ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 15, 1996 TAG: 9605150077
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
Glass firm to open Roanoke store
Harding Glass, a national auto and flat glass retailer, will open its first store in the Roanoke Valley Thursday.
Cason Newbern of Copty & Co. Real Estate, who handled the lease transaction, said Harding Glass rented a renovated 2,500-square-foot space at 5312 Williamson Road.
Mark Kitts, manager of the Lynchburg store, will head the Roanoke operation, according to Todd Williams, spokesman for Overland Park, Kan.-based Harding Glass. He said the company, a division of Sun Distributors of Philadelphia, has four stores in Richmond and one each in Lynchburg and Harrisonburg. He said the company plans further expansions in Roanoke and elsewhere in Virginia. Thor Inc. had the contract for renovations of the building.
Mark Hall, owner of the property and Wimmer Tire, which has a store next door, said the lease provided the opportunity to renovate the building and "participate in the 'sprucing up' of Williamson Road."
- Staff report
Salem company plans factory
Designed Telecommunications Inc. of Salem plans a $1 million investment for a new factory in a new industrial park in the city, Salem officials said.
The company, which needs more room for making phone parts and systems, will move from Kessler Mill Road to Locke Street and Electric Road, said Planning Director Joe Yates. The latter is where real estate developer Benton Hopper plans a 30-acre industrial park.
Yates said the city supports Hopper's plans to create new sites for industry and will try to arrange state aid to build a road to the tract. City Council filed the request Monday.
After the move, Designed Telecommunications will hire 15 employees to bring its work force to 90, Yates said.
- Staff report
1997 phone books to be revamped
WASHINGTON - Bell Atlantic Corp. said Tuesday its 1996-1997 residential directories for Northern Virginia no longer will include business listings. Callers will have to use the yellow pages in the directories, to be published in January.
``We feel it will benefit the advertisers,'' said company spokeswoman Stephanie Hobbs. ``Now all the business information is in one book. The way to make advertisers happy is through usage. And we believe this will drive usage.''
Government listings will still appear in both books.
- Associated Press
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