Hurricane Shutters Miami

Even with troubles bearing down, Rolladen boss kept giving

A Who’s Who of South Florida socialites and philanthropists turned out for the New World Symphony’s grand opening gala, with Heat owner Micky Arison and Yugoslavian Prince Dimitri Karageorgevich among those at the event whose cover charge ranged from $2,500 to $5,000 per person.

Robert Hoffman and wife Jodi were there, too.

Hoffman — owner of Rolladen Shutters, one of the area’s oldest and most trusted names in hurricane protection — grinned for pictures alongside retired Florida East Coast Industries executive Edward Shumsky and Howard Frank, Carnival Corp.’s vice chairman. It was a triumphant evening for Hoffman, then a member of the New World Board of Trustees who played an instrumental role in the construction of its new Miami Beach concert hall and academy.

But beneath the happy veneer at the late-January event, all was not well in Hoffman’s world. Rolladen — remembered by many for its TV ads featuring longtime Miss America emcee Bert Parks slamming his fist against a locked shutter to show its strength — was in distress, brought on by the collapse in housing construction. The $16,800 in taxes on his $2 million Coral Gables home, since grown to nearly $20,000, were unpaid.

And customers who had given deposits to Hoffman’s company were beginning to demand that their shutters be installed or their money be returned. Many say they got neither.

By July 14, Hoffman found himself in the Broward County Jail, if only for a night, after being arrested on fraud charges.

Last week, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed suit against Rolladen, alleging the company routinely took large deposits — sometimes as much as 80 percent — on orders for hurricane shutters and impact-resistant glass but failed to make good on the deal for months, often neglecting to apply for a work permit.

The dueling legal headaches have prompted Hoffman to step down from his New World board post as the investigation unfolds, said symphony spokesman Craig Hall, adding the organization has no connection to the inquiries.

Hoffman and several other key New World Symphony leaders — including Frank and New World Symphony President Howard Herring — have declined to respond to phone calls and emails from The Miami Herald since Bondi filed suit against Rolladen on Monday.

But others close to Hoffman privately portray the 62-year-old businessman as a victim of the same brutal economic trends that sent South Florida builders like Renzo Renzi and Cabi Downtown Developers into bankruptcy court.

Atlantic Breeze Storm Shutters is a home owners and business ...

Atlantic Breeze Storm Shutters is Carteret County’s home owners and business owners hurricane headquarters.  With the 2011 hurricane season picking up, now is the time to consider protecting your home or business with Atlantic Breeze Storm Shutters.  We offer a variety of options to protect your investment, and we pride ourselves on being experts in protecting your home or business from potential wind damage or damage from flying debris during a hurricane.  We have been serving Carteret County since 2002, and have protected countless homes and businesses by offering only top of the line products, that are meant to withstand the hurricane force winds that we all know so well, from living in Carteret County.

The experts at Atlantic Breeze Storm Shutters urges you not to wait until a hurricane is pressing down upon Carteret County to start thinking about hurricane protection.  Now is the time to start thinking about protecting your home or business.  And the professionally trained staff at Atlantic Breeze Storm Shutters can help you in your selection of many of the different options offered, from QMI Hurricane Pull-Down Shutters, to Bahama Shutters, and Hurricane Panel Protection.

The QMI Hurricane Pull Down Shutter is great for single-family or multi-family units.  Rolling shutters have a clean consistent look even when a multi-story building is completed in phases.  QMI Hurricane Pull Down Shutters roll into a small housing or box above the window or door opening and is designed to blend into the building’s natural architectural design.

Atlantic Breeze Storm Shutters also has a large selection of Hurricane Rated Bahama Shutters for those that want that tropical look, while still maintaining hurricane rated features that meet Miami-Dade County hurricane requirements. Atlantic Breeze Storm Shutters has the exclusive right to our manufacturer’s Bahama Shutter and this shutter has been sold by us to customers all over the eastern coast of North Carolina. From Camden to Sea Level to Emerald Isle and beyond, Atlantic Breeze Storm Shutters can cover all your Bahama Shutter needs.

The Hurricane-Panel System is the simplest, most cost-effective way to protect a home, but also the most labor intensive. The panel system comes in two versions: the aluminum panel or the GE grade Lexan. The Lexan is completely transparent; allowing light inside and vision outside. There are no sharp edges and typically ½ the weight of aluminum panels. The panels, whether aluminum or Lexan, will not shatter, rust, or corrode. Seasonal or storm deployment typically done by one person using simple wing-nut fasteners.   Excellent for commercial and residential applications where panels are designed to be left in place during the entire hurricane season.

Miami Noir

Two Fatality Board and Care Facility Fire; Miami, Florida

Caribbean yellow pages

Flight from Miami

Disaster and human history, case studies in nature, society and catastrophe