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

DATE: TUESDAY, March 1, 1994                   TAG: 9403010089
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: LEIGH ALLEN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MARRIOTT, W&L TALK MAINTENANCE

Washington and Lee University has ordered an outside contractor to look for ways to save money in its buildings and grounds departments. But the Lexington school insists its 100 buildings and grounds employees are in no danger of losing their jobs.

Larry Broomall, university treasurer, said Marriott Management Services, a division of the international hotel chain company, visited the campus last week. Marriott employees dissected the university's $3.5 million annual utilities and maintenance budget and toured the campus looking for areas where they could save money.

But Broomall said chances are slim that Washington and Lee will hire Marriott to run its buildings and grounds department. Even if that did happen, Broomall said, no employees would lose their jobs or take cuts in pay or benefits.

"We made that clear from the start," he said. "The only way we would go with Marriott or any other firm would be if we held on to our employees."

Broomall said he recently met with buildings and grounds employees after rumors circulated that Marriott would eliminate many of their jobs if given a contract. He assured them the rumors were not true.

Broomall also said he believes buildings and grounds is a tightly run ship.

Two of the largest items in the buildings and grounds budget are employee salaries and utilities for the university's 64 buildings. Reducing salaries is not an option Broomall will consider. And he said Buildings and Grounds Superintendent Jim Arthur has been "on the cutting edge" of keeping the university's utility bills down by contracting for natural gas at wholesale prices.

"[Marriott] is spending its own money to come in here and make a proposal," Broomall said. "So obviously they think they can save us money somewhere. But I don't know where that will be."

Broomall invited Marriott to campus because Arthur will retire in the summer after 30 years with the university. In searching for a replacement, Broomall said he could not ignore the option of considering an outside contractor.

"It's purely good business practice," he said. "We have to look at all the alternatives."

by CNB