Business Briefs

Published: May 11, 2007

TAMPA BAY AREA

Clinic's Contract Ends

More than 700 patients of Diagnostic Clinic,a physician practice in Pinellas County, must switch doctors because the practice no longer has a contract with health insurer Universal Health Care. Talks to extend a contract were halted, Diagnostic Clinic President H. Charles Campbell said. A Universal representative could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Port Leases Sought

Andino Cements USA, a U.S. division of a Dominican Republic company, is seeking to lease 28 acres at the Port of Tampa to build a cement terminal.

Also, LandDesign, which wants to sublease 8,778 square feet of space for its Tampa administrative offices at Channelside Bay Plaza, is seeking an exception from the Tampa Port Authority to permit nonretail property use.

Port commissioners will consider both requests at their monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at 1101 Channelside Drive.

Francois Joins RHIO

Rony Francois, former secretary of the Florida Department of Health, has been named to lead the medical work group for the Tampa Bay Regional Health Information Organization. RHIO is using state grants and private donations to build a health information network in the Bay area as part of a statewide effort. Francois teaches internal medicine and public health at the University of South Florida.

Odyssey Posts Loss

Tampa-based Odyssey Marine Exploration, which hunts for underwater shipwrecks and treasure,reported on Thursday a first quarter loss of $3.8 million, or 9 cents a share, on $2.2 million in revenue.

CVB Plans Blitz

The Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau is planning a media marketing blitz with TV, newspaper, interactive and magazine advertising in the Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers areas from mid-May through mid-August to help fill Hillsborough County hotel rooms in the summer season, CVB Executive Vice President Steve Hayes said.

WORLD

Daewoo Plans Theme Park

Daewoo Motor Sales Corp., a South Korean auto sales company, plans to build a theme park based on licenses from Viacom's Paramount Pictures studio.

The plans announced Wednesday call for Daewoo to raise funding for and develop the park in Inchon, about a one-hour drive from the capital of Seoul.

A staff and wire report

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