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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 8, 1995                   TAG: 9503080097
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

BRIEFLY ...

Domestic coal production totaled 23 million tons during the week ended Feb. 25, up 10 percent from 21 million tons the previous week, the U.S. Department of Energy reported. The U.S. coal industry produced 21.3 million tons in the same week last year. Virginia mines produced 964,000 tons that week, up from 892,000 tons a week earlier and 910,000 tons a year earlier. Domestic coal production so far this year is 169 million tons, 9 percent ahead of last year's at this time.

Advance Auto Parts said Tuesday it has begun construction of a store in Gables Shopping Center, 1344 S. Main St., Blacksburg. Roanoke-based Advance, ranked among the five largest retail chains for after-market auto parts and supplies, operates 457 stores in nine states

First Union Corp., Charlotte, N.C., parent of First Union National Bank of Virginia in Roanoke, said it has agreed to merge ABT Funds, a Palm Beach, Fla., family of mutual funds, with the First Union/Evergreen mutual funds. ABT Funds, with assets of $468 million, would merge with First Union at midyear. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Branch Highways Inc. of Roanoke has received a $5.8 million contract from the Virginia Department of Highways for construction of additional lanes in the median of U.S. 220 between Elm Avenue and Virginia 419 in Roanoke. The project is to be completed in November.

by CNB