DATE: Thursday, June 19, 1997               TAG: 9706190366

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D2   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   64 lines

LOCAL SCENE

NORFOLK

DAIRY QUEEN MOVES: The Dairy Queen on Military Highway has moved to 1209 N. Military Highway in the Broad Creek Shopping Center near the Target store.

LAW FIRMS MAY MERGE: The law firms of Richmond-based McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe and Atlanta-based Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy are discussing a merger. The proposed new firm would have approximately 600 attorneys, offices in nine U.S. cities and three international locations. McGuire, Woods has an office in Norfolk.

VIRGINIA BEACH

PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY WINS POPEYES CHICKEN CHICAGO ACCOUNT: The Chicaco franchise co-op of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits has chosen Hambright, Calcagno & Downing Advertising and Public Relations as its advertising agency. The account is valued at more than $2 million per year. Chicago is one of the largest Popeyes markets in the country with 75 restaurants. The advertising company will open an office in Chicago within the next month with three staff members.

PARKER AND LUST APPOINTED ADVISORY DIRECTORS AT BANK: John G. Parker Jr., president of Beach Chemical and Paper Co., and Joseph Lust, president of Joseph Lust Photographers Inc., were appointed advisory directors at the Bank of Tidewater's Lynnhaven office.

VIRGINIA

RICHFOOD REPORTS 30 PERCENT INCREASE FOR YEAR-END EARNINGS: Richfood Holdings Inc. reported record sales and net earnings for its fiscal year ended May 3. Net earnings for the 53-week fiscal year were $61.4 million, or $1.30 per share. This represents a 30.5 percent increase over net earnings of $47 million, or $1 per share, for the 52-week fiscal year ended April 27, 1996. Net earnings for the Richmond-based wholesale food distributor, including the effects of the extraordinary losses and merger and integration costs, were $59.5 million, or $1.26 per share, for fiscal 1997, compared to $37.1 million, or 79 cents per share, for fiscal 1996. Sales for fiscal 1997 were $3.41 billion, an increase of 4.9 percent over sales of $3.25 billion for fiscal 1996.

AMTRAK EXPANDING IN VIRGINIA: Amtrak's new Twilight Shoreliner will begin rolling through Virginia next month, connecting Richmond, Newport News, Fredericksburg and other cities with the Northeast. The train, which replaces the Night Owl, will pull modern Viewliner sleeper cars that will provide overnight service to travelers coming from as far away as Boston. Its sleepers will offer in-room movies, and there will be a first-class lounge car, roomy Custom Class coach cars and regular coach cars, said Amtrak spokesman Rick Remington. Dinner and breakfast will be served in the sleepers and in the lounge car.

HEILIG-MEYERS TO BUY MATTRESS RETAILER: Heilig-Meyers Co., the Richmond-based home furnishing giant, said it has signed a letter of intent to buy Mattress Discounters, the country's largest retail bedding chain. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. ``This helps Heilig-Meyers lock up even more market share in home furnishings,'' said Kenneth M. Gassman Jr., a retail analyst with Davenport & Co. ``It solidifies their No. 1 position in the country.'' It will be the fifth major acquisition for Heilig-Meyers since last year. Its largest purchase was the 106-store Rhodes Inc. chain. Heilig-Meyers operates 989 stores under the Heilig-Meyers, Rhodes, The RoomStore and Berrios names. ILLUSTRATION: Photos

Parker

Lust

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