Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 11, 1992 TAG: 9201110136
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
IN BUSINESS
ComputerLand buys several franchisesCMAS Group Inc., franchise operator of ComputerLand stores in Roanoke, Lynchburg and Charlottesville, said Friday it has sold its operations to ComputerLand Corp. of Pleasanton, Calif.
CMAS owner Charles M. Johnson will continue to run the branches and will be ComputerLand area director for Virginia.
Johnson said it is "extremely difficult" for a local dealer to grow and to provide for customer needs. "The industry has evolved to the point where regional or national accounts want to conduct business with one vendor," he said.
"Customers do not want to negotiate for services in Roanoke with one dealer and for services in Norfolk with another."
ComputerLand had $3 billion in sales worldwide in its 1990 fiscal year and claimed twice the revenues of its nearest competitor. - Staff report
Jewelry store owner seeks reorganization
Steven D. Black, owner of the Roanoke County jewelry store The Goldsmith, and his wife, Mary Sue, have filed for reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Roanoke. They reported debt of $603,132 and assets of $653,488.
Other recently filed business bankruptcy petitions:
David W. and Lisa M. Lucas, trading as Roanoke Lawn and Garden in Roanoke County, asked for a wage-earner plan, reporting debt of $98,253 and assets of $46,449.
Breslin F. Mowles, formerly trading as Snappy Food Mart in Roanoke County, filed for liquidation. She listed debt of $149,839 and assets of $103,492.
A&N Auto Parts Inc. of Floyd, owned by James A. and Elaine V. Gaines, sought liquidation, claiming debt and assets under $500,000.
Dickie L. and Hazel W. Goodpasture of Marion, owners of Diamond Cab Co. and Country Family Crafts, petitioned for liquidation, reporting debt of $128,154 and assets of $66,000. - Staff report
Government probes seat-belt problems WASHINGTON - The government on Friday upgraded an investigation of reported seat-belt failure in some Hyundai Excel models, a possible cause of seven deaths and 43 injuries in wrecks.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had received 67 complaints that the automatic shoulder belts of 1987-89 Excels do not adequately restrain wearers during crashes.
Forty-eight of the complaints involved accidents, the agency said in a statement. It said an estimated 152,000 of the cars are on the road.
The administration also announced it was upgrading to an engineering analysis its investigation of seat-belt failure in several General Motors models manufactured between 1985 and 1987.
They include the Oldsmobile Calais, Pontiac Grand Am and Buick Skylark Somerset. - Associated Press
> Briefly . . .
Comair Inc., the Cincinnati-based commuter airline operating at Roanoke Regional Airport as the Delta Connection, said Friday it will begin service on Feb. 1 between Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Cincinnati.
Planters LifeSavers Co. will lay off 150 workers at its Suffolk plant this spring, slashing its work force there by nearly 20 percent, the company said. The company plans to discontinue some products at the plant and will concentrate on making oil-roasted nuts, said company spokesman Chuck Wallington.