Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 18, 1992 TAG: 9201180087
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
COMMUNITY LEADERS REACT: `WE DODGED A BIG BULLET'
"We dodged a big bullet if the net loss is only about 50 jobs . . . It's nothing to get alarmed about, compared to what is happening in city after city in other areas where there have been plant closings and job cuts in the range of 300 to 1,000 to 2,000 jobs."- Bob Herbert\ Roanoke City Manager
"Everybody is trimming down to weather the recession. The banking industry has slimmed down the most. For the long-term perspective, the hope is that these measures will help make Dominion more profitable and help assure that its headquarters remain here. There is no doubt in my mind that having a corporate headquarters here makes a difference. The community is the better for it."
- Brian Wishneff\ Roanoke economic development chief
"In Roanoke, finding a job paying $60,000 a year is very difficult. That's not to suggest the secretaries and clerks [being laid off] will go out and find a job tomorrow, but for white-collar executives to go out and find a comparable paying job is going to be very difficult. The white-collar people laid off probably will have to leave Roanoke to duplicate the salary and benefits."\ - Gilbert Butler Jr.\ Lawyer and developer
During the 1980s, when Dominion launched a multi-state acquisition spree, "Warner Dalhouse did the only thing he could do: grow or die. Warner did a good job keeping it in Roanoke as long as he [has]. We're lucky we haven't lost them. It's a miracle. Warner did what he had to do for Dominion to survive."\ - Dave "Mudcat" Saunders\ Roanoke developer
"We know what happened to First Federal/CorEast, and when we see this - I'd rather see them do this than go another year and be out."
\ - Larry Hamlar\ Roanoke funeral home operator
"It's home, it's our bank." But he's not concerned about the cutbacks. "I don't think anybody's getting jittery. the stock is going up. That's good. I like it."
- John Hancock Founder,\ Roanoke Electric Steel Corp.
On why having Dominion headquartered in Roanoke is important: "Because decisions are made here and you know who you're dealing with on a one-to-one basis and you would hope some decisions are made beneficial not only to the banking relationship but also the valley itself. It's sort of a home-turf aspect."
- Jack Loeb\ Roanoke builder