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Central Florida Business Briefs - Sept. 2007
Melbourne —
» Harris Corp. (NYSE-HRS) has been awarded a two-year, $9.3-million Navy contract to develop digital map computers for the cockpits of military jets and helicopters, bringing the company’s total contracts for the program to more than $95 million since 1997. The company has also been awarded an “indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity” contract worth up to $2.7 billion to supply the military with multiband Falcon III handheld tactical radio systems. Additional options could boost the contract to almost $7 billion. Harris also has purchased Multimax Inc. for $400 million and will combine it with Harris’ technical services business to form Harris Information Technology Services, which will provide IT services for the U.S. government.
» AuthenTec, a spinoff of Harris that manufactures fingerprint identification security devices, has begun trading on the Nasdaq stock market under the symbol AUTH. The company also is expanding its workforce of 100 by about 24 jobs.
» Coastal Mechanical Services, the state’s largest mechanical contractor, is expanding its headquarters and creating 40 jobs.
ORLANDO —
» Paul Mears Sr., who founded Mears Transportation Group in 1939 with three taxicabs, died June 22. He was 91. The Orlando-based company now operates about 900 vehicles and employs more than 2,000 people.
» Unicorp National Developments of Orlando is tearing down the old Mercado retail complex on International Drive to make way for The Square, an upscale complex of shops and restaurants.
» Lake Nona Property Holdings has signed a three-year agreement of financial support for Audubon of Florida in exchange for advice on enhancing the southeast Orlando community’s environmental surroundings.
» Sunair Services Corp. (Amex-SNR), parent company of Middleton Lawn & Pest Control, has acquired Summer Rain Fertilization Co., which will expand Middleton’s services into Broward and Palm Beach counties.
» The University of Central Florida has instituted a hiring freeze, and President John Hitt is asking departments to reduce their budgets by at least 4% because of projected reductions in state funding.
» AOI Medical bypassed the New York markets and launched an IPO on London’s AIM in June. The University of Central Florida Technology Incubator client has developed a device that aids osteoporosis patients by repairing a collapsed vertebra with a concrete-filled balloon and is led by President and CEO Bill Christy, who has founded several medical device companies.
» The Navy is selling a 177-acre parcel next to Orlando International Airport in an online auction. The Orlando Tradeport property was part of the former Naval Training Center and until January was the site of the Boggy Creek Golf Course.
Osceola County —
» McLane Suneast, a division of Texas-based grocery distributor McLane Co., has launched a $12-million expansion of its distribution center in Poinciana Office & Industrial Park that will add 30 jobs to its workforce of 1,035. Also in the Poinciana industrial park, New Jersey-based United States Cold Storage is developing a refrigerated warehouse and distribution center, and Nova Comm from Puerto Rico is building a manufacturing and distribution center for automated security vestibules.
Links: Orlando Trade Port Auction website
For more articles this month with extra links, go to the Links page.
