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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 29, 2009

Stardek files for Chapter 11

Stardek, a Seffner company that makes decorative coatings for driveways and pool decks, has filed for bankruptcy protection. Stardek's parent company, Color Crown Corp., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week in Tampa. Chapter 11 allows a company to reorganize its finances while protected from creditors.

Located on Sligh Avenue in Seffner, Color Crown lists assets of $1.27 million and liabilities of $3.1 million in bankruptcy documents. It was founded in 1971, and its sales in 2008 reached about $5.9 million, according to court documents. Owner Edward Benus could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Ex-cigar worker turns entrepreneur

Ron Russell, a laid-off Hav-A-Tampa machinist who organized cigarworkers to protest the plant's closure, has launched a parts manufacturing business in Temple Terrace. After Hav-A-Tampa announced over the summer that it would close, Russell, 43, was featured in newspaper and radio reports for collecting signatures of co-workers and sending letters to local legislators. They claimed that a new tax on cigars had forced the factory to close. Russell also set up a job board at www. havatampaneedsjobs to help people find work.

This week, Russell said he and fellow former Hav-A-Tampa worker Harvey Morris, 46, are opening a machine shop called RAM Industries at an industrial park on Temple Terrace Highway. Russell said he has a couple of contracts to make parts for cigar companies.

Verizon's Droid about to debut

Verizon Wireless' answer to the iPhone - the Droid - will go on sale for $200 next week as the company taps into the growing appetite for smart phones that go far beyond making calls.

The Droid could help Verizon retain its status as the nation's largest wireless carrier and contribute to a turnaround of its manufacturer, Motorola Inc., which hasn't produced a hit since the wildly popular Razr phone in 2005.

The new device also could give a boost to Google Inc., which used the Droid to unveil mapping software that could challenge standalone navigational devices, sending GPS gadgetmaker Garmin Ltd.'s stock plunging after Wednesday's announcement.

A staff and wire report

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