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March 11, 2010

BOCA RATON: 100 People You Should Know

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Suits Worth Their (Pin)Stripes

1.Mike Arts executive director, Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, 14 years. More than a hail-fellow-well-met glad-hander, Arts is an aggressive pro-business force, as political as he is focused on growing the economic base. Coups: a smooth transition through the IBM downsizing, snagging W.R. Grace, then Tyco International, and recently helping the Blue Lake deal through. Don't let that Iowa farm-boy schtick fool you; Arts wants the deal.

2.Tom Crocker founder and chief executive officer, Crocker Realty Trust Inc. The Golden Boy of Mizner Park as the money guy in the controversial private/public partnership (people said he wanted to prove he could do things on his own; his father was a successful developer). Crocker has since divested himself of much of his commercial property (Boca Center used to be Crocker Center) and is less visible. But we are waiting for the sequel.

3.James Batmasian possibly Boca's largest property owner, including the Royal Palm or "Pink" Plaza. Has had his run-ins with Boca's Old Guard but is a respected and supercharged player these days. He's now renovating the Pink Plaza, which will be a major downtown development.

4.Dennis Max president, Unique Restaurant Concepts. South Florida restaurant czar who introduced upscale, California cuisine here (forcing everyone else to follow his lead. With partner Burt Rapoport, he began Carlos and Pepe's in Fort Lauderdale and Raffles Restaurants, then, with wife Patti, the landmark Café Maxx in 1984 in Pompano Beach. The empire today numbers more than a dozen restaurants including Max's Grille, Maxaluna (now Nick & Max's), Café Ole and Prezzo.

5.Dennis Kozlowskichairman and CEO, Tyco International Ltd. A new kid on the block (Tyco took the Grace space) but longtime star in the global conglomerate club, with Forbes dubbing Kozlowski "Deal-a-Month Dennis." Under his watch, Tyco's market cap has increased from $1.5 billion to $50 billion. Boca Raton likes Kozlowski even more after Tyco pledged $3 million to the Boca Raton Community Hospital earlier this year.

6.Michael Glenniesenior vice president, Florida Panther Holdings Inc. For 11 years, the main man at the Boca Raton Resort & Club (and now, at all of Wayne Huiznenga's hotel properties) and visionary behind the ongoing overhaul of the property to keep up with changing market demands. (He added the Premier Club and the Mizner Center, for starters.) Old-school, great accent, and "Mr. Glennie" to you.

7.George Elmore owner and president, Hardrives Inc. Around for 50 years, he also developed Le Lac. He's done very well for himself and for others; on more boards than Ginger Rogers, including the International Museum of Cartoon Art, serving as treasurer; the United Way; Kravis Center; Boy Scouts; Crisis Line; and a founding member of Palm Beach County Economic Council, serving as its chairman in 2000.

8.Pat Moran president and CEO of JM Family Enterprises, last year named by Working Woman magazine as the largest woman-owned business in the United States. At the helm since 1989, she's seen JM Family revenues grow from $2.4 billion to $6.2 billion last year. This and three children and four grandchildren. Can she do it all? It looks that way. So much for debunking the Superwoman myth.

9.Ned Siegel the driving force behind Blue Lake Corporate Center and one of the Blue Lake Gang of Five (with Guzzetta, Stoltz, DeGeorge and Masanoff). Has a longtime history as a major developer, as well as being a big Republican and heavy hitter in the Jewish community. Active on National Jewish Coalition Executive Committee and boards at The American Jewish Committee South Central Florida Area Chapter, Pine Crest and Saint Andrews schools.

10.Carl DeSantis founder and chairman, Rexall Sundown. Took a small, family-run, mail-order vitamin business and created the Rexall Sundown giant. He's also diversifying as in buying up significant properties in Delray Beach, starting his own line of neckwear, etc. Boca's business community MVP this year, he donated $3.5 million to Florida Atlantic University and $500,000 to Boca Hospital. Also instrumental in creating Rexall Sundown Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Center at Jackson Memorial in Miami.

11 and 12.Steve Leveen and Lori Grangerowners, Levenger. Not on the front lines of Boca business/community yet, but residents whose success story bears watching: Corporate drop-outs start with a good reading light and parlay it into $42 million in about seven years (making Inc.magazine's list of 500 fastest growing American companies in 1994. Five years later, still growing strong. The force is with them.

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