ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210090
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on December 22, 1995.
Moore's Lumber and Building Supplies will reduce the size of its
90-person distribution center staff by 26 people over the next four to
five months. A story on Thursday's Business page gave an incorrect
number.
Teamsters haul cars to dealers
The Teamsters have a new contract with companies in the eastern half of the U.S. that transfer new vehicles to dealerships, including Keal Driveaway in Dublin, a union official said.
The contract covers about 1,000 workers, including 100 at Keal, said Jim Guynn, president of Teamsters Local Union 171 in Roanoke. It replaces an agreement that expired last spring.
The new contract includes a provision requiring companies to pay drivers who must wait more than two hours in an airport for a return flight, as long as the delay results from the company's choosing to buy the driver a ticket on a cheaper flight, Guynn said.
- Staff report
Moore's hires distributor
Roanoke-based Moore's Lumber and Building Supplies said Wednesday it has contracted with Frederick Trading Co. to distribute hardware, tools, paint and plumbing supplies to its stores and customers.
Beginning in February, the Frederick, Md.-based company will be responsible for purchasing, receiving, warehousing and distributing these items. Moore's will continue to distribute lumber and structural building materials through its distribution center in the Roanoke Industrial Center.
The change means staff at the Moore's center will be reduced from 90 to 26 over the next four to five months. Some employees will be offered positions at Moore's branches; others may be offered jobs with Frederick, which has local facilities on 11th Street in Roanoke. Moore's operates 52 locations in 10 states.
- Staff report
Gasoline cheaper than year ago
A monthly survey by the Automobile Association of America shows self-serve regular unleaded gasoline is averaging $1.045 per gallon in Virginia, down 0.3 cent since last month and off 6 cents from last December.
The Virginia price is lower than the nationwide average of $1.118 per gallon and the mid-Atlantic average of $1.108. Since June, the average price has dropped 11 cents across the United States, AAA said.
The lower prices are good news for some of the 29.8 million Americans who AAA predicted will travel on the nation's highways this Christmas, a 3 percent increase from last year. Another 7.8 million, 4 percent more than last year, will travel by plane, train or bus, the AAA said.
- Staff report
Avis wins school contract
Avis Construction Co. Inc. of Roanoke has received a $4.59 million contract for alterations and additions to five elementary schools in Franklin County. The schools are Boones Mill, Ferrum, Dudley, Glade Hill and Sontag.
Big 3 recall 634,391 vehicles
DETROIT - Ford Motor Co., Chrysler Corp. and General Motors Corp. announced safety recalls Wednesday affecting 634,391 cars and vans.
Ford said it is recalling 276,251 vehicles. It will replace gas tanks on 183,375 1995 Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique models because the tanks might leak and create a risk of fire. An additional 37,411 Contours and Mystiques are being called back because of possible seat belt defects. And 55,465 1993 Mercury Villager minivans were recalled for repair of heater systems that could suck in leaves and create a fire risk.
Chrysler is recalling 265,000 Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager minivans to deal with possible fuel system flaws that could result in fires.
GM is recalling 93,140 1995 Chevrolet Caprice, Buick Roadmaster and Cadillac Fleetwood models to adjust gear shift control linkages that might allow the cars to shift out of park when the ignition key is removed.
The three companies said there had been no reports of accidents or injuries related to any of the problems covered in Wednesday's recalls.
Chrysler said there had been reports of small fires that caused minor paint damage to two vehicles. Ford said about a dozen owners had reported smoke from the heater systems on Mercury Villagers.
Company officials would not say how much they spend on safety recalls, but analyst David Healy of Burnham Securities said none of those announced Wednesday was likely to have a significant effect on company profits. ``When a car is first sold, they make some reserves for potential recalls,'' he said.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Medium: 92 linesby CNB