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

DATE: SATURDAY, March 21, 1992                   TAG: 9203210169
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: George Kegley
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SALEM MAN IS VA. FINANCIAL ADVOCATE

The U.S. Small Business Administration has chosen Robert A. Archer, vice president and general manager of Blue Ridge Beverage Co. of Salem, as its 1992 Financial Services Advocate for Virginia.

Archer, who has been chairman of the Virginia Small Business Advisory Board, was named Small Business Advocate of the Year in 1991 by the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Virginia SBA office selected Archer for his active support of legislative and regulatory action designed to help small companies, the Roanoke chamber said. He has had a key role in the Blue Ridge Small Business Center in Roanoke and the network of centers statewide.

On the state level, Archer has worked with a technical advisory panel studying employers' mandated health insurance, work-force training and an ombudsman network for small business.

The award will be presented by SBA officials at the chamber's annual small business awards luncheon May 14 at Holiday Inn-Tanglewood. The chamber is seeking nominations for a 1992 Small Business Person and Small Business Advocate, to be recognized at the luncheon. Written nominations are to be submitted by April 1.

The luncheon will follow a half-day seminar on employer-employee relations. The awards program will end the annual Small Business Week observance.

by CNB