The South Florida 500: the region's top public and private companies, and the largest employers

South Florida CEO, July, 2003 by Rochelle Broder-Singer

Seawood Builders

* Husband and wife team Betty and Edward Masi have grown general contractor Seawood--which specializes in buildouts of large commercial interiors--into an $82 million business. When the Doral Resort & Spa (above) wanted to renovate all of its guest rooms quickly, it turned to Seawood. The company completed the job in just nine months. Seawood's hospitality projects have also included both the original construction, and recent expansion, of the spa at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Other projects include the Atlantis on the Beach condo-hotel in Pompano Beach, and Ocean Plaza in Deerfield Beach.

Cornerstone Group

* Cornerstone develops in nearly every segment of the multi-family market, from market-rate garden-style apartments to super-luxury high rise condominiums. Perhaps that's why chairman and co-founder Stuart I. Meyers was recently named the National Association of Home Builders 2003 Builder of the Year and Multifamily Executive magazine's 2003 Builder of the Year. Cornerstone's $193 million in 2002 revenue-up 31 percent from 2001--make it the nation's No. 10 multifamily developer, and No. 5 in Florida. In 2002, Cornerstone developed 2,937 units. These days, Meyers is becoming increasingly focused on the luxury market, including La Perla, which recently broke ground in Sunny Isles Beach. That Kobi Karpdesigned luxury building is 85 percent sold-out, and Cornerstone began construction in June. Indeed, Cornerstone is into virtually all aspects of real estate development, including acting as general contractor and property management.

Brown Jordan International

* Most people know that South Florida is one of the best markets in the country for furniture, but few know about the area's surprisingly robust furnishing development industry. Brown Jordan International, a $286 million casual furniture maker, is headquartered in Pompano Beach, and has nearly a 30-percent share in the world's casual furniture market. The company designs, manufactures and markets such retail and contract furniture names as Brown Jordan. Tommy Bahama, Pompeii, Winston. Vineyard, Atlantis, Stuart Clark, Casual Living, Loewenstine, Charter, Wabash Valley, Woodsmiths, Texacraft and Tropic Craft. Formerly known as WinsLoew Furniture, the company was formed in 1994 with the merger of the Loewenstein and Winston furniture companies. Although Brown Jordan has 374 employees in South Florida, they are only a fraction of the nearly 2,000 it has worldwide at nearly a dozen manufacturing facilities.

Stiles Corp.

* Having built most of the structures in downtown Fort Lauderdale, beginning with what was originally Blockbuster Plaza and what is now the AutoNation building, Stiles Corp. is mainly identified as a high-rise office space developer. But CEO Terry Stiles. a Fort Lauderdale native, has taken the company into a diverse range of businesses. In addition to the signature office buildings (the Bank of America Plaza at Las Olas City Centre is its newest). Stiles Corp. has divisions working in architecture and design, finance, landscaping, property management and automotive dealership design and construction. Growing from a small company founded some 50 years ago, Stiles now has $120 million in 2002 revenues, more than 400 employees, and has developed some 25 million square feet of space throughout the southeastern US. CEO Stiles has a special fondness for downtown Fort Lauderdale, where he continues to own most of the properties he has developed. The company is making a strong move into the residential market, and is about to break ground on 350 Las Olas Place, a 30-story condominium in the heart of the city.