ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 7, 1996 TAG: 9608070022
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
WASHINGTON - The post office is about to post a profit of more than $1 billion for a second consecutive year, Postmaster General Marvin Runyon said Tuesday.
With eight weeks to go in the fiscal year, the Postal Service is $1.6 billion in the black, Runyon told the agency's governing board, meeting in Dearborn, Mich.
As late summer normally is a period of low mail volume, the agency is likely to see a decrease in that margin, officials said. But Runyon said the post office is likely to finish the year with its second-best net income in history, trailing 1995 with a profit of $1.8 billion.
The strong performance has allowed the Postal Service to reduce its outstanding debt from $6 billion to $2.7 billion, Runyon said.
The agency's financial performance was boosted when it raised rates Jan. 1, 1995, after losing money four years in a row.
-Associated Press
WJR Foods Inc. changes its name
BROADWAY - WJR Foods Inc. has bowed to customers' preferences and renamed its Wampler-Longacre Inc. subsidiary Wampler Foods Inc., company officials said Tuesday.
``We found that our consumers and trade partners simply refer to us as Wampler. Therefore, a simplified name and brand strategy only made sense,'' said James L. Mason, Wampler Foods president.
Wampler Foods has poultry processing plants in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
-Associated Press
Insurance company ends English policy
SACRAMENTO - Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. has agreed to drop a policy that requires potential customers to understand English in order to buy insurance.
The Milwaukee-based company agreed to the change in settling a class-action lawsuit by a 73-year-old Korean woman who was denied insurance because the company said she did not understand English.
Under the settlement, the company will pay $20,000 to Pok Dong Kim's family and $1,500 each to 100 other unnamed plaintiffs. It also agreed to sell and service its policies in 21 languages.
The class-action suit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, the Employment Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
-Associated Press
Briefly ...
Vista Eye Center in Salem has moved from East Burwell Street to 426 W. Main St. Vista Eye has 12 ophthalmologists at offices in Roanoke, Salem and Rocky Mount.
United Way of Roanoke Valley has been awarded a 1996 Threshold Award in the national Excellence in Quality Service competition sponsored by United Way of America. Examiners awarded UWRV 405 points, 90 percent of what was needed to win the bronze level award. Eight United Ways have received EQS awards.
LENGTH: Medium: 63 linesby CNB