Florida Trend Staff | 1/1/1999

Cape Canaveral -- The Boeing Co. intends to boost its development of a commercial launch facility at Cape Canaveral Air Station, generating 250 new jobs. Some 20 local, state and federal agencies coordinated incentives worth nearly $1 million.

Melbourne -- UST Inc. revealed plans for a call center that will employ up to 120 people by mid-year. UST expects to open this month with 60 to 80 workers. The company handles business-to-business telemarketing for the technology industry.

Orlando -- Autonomous Technologies got FDA approval for its next-generation vision correction lasers and has secured the right to market the laser in Canada. Autonomous, which employs about 70 in Orlando, also signed a $90 million deal to merge with Summit Technology of Waltham, Mass.

Florida's first Ferrari dealership outside south Florida opened in the Orlando suburb of Eatonville. Although only a handful of new Ferraris are registered in central Florida each year, investors hope the new showroom will attract buyers from Fort Myers to Georgia with a spare $130,000. The dealership expects to sell 50 new and 75 used Ferraris annually.

John Glenn is down for the count. Not THAT John Glenn. John Glenn Jewelers, a 53-year-old fixture downtown, has closed, victimized by shoppers' preference for chain stores.

Ormond Beach -- Sunglasses maker Capo Inc. purchased 3.9 acres in the Ormond Beach Airport Industrial Park for an 85,000-sq.-ft. expansion. Capo is one of Volusia's largest employers, with 190 workers.

Tags: Central