Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 18, 1992 TAG: 9203180099
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
RICHMOND - A year after filing for bankruptcy protection, Best Products Co. Inc. has announced plans to open up to five new stores this year.
When the Richmond-based catalog and showroom retailer - with an outlet in Roanoke - filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of federal bankruptcy law in early 1991, it had 194 catalog showrooms and 33 jewelry stores. After three rounds of closings, the company is down to 153 showrooms and 15 jewelry stores.
Stewart M. Kasen, chief executive officer, did not identify sites for the new stores, but a company spokesman said Tuesday they will open in existing markets.
Kenneth M. Gassman Jr., retail analyst with Davenport & Co. of Virginia Inc., called the store openings "a very positive sign that the company believes they have successfully turned around operations."\ - Associated Press
Lane Environmental joins Louisville firm
Lane Environmental Systems Corp. of Roanoke said it has joined with Evergreen Environmental Group of Louisville to offer hazardous-waste services for business and governments.
The new team has done two jobs and has a contract to handle an industrial spill out of state, said J. William Stephens, Lane's chief operating officer. He declined to identify the company, citing sensitivity about hazardous materials.
Lane will be a marketing arm for Evergreen in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia and North Carolina, he said. Evergreen will provide geologists, physicists, chemists and engineers. The partners are offering employee training, engineering audits, removal, transportation and disposal of hazardous waste.
Evergreen, begun seven years ago, has national clients such as U.S. Steel and Westinghouse, but it specializes in managing hazardous waste for small companies.
Lane, started last year by Ed Lane Jr. of Blacksburg and his son, Ed Lane III of Winchester, designs and builds solid-waste management/recycling plants for localities.
The Lanes' partners are H.S. Williams Co., a Marion maker of metal buildings; Bulk Handling Systems Inc., a designer and maker of material handling systems in Eugene, Ore.; and Sam English Inc., a Richmond energy recovery specialist. - Staff report
Homestead says all should vote on union
WARM SPRINGS - About 85 maintenance and engineering employees of the Homestead resort should be allowed to vote on union representation, Greg Robertson, an attorney for the hotel, said at a labor hearing Tuesday.
Local 863 of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union has asked the National Labor Relations Board to exclude these 85 workers from its petition for a vote on representation of 450 hotel employees. The hotel's position is that the work force of 1,100 employees be allowed to vote. - Staff report
by CNB