellent, and the company was outstanding,” boasted Stephen Nielsen, Vice President, Caribbean & Atlantic Shore Operations, Princess Cruises.

Geoffrey Roach CEO of Bridgetown Cruise Terminals, Inc., Barbados, shared his experience of his first Gala, “It was a very interesting experience to meet a great diverse group of people in the cruise industry. Our tablemates included people as far away as Russia, Turkey and Italy as well as various destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America.”

100% of the proceeds from the Gala will benefit the FCCA Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization created in 1993 to fund humanitarian causes in the Caribbean and Latin America. Numerous worthy projects receive funding each year through the FCCA Foundation, most recently the FCCA Holiday Gift Project brought smiles to the faces of over 7,000 under-privileged children throughout the Caribbean and Latin American Region.

FCCA is a trade association composed of 10 Member Lines: Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruise Line, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises (USA) Inc., Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. It was created in 1972 by the Member Lines operating more than 100 vessels in Florida, Caribbean and Latin American waters, in order to discuss and exchange views on issues relating to: legislation, tourism development, ports, safety, security and other cruise industry issues.

Fort Lauderdale Hilton Marina Renovation

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.- The former Fort Lauderdale Grande located on Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal Waterway, is now the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, part of Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

The hotel is just off a $70 million renovation, including redesigned guestrooms, a new lobby and refurbished common areas that highlight South Florida’s colorful locale and culture. In addition to Fort Lauderdale’s first China Grill restaurant, the hotel is home to a 33-slip inlet marina.

“We’re delighted to welcome the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina to our spectacular Florida portfolio,” said Jeff Diskin, senior vice president – brand management, Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

The hotel was redesigned by Barry Design Associates. The hotel has 589 rooms. The General Manager is Carlos Molinet.

The hotel’s signature restaurant is Jeffrey Chodorow’s China Grill. Other dining options include The G, a lunch spot overlooking the hotel’s marina and Antea, located in the hotel’s waterfront lobby.

The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina is located at 1881 S.E. 17th Street Causeway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 – Telephone: (954) 463-4000, Reservations: (888) 554-2132

Visit www.hilton.com.

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