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

DATE: SATURDAY, February 5, 1994                   TAG: 9402050042
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LON WAGNER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WLR MUM ON BID

The deadline Tyson Foods gave Rockingham County-based WLR Foods to consider its takeover bid passed Friday without word from either company.

Arkansas-based Tyson Foods Inc. on Jan. 24 offered to buy WLR Foods for $329 million, or $30 per share of common stock. Tyson gave the Virginia poultry producer until Friday to respond.

WLR's Chairman James Keeler said the company was not interested in becoming part of Tyson. The company's most recent quarterly report said: "We have worked too hard during this time, and, indeed, during our 50-year-history, to let our competitors reap the benefits of our hard-earned efforts."

WLR stock jumped $9.50 per share - to $28.50 - the day after Tyson's offer. It closed Friday at $28.25 per share on trading of 334,600 shares.

Tyson's stock was unchanged Friday at $21.87 1/2 per share.

WLR Foods, based at Broadway, is the nation's eighth-largest poultry processor and the largest publicly traded turkey processor. It markets both chicken and turkey under the Wampler-Longacre brand.

In addition to its poultry divisions, it operates Cassco Ice & Cold Storage Inc., including facilities in Roanoke.

by CNB