ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 20, 1996 TAG: 9606200056
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
RICHMOND - Virginia Power, two Ohio utilities and one from Maryland have agreed on a plan to jointly manage high transmission systems.
Allegheny Power of Hagerstown, Md.; Centerior Energy of Independence, Ohio; and Akron-based Ohio Edison say the pact will let them coordinate their efforts and communication. The utilities serve a combined 5.5 million customers in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Members will be able to transmit power between systems, especially when one company runs short of power. It also will help the four utilities standardize their computer language and make sure all are properly compensated for power they generate. `` ... There is a lot of power on the market today. Some industrial power producers not even owned by a utility have been built. They sell wherever they can get the best deal,'' said Virginia Power spokesman Bill Byrd. The alliance will test its procedures this fall and plans to begin operating by January. |-Associated Press
Top lenders listed
for small business
Two Roanoke Valley banks placed among the top 10 in Virginia for their handling of small business loans. Salem Bank and Trust was sixth; Bank of Botetourt, based at Buchanan, ranked eighth.
First Community Bank of Forest was 29th, Piedmont Trust Bank of Martinsville was 31st and Bank of Marion was 32nd.
The survey was made by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business administration based on banks' performance in loans of less than $250,000 to small businesses.
The study ranked banks on several factors, including the number and dollar value of outstanding small business loans and ratios of small business loans to total bank loans, assets and deposits. |-Staff report
Cinnabon to open
bakery in Kroger
Cinnabon, a Seattle-based chain of cinnamon-roll bakeries, on Wednesday opened a shop in the Kroger supermarket at Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke County. The bakery also sells coffee and juices and includes a small seating area.
This is Cinnabon's first bakery in a Kroger store. Four more Kroger shops are scheduled to open in the next few months.
Cinnabon has 300 company-owned and franchised bakeries in 35 states, Canada and Mexico, most in malls, airports and supermarkets. The company reported fiscal 1996 sales of more than $120 million. |-Staff report
Briefly ...
* The Georgia-Pacific Foundation has given a $5,000 scholarship to Hillary Kay McCormick, a graduating senior at Parry McCluer High School in Buena Vista. McCormick ranked first in her class with a 4.0 average and plans to attend the University of Virginia to study biology and pre-medicine.
* Media General of Richmond said Tuesday it will acquire Professional Communications Systems Inc., a supplier of video and multimedia products in the Southeast. Terms of the deal were not released. Media General recently bought the Danville Register & Bee.
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