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

DATE: SATURDAY, May 13, 1995                   TAG: 9505150075
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

The Southwest Virginia Contractors Association and Laborers' Local Union 980 said Friday they expect to have a new contract by the time the present one expires May 31.

Association president Ben Bodell, owner of Bodell & Co. mechanical contractors in Covington, and Bobby Myers, business manager for Local 980, started talks late last month.

"I think we're going to wrap it up in short order," Myers said.

"There's no controversy or stumbling blocks that I can see," Bodell said.

The talks concern pay, benefits, and working conditions for the next three years for the union's 175 to 200 members and nonunion laborers on certain jobs. The laborers run jackhammers, extract hazardous asbestos and do other heavy construction jobs.

- Staff report

Summer gas prices likely to be higher

WASHINGTON - Gasoline prices will be on average a nickel higher and supplies may be tighter this summer than a year ago as more Americans take to the road, the Energy Department said Friday.

While supplies are expected to be adequate, the government said this summer's gasoline market will be marked by ``more uncertainty and complexity'' than usual. An expected record demand and introduction at the beginning of the year of a cleaner-burning ``reformulated'' gasoline across about a third of the market will complicate matters, the agency said.

It predicted that gasoline prices would average $1.24 a gallon nationwide through September, five cents higher than last summer.

- Associated Press

Roanoke ad agency wins 1st nationally

The Packett Group of Roanoke has won a first-place award in the American Advertising Federation's Third District competition for a direct-mail piece created for Shenandoah Life Insurance Co. of Roanoke. The folder also won "best in show" at the Roanoke Valley Addy competition in February. The district competition attracted several hundred entries from Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

- Associated Press

Bankruptcy

One bankruptcy with a business affiliation has been filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Western Virginia at Roanoke. It is a personal bankruptcy that the court listed as a business because it has commercial connections and could be of interest to business creditors and customers.

Charles Cowles Whiting of Buchanan filed for liquidation, listing assets of $226,710 and liabilities of $746,461. He has an interest in Agri-concepts Inc. of Daleville, which deals in agricultural enzymes and crop additives. He also owns shares in Hometown Restaurants Inc.

- Staff report

Briefly ...

Environmental Directions Inc. of Roanoke has received a multi-year contract for analytical laboratory work and environmental consulting from Roanoke County.

American Express Tax and Business Services of Roanoke has been named a licensed reseller by State of the Art Inc. for its BusinessWorks accounting software.

The Foundation for Roanoke Valley has received an award for its 1993-94 annual report in an awards program sponsored by the Council on Foundations and the Communications Network in Philanthropy. The Roanoke Valley foundation was cited among foundations with less than $15 million in assets.