Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, July 12, 1990                   TAG: 9007120049
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Short

RADVA, SOVIETS STRIKE FINAL DEAL

Radva Corp. completed the agreement last week with its two Soviet partners, Slavich and Pereslavlstroytrust. The former makes movie film and tape used in audio products, among other things, and the latter is a large construction company.

The plant should be completed by next February, Radva President Luther Dickens said Wednesday. The plant will produce Thermastructure, an energy-efficient building material made of steel-reinforced polystyrene. The Soviets will use Thermastructure to build single-family homes.

The 23,000-square-foot plant will be in Pereslavl, 125 miles north of Moscow. It will employ 40 to 50 people initially, Dickens said.

Radva will own part of the plant and will be paid for machinery, equipment and a portion of licensing and technology transfer fees.

The Soviets met with Radva officials Friday and brought guarantees that raw materials would be available and that Thermastructure met their environmental and building codes, Dickens said.

They also brought a letter expressing interest in Radford's offer to form a sister-city relationship with Pereslavl.

And school officials in both cities are working on a plan to bring a dozen Soviet music students and their teachers to Radford - and send some Radford students to the Soviet Union.