Business Today

SYKES PLANS EXPANSION: Sykes Enterprises Inc. said it plans to continue expansion of its overseas call centers. During a conference call with analysts Tuesday, the Tampa company said it added more than 700 seats to centers in Costa Rica, India and the Philippines in the quarter ended June 30 and plans to add 2,000 more seats in those locations by yearend. Sykes is also expanding in Hungary, opening a second 250-seat center in Budapest in late August. The company has been reducing its call center operations in the United States.

CROWN BANK ADDS R-G: Crown Bank, an Orlando federal savings bank with branches in the Tampa Bay area, has changed its name to R-G Crown Bank. Crown was acquired in June 2002 by R-G Financial Corp., a financial holding company. Among R-G's other subsidiaries is R-G Mortgage Corp., Puerto Rico's second-largest mortgage banker. R-G Crown, which has $852-million in assets, has branches in Holiday, Bayonet Point, Clearwater, Dunedin and St. Petersburg.

TIMES SPONSORS BRANDON FORUM: The St. Petersburg Times signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with the Brandon Ice Sports Forum, the home arena for the University of South Florida Bulls hockey team and the practice facility for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The forum, which includes two full-size rinks, recreational areas and a restaurant, is also used for youth and adult hockey leagues and special events. "It is a natural extension of our sponsorship of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the St. Pete Times Forum," said Grace Posada, Times Hillsborough marketing manager. The Times will pay an undisclosed amount in cash and newspaper advertising in return for the exclusive print media sponsorship.

3 NOT GUILTY PLEAS: Former COO David Barford and former CFO Kent Kalkwarf of Charter Communications pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 14 federal charges that they conspired to defraud investors in the cable television systems company. The two are among four former executives accused in an indictment Thursday. Former senior vice president James Smith III pleaded not guilty Monday to eight counts. Former senior vice president David McCall pleaded guilty Friday to one count of conspiracy and is aiding prosecutors, U.S. Attorney Ray Gruender said.

MGM DROPS UNIVERSAL BID: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has withdrawn its $11.5-billion cash bid for Vivendi Universal's entertainment assets, saying Vivendi's asking price was too high. At the same time, MGM's primary shareholder, billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, said he will spend up to $240-million to buy up to 15-million MGM shares, raising his stake in the company to 73 percent. Top executives at Vivendi Universal told MGM executives Monday they would not accept a bid below $14-billion, according to the Associated Press.

CONTINENTAL SELLS EXPRESSJET SHARES: Continental Airlines Inc. said Tuesday it plans to sell about $200-million of stock in ExpressJet Holdings Inc., cutting its ownership of the regional airline to 37.5 percent from 53.1 percent. Continental will sell about 8-million shares directly to ExpressJet, which operates as Continental Express, and 5 million shares to the public. Continental also expects to grant the underwriters of the public offering the option to purchase an additional 750,000 shares.

EEOC SUES KMART: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit Tuesday against Kmart Corp., alleging the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing to hire a man who is mildly mentally retarded because of his disability. The lawsuit was filed in St. Louis on behalf of Edward Jones, 35, of Overland Park, Kan. Jack Ferry, a spokesman for Kmart, declined comment on the case.

The Tampa company's financing subsidiary was its only unit to report an increase in profitability during the quarter ended June 30 from the same period a year earlier. The steepest decline was recorded by its industrial-products unit, which posted an operating loss of $6.9-million, swinging from operating income of $16.2-million a year earlier. The sharp deterioration in industrial-products performance reflected continued poor results at its U.S. Pipe business, which was weighed down by previously announced pre-tax charges of $6.5-million for litigation matters and its recent closing of a pipe-castings plant in Anniston, Ala.

The car finance company reported record revenues and net income for the first quarter ended June 30. Nicholas said it will open a branch in Detroit next month, its first move into Michigan. The company recently expanded its Clearwater headquarters from 7,500 to 11,000 square feet of leased space.

Shares of American Trans Air's parent company fell nearly 17 percent Tuesday after the nation's 10th largest carrier warned it would not be able to meet debt obligations and was in talks to restructure aircraft leases. The stock decline came despite the low-fare carrier's announcement of a $43.3-million second quarter profit, a turnaround following four consecutive unprofitable quarters with losses totaling $185-million.

The low-fare carrier that plans to double its fleet by 2008 said second-quarter profit rose elevenfold as a gain in passengers led to record sales. The airline said third-quarter earnings may beat estimates.

Despite the biggest quarterly jump since 1998 in sales from established restaurants in the United States, helped by new salads, profits announced Tuesday by the fast-food giant fell 5 percent on spotty results from its restaurants in Europe and Asia. The disappointing results overseas kept talk of a long-sought turnaround on hold.

The radio station giant reported its second-quarter earnings rose 5.5 percent from a year ago, matching analysts' expectations.

The integrated oil company, which owns the Hess chain of gas stations, posted a 69 percent jump in second-quarter profit as a gain from asset sales offset a halving of exploration and production earnings.

Don DeFosset is chief executive of Walter Industries. His name was misspelled in an item Tuesday.