CBL opens Florida center

CBL & Associates Properties Inc. and The Benchmark Group on Wednesday marked the official opening of The Pavilion at Port Orange, Fla.

The 415,000-square-foot, open-air development opened more than 92 percent leased or committed with anchors including Hollywood Theaters, Belk, Homegoods, Marshall’s, Michaels, Petco and Ulta.

The Pavilion at Port Orange is one of only a few major retail developments expected to open in the U.S. in 2010, according to Chattanooga-based CBL.

Miller reports quarterly gain

Miller Industries Inc. on Wednesday posted higher fourth-quarter earnings, driven by better sales due to an improvement in orders for its tow trucks.

Net income in the quarter was $2 million, or 17 cents per share, up 189.8 percent over the same period a year ago, according to the Chattanooga-based company.

Miller also said Theodore Ashford III, president and chief investment officer of Ashford Capital Management, was elected to the company’s board of directors.

In addition, Miller’s board has approved a 10 cent per share cash dividend for its common stock.

Medtronic gets federal probe

WASHINGTON — Medical device maker Medtronic says federal prosecutors are investigating its relationship with cardiologists at a hospital in Massachusetts.

In regulatory filings with the government, Medtronic said it has been asked to hand over documents to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. The attorneys are seeking information about Medtronic’s CoreValve division.

with heart specialists at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass. It did not provide further details of the probe.