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Survey says S. Florida
execs bullish on post-Castro Cuba 3b5a1a
By Doreen Hemlock, Business
Writer. Posted October 13 2005 in the South
Florida Sun-Sentinel.
A majority of executives interviewed in
South Florida would be interested in doing
business with a post-Castro, democratic
Cuba, a survey released Wednesday shows.
Hispanics surveyed are most interested
in expanding business into neighboring Cuba
after Fidel Castro leaves power. But a majority
of Anglo and black executives also voiced
interest, according to the poll commissioned
by Miami-based South Florida CEO magazine.
A majority interviewed also think a democratic
Cuba would have a positive impact on South
Florida and their particular industry, said
the survey conducted by Coral Gables-based
polling firm Bendixen & Associates.
The results are based on phone interviews
with 417 business leaders and high net worth
individuals in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm
Beach counties. The interviews were conducted
in English and Spanish during the first
two weeks of September.
Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed are
Anglo, almost one-quarter Hispanic and the
rest black. About one-fourth are women,
and about half live in Miami-Dade County.
Those interviewed work in diverse fields
including real estate, manufacturing, finance,
trade, tourism and others.
The margin of error for the poll is 5 percentage
points.
The survey comes amid continuing debate
over Washington's four-decade-old embargo
on most U.S. business with the communist-led
island.
Among other chief findings:
>A total of 61 percent said a post-Castro
Cuba would have a positive impact on their
type of business; while most of the rest
predicted a negligible impact.
Those in import-export were most likely
to forecast a positive impact; those in
tourism most likely to predict a negative
impact.
>About half of South Floridians with
high net worth are likely to personally
invest in a democratic Cuba. About 70 percent
of Cuban-Americans mention Cuban heritage
and even "a sense of duty" as
the reason they'd plan to invest in a post-Castro
Cuba.
South Floridians investing their own assets
would most likely invest in a second home
or in commercial properties on the island
after Castro.
>Broward business leaders were more
likely to be concerned about competition
from a post-Castro Cuba than counterparts
in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.
Doreen Hemlock can be reached at [emailprotected]
or 305-810-5009.
Copyright 2005, South
Florida Sun-Sentinel
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