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

DATE: SATURDAY, June 24, 1995                   TAG: 9506270037
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

DALLAS - Consumer products providers Kimberly-Clark Corp. and Scott Paper Co. reportedly are discussing a $7 billion merger that analysts say could help put the squeeze on Charmin - or, at least, its producer, Procter & Gamble Co.

``It would really create a powerhouse in the consumer products area,'' said Evadna Lynn, an analyst at Dean Witter Reynolds. ``I think it would be a win-win situation for both sets of stockholders.''

The companies reportedly are discussing a tax-free merger in which Scott shareholders would exchange their stock for Kimberly-Clark shares of equal value, according to The Wall Street Journal. Scott has $7 billion in shares outstanding. Kimberly-Clark shareholders would own 60 percent of the combined company, which would have $11 billion in revenue, the Journal said. But it quoted unnamed people familiar with the situation who cautioned that the talks could easily break down.

A combined company was seen as providing stiffer competition for rivals Procter & Gamble, based in Cincinnati, and Richmond, Va.-based James River Corp.

- Associated Press

Bankruptcies

Five bankruptcies with business affiliations have been filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Western Virginia at Roanoke. Three of them are personal bankruptcies that the court listed as businesses because they have commercial connections and could be of interest to business creditors and customers.

B&E Siding Co. of Roanoke filed for liquidation with assets of $6,820 and liabilities of $97,260. The company is involved in siding sales and installation.

Yvonne C. Basham of Roanoke, president of B&E Siding Co., filed for a wage-earner plan for repayment of debts. She listed assets of $67,777 and liabilities of $148,252.

Bennett E. Edmonds of Roanoke, vice president of B&E Siding Co., sought liquidation with assets of $1,171 and liabilities of $97,309.

Ralph Viars and Opal Mae Viars of Cedar Bluff sought liquidation, listing assets of $150,050 and liabilities of $247,547. Ralph Viars is a self-employed trucker.

Berlin W. Skeen Jr. and Lucinda Ann Skeen of Johnson City, Tenn., formerly of Wise, filed for liquidation with assets of $82,767 and liabilities of $206,528. Berlin Skeen is a lawyer.

- Staff report

Briefly ...

Carolina Freight Carriers Corp., a Cherryville, N.C., long-distance trucking company, said Friday it has contracted with Home Shopping Network Inc. to pick up and deliver orders from the television retailer's order-filling centers in Salem and Waterloo, Iowa. The contract is expected to generate about $2 million annually.

Chesapeake Corp., Richmond-based paper and packaging company operating Chesapeake Packaging Co. in Roanoke, is exploring the sale of its Chesapeake Consumer Products Co. in Appleton, Wis., so it can focus on its larger commercial and industrial business, company officials said., which had sales of about $50 million last year - about 5 percent of its parent company's nearly $1 billion in revenue.

Peebles Inc., South Hill-based department store chain with an outlet in Christiansburg, has been sold to its top managers and a New York investment firm in a deal valued at $130 million. It is the third sale of the chain since 1986. The company plans to open seven new stores this year and 11 next year.