FOR THE
              RECORD        

      By Catherine Leitch

This report is compiled from company releases, business journals and newspapers from around the state. If you have an item for these listings, mail it to Catherine Leitch at VIRGINIA BUSINESS, 411 East Franklin Street, Suite 105, Richmond, Va. 23219, e-mail it to ForTheRecord@va-business.com, or fax it to (804) 649-6311.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Gloucester-based Commonwealth Communications Inc.'s cable television systems, serving communities near Gloucester, New Kent, West Point and King and Queen counties, will be purchased by Atlanta-based Cox Communications. Terms were not disclosed.

Norfolk-based FHC Health Systems, a social and behavioral health care provider, acquired a controlling interest in Norfolk-based Sta-Stat, a division of American Medical Services that delivers data to medical personnel. Terms were not disclosed.

Manassas-based Frontier Technologies Inc., a network software solutions company, was acquired by Vancouver, Wash.-based GWI Software, a software development company, for an undisclosed amount.

Gannett Co., an Arlington-based broadcasting and publishing company, acquired KXTV, an ABC affiliate in Sacramento, Calif., and will receive other consideration in exchange for KVUE-TV, an ABC affiliate in Austin, Texas. Terms were not disclosed.

Goodman & Co., a Norfolk-based accounting and technology services firm, and Roanoke-based Norton and Associates, an accounting company, have merged their practices. Terms were not disclosed.

Landmark Education Service, a division of Norfolk-based Landmark Communications Inc., acquired Certified Careers Institute, a Salt Lake City-based computer training school. Terms were not disclosed.

Maximus Inc., a McLean-based government service company, acquired Control Software, a software development company in Wayne, Pa. The deal was a stock swap that gave Control Software shareholders approximately 700,000 shares of Maximus common stock for $33 a share.

PRA International Inc., a Vienna-based company that provides clinical trials, management and biostatistics, acquired Valorum-UK, a contract research organization based in the United Kingdom. The amount was not disclosed.

DEALS

Newport News Shipbuilding, SAIC form new company

Newport News Shipbuilding and San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp. will form a partnership to offer fleet services to the U.S. Navy. The new company will be headquartered in Virginia Beach and will be called Amsec LLC.

The company will initially employ 1,500. Amsec will provide logistics and lifecycle services for aircraft carriers, submarines, surface combatants and amphibious and auxiliary ships around the world.

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Fairfax-based HCL James Martin Inc., an Internet services provider, and Wang Global, a Billerica, Mass.-based technology services company, formed a partnership to market information technology services to commercial customers.

MC Direct, a San Diego-based direct-marketing company, announced a partnership with InterAct Response Communications, a Virginia Beach-based direct-marketing firm specializing in services to the Christian nonprofit market. The companies aim to expand their market segments.

NEW PLANTS AND COMPANIES

America Online selects Prince William for tech center

America Online, a Dulles-based interactive services company, has selected Prince William County as the site for its new technology center. The 220,000-square-foot facility will be built on 25 acres in the Battlefield Business Park.

The company expects to hire 175 employees to staff the new location and will invest $400 million for programmable computer equipment. AOL also has technology centers in Dulles and Reston.

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Icicon Electronics India Ltd. will build a plant to manufacture multi-layer ceramic chip capacitors in Buchanan County. The $2.5 million investment will create 80 new jobs.

Rowe Furniture Co., an upholstered-furniture manufacturer, plans to open a new facility in Montgomery County. The $15 million operation will create 170 jobs over the next three years.

Tritex LLC, a manufacturer of insulation materials based in Richmond, has chosen Grayson County as the site for its manufacturing operations plant. The $4.4 million investment will create 30 jobs.

EXPANSIONS

America Online plans to construct two new buildings worth $80 million at the company's headquarters in Loudoun County. The facilities will total 400,000 square feet and will house 1,200 new employees.

Sytel Systems & Telecommunications plans to expand its facility in Fairfax County. The $1 million investment will create 300 new jobs.

CUTBACKS & CLOSINGS

Albemarle County-based Comdial Corp., an integrated communications products provider, laid off 29 employees in its manufacturing sector due to personnel restructuring.

EXECUTIVE PROMOTIONS

Brian J. Harker, president and COO, Dimon Inc., a Danville-based tobacco company.

Alexander J. Krekich, president and COO, United States Marine Repair, a non-nuclear ship repair, conversion and modernization company in Norfolk.

Ronald L. Schillereff, executive vice president and CEO, American Management Systems, a Fairfax-based information technology consulting firm.

DIRECTORS

William F. Shumadine Jr., Northern Neck Insurance Co., an Irvington-based property and casualty company.

CONTRACTS

Intellisys Technology Corp., Fairfax: $300 million from the U.S. Army personal computer fund for computers and software.

Maximus Inc., McLean: $56 million to provide managed care enrollment services for the state of Massachusetts' health benefit management program.

Milvets Systems Technology, Lanham: $32.9 million from the Treasury Department for telecommunications services.

Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles: $23 million to build a scientific satellite for the University of Colorado.

Zimmerman Associates Inc., Vienna: $20 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to manage and maintain information and map distribution services.

© May 1999, Media General Business Communications, Inc.
publisher of Virginia Business Magazine