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Business Today

Tampa company gets 'do not call' lawsuit

By wire services
Published June 18, 2005

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said Friday it sued Liberty One Capital Inc., alleging the Tampa company's telemarketers called residents on the state's "do not call" list. Liberty One did not return calls seeking comment. The suit, filed in Hillsborough Circuit Court, seeks a fine up to $10,000 for each violation.

Retired Outback CFO Merritt to consult

Outback Steakhouse Inc. said Friday recently retired CFO Bob Merritt will serve as a consultant to the Tampa company until a successor CFO is hired. Merritt will receive $50,000 per month under the deal.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. named entertainment executive Charles Koppelman, 65, vice chairman and company consultant, to succeed Thomas Siekman as chairman of the board. The company also expanded Koppelman's consulting services. Siekman, 63, a lawyer who served as chairman for less than a year, has been named lead director of the publishing, television and merchandising company, and will preside over all meetings of the board's independent directors.

The United States and the European Union are at least back to talking to each other. But they're far apart on how to resolve a bitter trade dispute over subsidies to airplane manufacturing giants Airbus and Boeing. EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson said Friday he was willing to pursue discussions with his U.S. counterpart, trade representative Rob Portman, while the World Trade Organization was deciding the disputes.

H. J. Heinz Co. is close to a deal to acquire HP Foods for about $850-million, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The deal is slated to be announced Monday and will be priced at 470-million pounds, or about 11 times HP's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. HP is known for its trademark HP sauce, which is popular in restaurants and in kitchens.

Enron Corp., the energy trader that filed the second-biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history, and its affiliates agreed to pay almost $23-million to settle more than $163-million in claims filed against it by Mirant Corp. Enron would also get $15.9-million in unsecured claims against Mirant, another energy company, which is restructuring in its bankruptcy case, according to papers filed Friday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. The settlement requires approval of judges overseeing the Enron and Mirant cases.

Looking to gain access to one of the hottest economies in the world, the Bank of America Corp. said Friday it had agreed to acquire a 9 percent stake in China Construction Bank for $2.5-billion. As part of the deal, Bank of America will invest $500-million when China Construction Bank holds its highly anticipated initial public offering, which is expected this year. Bank of America will also get a 51/2-year option to increase its stake to 19.9 percent, the bank said. "The biggest goal is not to absorb more capital," said Guo Shuqing, head of Construction Bank, "but to absorb experience in management."

The state's tourism marketing agency is in the market for a new logo.

Visit Florida's symbol - "FLA USA" in block letters, each a different color - has appeared on advertising and promotional material for nearly a decade.

But board members and staffers have qualms: Does the logo mean anything to consumers or make them more aware of the agency's brand?

They got an indication last month when two focus groups in New York City, Visit Florida's biggest advertising target, were shown the logo. No one in either group recognized it, said chief marketing officer Dale Brill.

"That," he said, "is not a good sign."

The agency is considering two new logos. Both consist of the Visit Florida name underscored by three curving lines described as a "water icon." Brill says they symbolize not only Florida beaches but also the state's lakes and even the rolling hills of north Florida.

Visit Florida will survey 3,000 people nationwide, most from Florida's primary tourist market east of the Mississippi River.

LONDON - Maybe your rugged SUV never goes anywhere wilder than the mall, but you can look like a wilderness adventurer with Spray-On Mud.

For owners who don't want it to look like they're driving an unnecessary gas-guzzler, a little splash signals that the vehicle spends time tackling the back country.

The product is the brainchild of Colin Dowse, a businessman from Shropshire, England, a village close to the Welsh border.

It's genuine local dirt - strained to remove stones and other debris - mixed with water and a secret ingredient that Dowse says helps it stick to a vehicle's bodywork. Dowse said he can barely keep up with Internet sales of the product at $14.50 a quart. Distribution is to begin in the United States and Canada within a few months.

Information from Times staff writer Steve Huettel and Cox News Service was used in this report.

Circuit City Stores Inc.: A costly spat with RadioShack Corp. and weak computer sales took their toll on the nation's No. 2 chain of electronics stores.

[Last modified June 18, 2005, 00:45:19]