Volvo Acquires Distributor L.B. Smith

Volvo Construction Equipment [Volvo CE] recently announced the purchase of the assets of L.B. Smith, its largest dealer in the United States and distributor for a majority of the East Coast. Volvo CE takes over the assets, primarily inventory, and certain liabilities at fair wholesale market value. No good will or real estate is included in the deal.

Volvo CE intends to continue the operation from its existing 31 locations in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North and South Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, eastern Pennsylvania and New York. The new company will be doing business as L.B. Smith.

According to Volvo CE, this action was taken "in order to ensure that the Volvo customers in these territories continue to receive highest possible standards of product support and service."

"More than four years of recession in the overall US market for construction equipment is impacting both manufacturers and dealers. We feel it's important to show our customers and the employees of L.B. Smith our strong commitment to the U.S. market," said Scott Hall, executive vice president for Volvo CE.

Volvo's strategy to work mainly with independent dealers remains and the ambition is to spin off the acquired distribution business over time, most likely in a number of smaller pieces compared with today.

"We have already been approached by people who have a sincere interest to invest in the Volvo brand and the distribution of our products," said Hall.

Central Florida AGC Presents Safety Awards

Associated General Contractors of Central Florida recently presented its "Fourth Annual Construction Safety Excellence Awards to the following member firms: American Bridge Co., Orlando; Brice Building Co.; Harper Mechanical Corp., Sanford; JCB Construction, Orlando; and Wharton-Smith, Lake Monroe.

The AGC of Central Florida's awards program looks at each candidate's commitment to safety and health, looking for direct evidence of corporate commitment, worker training, active participation, lost workday cases and safety innovation. A winning company's lost workday rate must be at least 25 percent lower than the industry average.

Oliver North to Deliver INCON Keynote Address

Oliver North will deliver the keynote address at this year's Innovations in Concrete Show & Conference (INCON), announced The Florida Concrete & Products Association. FC&PA is the coordinator and major sponsor of the event, scheduled for Sept. 25-27 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee.

INCON is designed for individuals and organizations interested in the development and deployment of concrete and concrete-related products. The event combines educational opportunities with trade show activities such as new products/technologies demonstrations, exhibits, and a variety of expert speakers. Last year, INCON attracted more than 1,700 attendees and 100 exhibitors.

Jorge Garcia Named Small Business Leader of the Year

The Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce recently named Jorge H. Garcia, founder and CEO of South Florida-based Garcia Brenner Stromberg Architecture, as its "Small Business Leader of the Year."

"There are lots of successful small business people in our community," said M.J. "Mike" Arts, president of the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce. "But only a few of them have such a complete vision of what it means to be a vital member of the local community, who are so dedicated to making South Florida a better place to live and to work. Jorge is one of those few."

The award comes on the heels of the South Florida Business Journal selecting Garcia Brenner Stromberg as the "Business of the Year for 2002" in the category of "Real Estate, Construction, Design, Under $10 Million."

Halliwell Engineering Opens Miami Office

Halliwell Engineering Associates, a provider of indoor air-quality consulting and building systems investigations, recently announced the opening of an office in Miami. Based in Providence, R.I., the company is a consultant on mold, moisture intrusion and HVAC systems analysis.

Huizenga School Honors Miller Construction Exec

The H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship of Nova Southeastern University in Davie has honored Thomas J. Miller, chief executive officer of Miller Construction Co., Fort Lauderdale, by inducting him into its Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

The award was established to honor the lifetime achievements of entrepreneurs who have contributed to the growth of business and who have demonstrated willingness to contribute time, effort and financial resources to programs to enhance the quality of life for others.

In addition to Miller's entrepreneurship, the honor recognizes his role in spurring South Florida's economic development as former chairman of organizations such as the Broward Alliance, the Construction Association of South Florida, and the Broward Workshop.

Miller joined fellow 2003 honorees John E. Abdo, vice chairman of the board of directors and chairman of the executive committee of BankAtlantic Bancorp, and Frederick A. DeLuca, president and co-founder of Subway Restaurants.

Kaufman Lynn Named Business of the Year

Kaufman Lynn General Contractors, with offices in Boca Raton and Orlando, announced it has been selected as "South Florida's Business of the Year" in the Real Estate, Construction and Design (over $10 million) category. The award was part of the South Florida Business Journal's 2003 Business of the Year Awards.

The program honored companies based on company growth and financial performance, employee improvement and benefits programs and for their commitment to their local community.

AA Advance Air Awarded Contract for FedEx Project

Pompano Beach-based AA Advance Air has been awarded a $600,000 mechanical contract on the new $20 million, 137,000-sq.-ft. FedEx facility at Miami International Airport. Stiles Construction Co., Fort Lauderdale, serves as the project's general contractor.

MSI Wins ABC Safety Award

Orlando-based Mechanical Services Inc. received the Associated Builders and Contractors of Central Florida's 2002 Charles J. Eidel Excellence in Safety Award, Diamond Level.

McCree Wins Safety Award

McCree, Orlando, announced it received the Associated Builders and Contractors of Central Florida's Charles J. Eidel Safety Award for its 2002 safety program.

Throughout the year, McCree had no work-related fatalities and minimal lost workdays, medical cases, and federal and state inspections and citations. Overall, McCree received exemplary ratings in all categories.

Awards are based on data submitted via applications and interviews with companies' safety directors and owners.

WilsonMiller Opens New Office in Charlotte County

WilsonMiller has opened a new office in Port Charlotte. The new office will be managed by Richard Woodruff, a senior vice president of WilsonMiller who will continue to manage the firm's Fort Myers office.