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

DATE: TUESDAY, April 26, 1994                   TAG: 9404260122
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Short

CHIEF APPOINTED AT FORCE, INC.

William C. Neely has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Force, Inc. The company was purchased in March by a private, Virginia-based investment group after company founder, Ken VanDyke, retired.

Neely, who holds a bachelor's degree from Westminster College in Pennsylvania and a master's in business administration from Columbia University, comes to Force with 20 years of management experience with Corning, Inc. He was most recently vice president of Hazleton Laboratories, a Corning subsidiary, and served before that as vice president and general manager of international operations in charge of Latin America.

Force, Inc. employs 58 people and plans to maintain the company's record of growth. Jobs growth will most likely be in the direct labor force.

"If you double your company, you don't need two presidents," Neely stated. "But you might need more people in the back building products."

Neely is not anticipating that the company will double overnight, but that "as we bring in additional business, you'll see modest expansion in employment."

The Christiansburg firm is a leading developer and manufacturer of opto-electronic devices.

by CNB