The Daily News-Journal from Murfreesboro, Tennessee • 29

Sh? Satin Io)U Sunday May 11, 1997, U.yiTD8tfS il mm Torn Spigolon By Lisa Marchesoni Staff writer i I LI LJ of battle events that occurred at key locations" during the Civil War battle site, Peckham said. During the summer, the park -sponsors daily walks where the ranger discusses specific battles. Fortress Rosecrans shows the largest earthen fort of its kind built by Union forces during the Civil War to supply the march to Atlanta. A one-half mile interpretive trail includes five wayside exhibits which explain the significance of Fortress Rosecrans, describe the features that remain, display an (See Tourists, page 8D) Chamber President Ralph Vaughn said more than 13,000 employees work in the travel industry in Rutherford County, including motels, hotels, restaurants and service stations. Interest in the Civil War brings visitors to Stones River National Battlefield, Mona Vaughn noted.

Battlefield superintendent Mary Anne Peckham said more than 250,000 people toured the park during 1996. Visitation is up 22 percent through April this year. The majority of visitors tour the museum and drive the self-guided tour depicting a "vivid description Tourists pumped more than $100 million into Rutherford County's economy while attending attractions such as Stones River National Battlefield, Nissan, Sam Davis Home and livestock shows, chamber of commerce officials said. Mona Vaughn, Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce's tourism director, said latest figures from 1995 showed tourists spent $103.83 million that year, a 12 percent increase over the previous year. 1 The Sam Davis Home in Smyrna is one of the county's top tourist attractions.

i i Minnesota firm buys Paramount Packaging Some production She! By Clint CotfFEHR Staff writer Paramount Packaging's tion in Murfreesboro is changing now that the company has been purchased by the Minneapolis-based Bemis Co. However, some of the local operation will be transferred to Bemis' plant in Shelbyville because of space limitations at its local site on Samsonite Boulevard, officials said. "Wq are no longer Paramount Packaging," said Hal Pruett," human resources manager at the plant which makes and prints 1 product wrappings. "We are in the Banner Division of the Bemis Co. "We are going to transfer some of this operation to Shelby ville," Pruett said.

"The printing portion -will be transferred between now and the first of next year. 'The Shelbyville plant will become a focused, world-class said. The Shelbyville plant is expandable on three sides because the company owns 26 acres, Pruett said. Without such room here, the Murfreesboro plant can't be expanded. "We are, at least, going to keep the extrusion process here," Pruett said.

Sale of the company to Bemis for about $76 million was final- ized in February, officials said. Bemis bought Paramount's plants here and in Shelbyville; Longview, Texas; Lebanon; Chal-font, and in the United King- dom, said Bob Kleiber, director of investor relations for the BemiV Co. in Minneapolis, Minn. "Paramount was not very well capitalized, and we could bring financial resources that Paramount didn't have," Kleiber said. i "We're the largest flexible packaging company in North America," Kleiber said.

"We make packages for everything from bread to tortillas, snack food bags foil or clifT and candy bars." (See Paramount, page 8D) ByssEssRoso Housing permits take dive Permits for single-family home construction in Rutherford County took a nosedive last month when compared to April 1996. Murfreesboro saw an increase in its single-family permits while Smyrna, La Vergne and the county's unincorporated area saw downturns, according to a Daily News Journal analysis of building permits filed with the five reporting entities in Rutherford County. Countywide, building permits for single-family detached houses dropped 19 percent last month when compared to April 1996. Permits totaled 230 valued at $16,920,553 last month, compared to 286 valued at $21,566,641 in April 1996. However, last month's totals exceeded those of the same months of 1995 and 1994.

Single-family permits totaled 166 valued at $12.2 million in 1995 and, 186 valued at $12.5 million in April Average value of construction of a new house was $73,567 last month, down from $75,407 in April 1996. By comparison, average value was $73,493 in April 1995 and $67,204 in April 1994. Carl Summar, president of the Rutherford County Association of Home Builders, said last month's downturn compared to April 1996 can be attributed to the $750 development fee the Rutherford County Commission put into effect on July 1,1996. Since the fee was imposed, all monthly single-family housing totals except March 1997 have been decreases compared to the same month of the previous year, records have shown. "We don't want to sound like we told you so, Summar said.

