ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, May 23, 1996                 TAG: 9605230082
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: BUSINESS EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL 

IN BUSINESS

US Foodservice Inc., parent of Salem-based Roanoke Restaurant Service Inc., has merged with Rykoff-Sexton Inc. of Lisle, Ill., to form the third-largest food service company in the nation.

Distribution for the new company, Rykoff-Sexton, will be based in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The manufacturing unit will be in Los Angeles.

Salem operations will not be affected by the merger, said RRS treasurer Doug Taylor. US Foodservice employs 250 at its Salem division.

US Foodservice, which has 40,000 customers in more than 30 states, reported 1995 net sales of $1.7 billion. Rykoff-Sexton had 1995 net sales of $1.8 billion. Its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange as RYK.

Boones Mill to start

local calls to Roanoke

Customers of Sprint Centel's Boones Mill telephone exchange will be able to make local calls to Roanoke, starting June 1. The State Corporation Commission approved an extended local calling plan for Boones Mill in January. Basic residential service in Boones Mill will cost $5.22 a month more, and single-line business service will go up $10.50 a month. The Boones Mill exchange has about 2,000 lines, with the prefix 334. |-Staff report

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