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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 23, 1993                   TAG: 9306230045
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LEIGH ALLEN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FARM SUPPLIERS ON DISPLAY AT SOUTHERN STATES SHOW.

With a cushioned seat, padded arm rests and an umbrella to ward off bad weather, Wayne Argo had a good vantage point in his mechanical climbing deer stand.

The product has been available for many years but recently become more popular with bow hunters. The new top-of-the-line model, with all the creature comforts, sells for about $275.

But on Tuesday, instead of overlooking a hardwood forest full of wildlife, Argo's stand - strapped to a wooden pole - commanded a view of the Roanoke Civic Center parking lot that Argo shared with hay balers, tractors and chemical tanks. He was demonstrating a new model for API Outdoors Inc., one of more than 200 farm supply dealers who this week are hoping to impress buyers at Southern States Cooperative's annual show.

The dealers came ready to push their farm supplies - bird feed to lawn tractors - to buyers from the more than 500 Southern States retail stores in the mid-Atlantic. The show, which has been held in Roanoke for 20 years, is closed to the public.

"We're trying to give our store managers a chance to come in and look at what the suppliers have to offer," said Jeb Hockman, advertising manager for the Richmond-based company. "The show especially gives them a chance to look at some of our new products."

One of those is an expensive horse feed that Southern States' equine veterinarian Ken Kopp calls the "Rolls Royce of horse feed".

"It's about $10 per (50-pound) bag as compared to about $5 to $8 for other horse feeds," Kopp said. "It's targeted at your top-of-the-line horse breeders who want the best."

Howard Moses hopes his Ryobi electric lawn mowers have a broader, if less distinguished, appeal. Also a new product for Southern States this year, Moses said the mowers could be particularly attractive to people who sometimes have trouble pulling the start cord on gasoline-powered mowers.

Moses said he hopes to sell 20 to 30 of the machines, which will retail for $399.

Southern States stores, which are located in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Delaware and Kentucky, carry more "farm hardware" products than heavy equipment such as tractors, Hockman said. He estimated the stores have about a 25 percent market share in those states.

Products in each of the stores vary depending on its size and location.

Some stores near urban areas carry mostly lawn and garden supplies; others in rural areas cater more to farmers, he said.

The Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the annual event attracts about 2,000 people and contributed about $600,000 to the local economy.

Hockman said the show returns to Roanoke each year because the civic center allows dealers to set up booths in the parking lot as well as inside.

He said it's also easier to find hotel space in Roanoke than in some other cities.

by CNB