New York firm buys Cameron Lakes
By CHRISTINA COSDON
Published June 19, 2005
CLEARWATER - Cameron Lakes, a 207-unit apartment complex in Clearwater, has been sold for $13.4-million. The new owners plan to invest $2-million to make improvements to the 18-year-old property that will include interior renovations and enhanced landscaping.
The property was purchased by Sterling American Property, a New York City-based real estate investment affiliate of Sterling Equities, which owns the New York Mets baseball team, and American Securities.
Jeff Smith, vice president of acquisitions, led the transaction for Sterling American and its operating partner, BH Management. The property at 250 Stag Run Blvd. is Sterling American's second multifamily acquisition in the Tampa Bay area.
"Clearwater is a premier location for area employers," Smith said, " with a strong office market and an expanding service economy."
The seller was an affiliate of NCH Corp. based in Tucson, Ariz.
Chamber of Commerce honors Judie Glenn Inc.Judie Glenn Inc., a promotional products distributor, has been named Small Business of the Year by the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The 16-year-old business established by Judie Glenn is based in Palm Harbor. It features an online catalog at www.judieglenninc.com of more than 80,000 promotional products in clothing, calendars, advertising specialties and corporate gifts.
JGI's four employees include two sales reps, customer support and company store personnel. Glenn said she doesn't plan to hire additional employees.
Jerry Custin, the chamber's business assistance specialist, said JGI would be the chamber's candidate for the North Pinellas Small Business of the Year at the annual fall banquet sponsored by Pinellas Economic Development. The banquet brings together six area chambers of commerce: Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs and the Upper Tampa Bay chamber, which has an office in Oldsmar.
Haruspex relocates from Palm Harbor to ClearwaterDonald F. Ewing Jr. has moved his business software company, Haruspex, from Palm Harbor to 25400 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater. The company sells software that businesses use to run their companies - the SouthWare Excellence Series and Microsoft Business Solutions - and provides consulting, training and technical support services.
Ewing formed the company 14 years ago in St. Petersburg after selling a large computer business and taking a yearlong sabbatical on a 45-foot sailboat. He has a degree in systems science and has worked in the computer industry for more than 25 years.
Haruspex currently has six employees. "The company is growing, but my goal is to stay under 10 employees," Ewing said. "It's just the size company that I want to have."
Clearwater law firm receives leadership awardThe law firm of Milcowitz & Lyons at 29605 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater, received the Fred G. Minnis Sr. Bar Association's "Community Leadership Award" for its after school program, the Extra Innings Youth Foundation, that provides daily after school academic assistance and baseball instruction to at-risk youth.
Since it was organized in July 2000 by Len Milcowitz and Ed Lyons, the program has grown from serving 15 students at King's Highway Elementary School to its current base at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, where it served 45 students this year from Skycrest Elementary and Clearwater Intermediate Middle schools. Children ages 9 to 13 are selected by their schools to participate in the program.
Milcowitz & Lyons, a firm of seven lawyers and 30 employees, represents clients in cases involving medical malpractice and nursing home abuse and neglect.
The Fred G. Minnis Sr. Bar Association, named for the first full-time African-American lawyer in Pinellas County, was organized to attract minority lawyers to Pinellas and provide support for those working here.
News of businesses and business people can be faxed to the Business Digest at 445-4119, e-mailed to cosdon@sptimes.com or mailed to Business Digest, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. We are interested in new and unusual businesses, promotions, expansions and major new contracts. Photos can be sent, but not all will be used and they cannot be returned.