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

DATE: FRIDAY, November 25, 1994                   TAG: 9412070011
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CLAUDINE WILLIAMS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

READY TO MELT

Although the first snowflakes haven't hit Roanoke's sidewalks yet, hardware stores are loading up on ice-melting products.

Roanoke's Landscape Supply Co., which sells to businesses, started delivering ice melt as early as October.

"Customers know what last year was like and they don't want to wait until the last minute to buy products," said Charlie Vestal of Landscape Supply's sales department.

The city also ordered its salt sooner, and, as a result of last year's shortages, Roanoke has doubled its supply. Last winter, the city stocked about 1,200 tons of salt. This year it has 2,400 tons and an extra thousand ordered in case that runs out.

by CNB