PLANT MAY BE COMING/ BUSINESS-FORM PRINTER MAY PUT 60 JOBS IN THE ROANOKE ARE

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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 13, 1993                   TAG: 9301130073
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
PLANT MAY BE COMING/ BUSINESS-FORM PRINTER MAY PUT 60 JOBS IN THE ROANOKE ARE
Transkrit Corp., a New York printer of business forms, confirmed Tuesday it is in the "fairly advanced stages of making a decision" to put a plant in the Roanoke Valley.
Frank Neubauer, chairman of the privately owned Brewster, N.Y., company, said it is considering building a plant employing about 60 people to print continuous mailers, a type of computerized bill used by doctors and many businesses, Neubauer said.
After three months, Transkrit has narrowed its search of 25 plant sites in Virginia and North Carolina "and we are principally focused on the Roanoke area," Neubauer said in a telephone interview.
Neubauer expects to make a decision within a week to 10 days. "We are knee-deep in meetings" and decisions must be made, he said.
Roanoke is "a lovely place," he said after spending five days on a recent visit. He did not comment on specific sites and he said he's "not sure" whether the company would settle on a city or Roanoke County location.
He said the business forms printing plant would be similar to the Standard Register operation in Rocky Mount.
Transkrit employs about 900 people, including 300 at its Brewster headquarters. Related plants are at Fort Smith, Ark., and Sparks, Nev., near Reno. Three other company plants printing different types of forms are in Miami; Wilton, N.H.; and Chicago.
The company's first phase would bring about 60 jobs to a new plant, he said. The initial announcement will cover only the first phase, but the company also may move a small office operation in a later expansion phase, Neubauer said.
Earlier, Neubauer told the Daily Progress in Charlottesville that his company's site search was down to two locations - Charlottesville and Roanoke - and he was leaning toward Roanoke. Transkrit was considering a site in an Albemarle County industrial park.
Economic development officials typically decline to comment on pending prospects.
Elizabeth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership, said only, "We are working with several prospects." Brian Wishneff, chief of economic development in Roanoke, said his office is continuing to work with prospects.
The Roanoke Valley has "plenty of people" to offer a new industry, said Marjorie Skidmore, job service manager for the Virginia Employment Commission in Roanoke.
Transkrit sounds like a nice-sized company to work with, she said, adding that an operation of that size is easier to start than a large plant.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB