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Around the State
ATLANTIC BEACH - Devtronics, a supplier of railroad equipment and services, was bought by Missouri-based Harmon Industries. Operations will continue at Atlantic Beach with existing employees.
JACKSONVILLE - Interstate Management & Investment Corp., Charleston, S.C., opened its first Florida hotel, a 82-room Hampton Inn on Fernandina Beach, creating nearly 40 jobs.
GAINESVILLE - The University of Florida licensed artist Peter Max to paint a limited number of Florida Gator football helmets that will be sold as commemoratives of the 1997 championship football team. The helmets will sell for $4,500, with part of the proceeds to go to the university.
Twin medical towers and a conference center will be built adjacent to the University Centre Hotel, which serves Shands Hospitalat the University of Florida. The $30 million project will include two seven-story towers, each with 100,000 square feet for physicians' offices, laboratories, medical speciality centers and additional hotel suites.
JACKSONVILLE - AccuStaff Inc. (NYSE-ASI), a Jacksonville-based international business services provider, bought london-based IT link and agreed to buy Boston-based Office Specialists Inc. IT link projects 1998 revenues of $20 million; OSI, $200 million.
Unison Industries, a Jacksonville-based engine electrical systems manufacturer, signed a multimillion dollar contract with United Airlines. Unison, which employs 1,100 worldwide, plans to make igniter plugs for United through the year 2002.
St. Joe Corp. (NYSE-SJP), Florida's largest private landowner, called off its planned merger with real estate developer and railroad operator Florida East Coast Industries (NYSE-FlA). St. Joe will continue to own a controlling interest in FECI. In a separate matter, St. Joe agreed to sell 50,000 acres of farmland near Belle Glade, the Talisman Sugar Plantation, to the U.S. government for $133.5 million.
MAXVILLE - Fulghum Fibres, Augusta, Ga., opened a wood chip plant that employs 26 and supplies wood to Jefferson Smurfit Corp.'s Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach paper mills.
OCALA - DelWebb Corp. (NYSE-WBB), a builder of active adult communities, is entering the Florida market with the purchase of Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club. The Phoenix-based developer agreed to buy the 2,800-home community and the water company serving it.
ST. AUGUSTINE - The 83-room upscale Hilton Garden Inn is slated to open fall 1998 on St. Augustine Beach. It will employ about 20.
