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

DATE: SATURDAY, June 24, 1995                   TAG: 9506260049
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SHANNON D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WILLIAMS SUPPLY EXPANDS

Williams Supply Inc., a Roanoke-based electrical wholesale supplier for 49 years, said Friday it has bought the assets of Commonwealth Lighting of Lynchburg.

Commonwealth Lighting, operated since 1973 by Martha Clarke, has two showrooms in Lynchburg. Clarke will continue to manage both stores, and the Commonwealth Lighting showrooms will continue to operate under that name, said Vicki Gardner, Williams' director of marketing. Neither privately owned company would disclose any financial information about the transaction, completed last week.

For the first time, Williams will have showrooms outside of Roanoke. The company has two showrooms in Roanoke that operate as The Lighting Design Center. Williams also has distribution facilities in Harrisonburg and Martinsville.

Don Tingler, who managed the Lighting Design Center showrooms, will supervise all branches.

Williams serves residential, commercial and industrial markets in Southwest Virginia. Most of its business is industrial, said Jim Outen, systems manager.

The company hopes to expand to a full-service operation in Lynchburg, Outen said.

by CNB