ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 13, 1996 TAG: 9607150034
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
Frosty slice of history given warm welcome
WASHINGTON - Eskimo Pie, a Virginia-made confection, got itself enshrined Friday as a frosty slice of American history.
In honor of the occasion, thousands of the ice cream bars were handed out on the terrace of the National Museum of American History. Presiding was David Clark, who described himself as chairman and CEO - ``chief eating officer'' - of Eskimo Pie Corp. of Richmond.
On display is a small machine, built 75 years ago, that dipped the vanilla ice cream into hot, bitter chocolate and wrapped it in tin foil. The pies sold for a nickel. The current price for the frozen dessert, larger and mounted on a stick, is about 50 cents. The exhibit, ``America's Romance With Ice Cream,'' continues through Aug. 4.
Iced sweets date to ancient Egypt or Babylon, and Marco Polo brought recipes for water ices from the Orient 700 years ago. But David H. Shayt of the museum's Division of Cultural History said Americans were the first to package and sell ice cream on a big scale, turning an exotic dish for the rich into an everyday treat.
Eskimo Pie Corp. sells about $71 million a year worth of the ice cream bars and other frozen novelties under Welch's, Nabisco and Weight Watchers brands.
- Associated Press
Blacksburg lab signs venture pact
A Blacksburg testing laboratory, Polymer Solutions Inc., has signed a joint venture agreement with a Massachusetts supplier of testing instruments to the polymer processing industry.
The agreement gives customers of Micromet Instruments Inc. of Newton Centre, Mass., access to the lab, and lab customers access to Micromet's testing methods.
Micromet's instruments are used to investigate the behavior and structure of polymers and other organic compounds. Polymer Solutions, at Virginia Tech's Corporate Research Center since 1987, analyzes polymers, plastics, fabrics and films.
Polymer Solutions' customers include Honeywell and governmental agencies, including the U.S. Navy.
- Staff report
Bankruptcies
Five bankruptcies with business affiliations have been filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Western Virginia at Roanoke. One of them is a personal bankruptcy that the court listed as a business because it has commercial connections and could be of interest to business creditors and customers.
Billy Robert Caudell of Abingdon filed for liquidation with assets of $28,378 and liabilities of $59,818. He trades as Biscuit Connection, a restaurant.
Fast Break Foods Inc., a restaurant at Vansant, filed for liquidation, estimating assets and liabilities at less than $50,000 each.
Diamond Coal Co. Inc. of Fincastle, a coal sales business, filed for liquidation with assets of $1,740,000 and liabilities of $280,646.
Darrell Cook of Big Rock, who is in the mining business, filed for business reorganization and protection from creditors. He estimated assets and liabilities at less than $50,000 each.
Charles W. Williams of Big Stone Gap, a self-employed laborer, filed for liquidation. He said he had no assets and liabilities of $17,025.
- Associated Press
Defense contracts
Two Western Virginia companies were awarded Defense Department contracts this week:
Litton Systems Inc.'s Poly-Scientific Division in Blacksburg won a $1.13 million contract from Robins Air Force Base in Georgia for equipment repairs.
Hercules Aerospace Co. of Radford won a $237,114 contract from the Army at Rock Island, Ill., for support services, and a $223,822 contract to install a dechlorination facility.
- States News Service
LENGTH: Medium: 85 linesby CNB