Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 6, 1993                   TAG: 9311060052
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LON WAGNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MORE JOBS FOR ROANOKE

Crouse-Hinds said 100 jobs would be created in Roanoke when it moves the operations from Syracuse, N.Y., and Chicago. The project could be completed by June.

Cooper Industries, which owns the electrical-device manufacturer, on Sept. 8 announced plans to bring 70 jobs to the former Gardner-Denver building when it installed Crouse-Hinds' distribution center there. That operation is expected to begin by January.

The 325,000-square-foot building, built for Gardner-Denver's industrial equipment factory in 1983, was the first in Roanoke's Centre for Industry and Technology. Cooper was preparing to sell the building when it decided to convert it to a warehouse for its Crouse-Hinds division.

By bringing its assembly operations and distribution center together, Crouse-Hinds has significantly increased its stake in Roanoke, said Beth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership.

"When you see them bringing in assembly, we're headed in the right direction," she said. "That could be more jobs down the line."

"I'm thrilled to death," said Phil Sparks, acting chief of economic development for Roanoke. "I think initially everyone felt like when they announced 70 jobs for distribution, that was an underuse of the building. To have this assembly division moving in there, that's fantastic."

Crouse-Hinds officials were unavailable to comment on how much work would be needed to prepare the building for the assembly operation.

"There's construction and cranes and bulldozers all over the place out there," Sparks said, "and it looks great."

The company did not disclose pay rates for the new jobs.

Crouse-Hinds is a division of Houston-based Cooper Industries, the $6.5 billion company that last year sold its Gardner-Denver Mining & Construction unit to Reedrill Inc. of Sherman, Texas. Reedrill moved the 400-employee operation to Texas.

Crouse-Hinds said it chose Roanoke for its distribution center because it was within a day's drive of most of its customers. Its electrical fittings and industrial lighting assemblies are used in mines, on offshore oil rigs and in chemical plants, many of which are on the Gulf Coast.

Sparks said the Crouse-Hinds announcement will add to the growing expansion activity at the city's industry and technology park off U.S. 460. He quickly tallied $31 million worth of action at the industrial park: Orvis Co.'s $3 million expansion, Transkrit Corp.'s $8 million in construction and Vitramon Inc.'s $20 million in construction.