Photo: Renco USA
Photo: Celebrity Cruises
Photo: CDS International Holdings
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Southeast Florida Roundup
Building Blocks
INNOVATION
Palm Springs in central Palm Beach County became the debut site for Renco USA’s first housing complex — four buildings totaling 96 units — made with molded, interlocking blocks the company calls “Lego-like.” Miami-based Renco says its building method is cheaper, faster and 23 times stronger than concrete. Renco stands for renewable composite and its components are made from recycled glass fibers, plastic, resin and stone. “We now have the chance of a lifetime to revolutionize the future of construction,” says company co-founder Tom Murphy Jr., CEO of Coastal Construction.
Industry group BioFlorida appointed Mark Glickman, former co-CEO of Boca Raton-based TherapeuticsMD, president and CEO following the retirement of Nancy Bryan.
ARTS
- The Performing Arts Center Authority appointed Ty Sutton, most recently CEO of Dayton Live in Dayton, Ohio, as president and CEO of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, succeeding Kelley Shanley.
ENTERTAINMENT
- The Seminole Tribe of Florida launched sports betting, including online, as well as roulette and craps at its Florida casinos after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the tribe from doing so. The tribe says it expects to pay Florida at least $650 million this year as part of the $2.5 billion it’s pledged to pay Florida in return for a monopoly over sports betting. Other litigation, however, seeking to curb the deal, lingers.
GOVERNMENT
- The federal government broke ground on a new, $245-million federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale. Completion is scheduled for 2026.
HEALTH CARE
- Boca Raton-based Vitacare Prescription Services, a GoodRx subsidiary, laid off 179 from its headquarters as part of a corporate restructuring.
LOGISTICS
- Boston-based private equity firm Rockpoint acquired an 87.8-acre site suitable for 1.5 million square feet of industrial rental space development within the 225-acre site of the former Pompano harness racing track being redeveloped by Caesar’s Entertainment and The Cordish Cos.
- Woodmont Industrial Partners and Butters Construction & Development completed the 252,848-sq.-ft. Corporate Logistics Center at the Palm Beach Park of Commerce in Jupiter.
REAL ESTATE
- Miami-based Related Group completed Solemar Residences, a 105-unit luxury condo project in Pompano Beach. It’s continuing work on its Casamar and Waldorf Astoria Residences, both in Pompano.
- Developer Catalfumo Cos. broke ground on the 106-unit Ritz-Carlton Residences, Palm Beach Gardens. Completion is scheduled for 2026 and 30% of units have been pre-sold. It has a 29-slip marina.
- Miami-based Fortune International Realty opened an office in Boca Raton.
- In its first Palm Beach County project, Miami-based Terra and Sympatico Real Estate, a company of Palm Beach’s Morrison family, plan a 25-story Mr. C Hotel & Residences on Lakeview Avenue along South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach with 110 rooms and 146 residences. Completion is scheduled for 2026.
TECHNOLOGY
- Plantation-based augmented reality company Magic Leap appointed as CEO Bain Capital’s Ross Rosenberg, a veteran of Rocket Software and cybersecurity company Belden. He replaces Peggy Johnson, who transitioned the company from a consumer-focused device maker under founder Rony Abovitz to an enterprise-oriented company.
RETAIL
- Delray Beach-based auto retailer Ed Morse Automotive Group reached 100 auto, motorcycle and RV franchises and 2,500 employees with its acquisition of a Chevrolet Buick GMC dealer in Missouri.
TRADE
- The Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach began construction on a $20-million infrastructure project that will redevelop its main gate to accommodate more trucks, improve the truck processing system to decrease wait times and more than double freight rail capacity.
IN MEMORIAM
“We’ve always been very profitable. Our profits come from our determination to use a pen until the ink runs out.”
— Carl Angus DeSantis of Delray Beach started a vitamin mail order business in his garage and built it into Rexall Sundown, one of the largest supplement companies in history.
DeSantis, who died at the age of 84 and is not related to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, began his entrepreneurial career selling newspapers, parakeets and suntan lotion to tourists and built it into an empire that included real estate and a South African game preserve. The success of his ventures landed him on Forbes’ billionaires list three times. DeSantis’ legacy is now carried on through philanthropy by his namesake foundation, which supports educational scholarships, life sciences research and various civic programs.