Slight upticks in the interest rate, coupled with slight fee hikes -and increased labor costs, combine to put a major hit on the homebuilding industry, he said. However, single-family permits will likely increase again because of the cyclical nature of the business, Summar said. The county's unincorporated iarea recorded the highest number "of single-family permits, totaling 96 valued at $5,917,170 last month. However, that total, was down 'significantly from the April 1996 total of 134 valued at $8,116,326, but it was an increase from 57 valued at $3.57 million in April 1995. Average value of construction was $61,637 last month, compared to $60,569 in April 1996 and $62,761 in April 1995.

Murfreesboro was the only one of the reporting entities to see an increase. The county seat recorded 78 valued at $7,274,006 last compared' to 61 valued at $7,647,750 in April 1996; and 39 valued at $3.98 million in April 1995. Average value of construction was $93,256 last month, a big drop from $125,372 in April 1996 and $102,161 in April 1995. La Vergne recorded 32 valued at $2,236,377 last month, a drop from 41 valued at $2,367,749 in April 1996, and 40 valued at $2.3 million in April 1995. Average value of construction was $69,886 last month, compared to $57,749 in April 1996 and $58,237 in April 1995.

Smyrna recorded 24 valued at $1,493,000 last month, a decrease from 49 valued at $3,368,800 in April 1996, and 30 valued at $2.3 million in April 1995. Average value of construction was $62,208 last month, compared to $68,751 in April 1996 and $76,955 in April 1995. DNJ photo by J. Intintoti Viewing expansion Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce members and officials from the Singer Co. view plans and photos presented Thursday during the groundbreaking ceremonies for Singer's expansion.

Looking on, from left, are Chamber member Ron Crabtree, Singer Finance and Administration Director Brock Quails, former land owner Tommy Hord, Chamber Chairman Terry Haynes, Mayor Joe B. Jackson, Singer Vice President Mike Ferris, Singer President Jihad Heuseini, County Commissioner Steve Johns, and state Rep. John '-4, r. work Singer begins expansion New Jersey division relocating operations to enlarged plant and information systems, telemarketing operations and sophisticated technical support capabilities which will significantly enhance service to customers, Ferris said. Singer, headquartered in Markham, Ontario, has operations in more than 140 countries.

The company is the largest manufacturer and seller of consumer and industrial sewing machines and a leading retailer of consumer durable products for the home. Machines for the home sewer are manufactured in Taiwan, Brazil and Japan, while those machines for the apparel industry are manufactured in Japan. By Kay Hodge Staff writer Singer Sewing Co. has begun work to expand its Murfreesboro facilities and relocate its U.S. Consumer Products Marketing Operations here from Edison, N.J.

Groundbreaking for new construction of 15,500 square feet of office space and a warehouse addition was held Thursday. Refurbishing of the existing facility, which employs 86, also will take place. The 30-acre office and distribution complex owned and operated by Singer since 1957 is currently headquarters for the company's Druggist volume bill goes to gov tion," Ferris said. "It is somewhat ironic that 1997 represents the 40th year of Singer's presence in the community, and we are happy we have the opportunity to celebrate this anniversary year with an expansion," he said. He added that the consolidation of the two divisions will add 45 new marketing, finance and distribution positions.

Some of those positions will be filled by transfers, while others will be new hires, Ferris said. The new and refurbished facilities will house new showroom and technical support areas, as well as the latest state-of-the-art computer buying the savings would be passed on to the customer," Womack added. The changing face of modern health care has pitted independent pharmacists against major pharmacy chains, like Wal-Mart and Revco Drug Stores. Pharmacists had not been able to form buying consortiums because of anti-trust laws, which were enacted to prevent "Managed health care does not want to work with a thousand individual providers," independent pharmacist John Kinnard explained. "They want to work with a few large groups.

They want to make their business, which is delivering health care, as profitable as they can for themselves," he said. Forming buying consorliua-s North American Industrial Sewing Products Operations, and serves as a distribution site, officials said. The relocation of Singer's Consumer Products Marketing tions to die same facility will enable both marketing units to better serve their customers and more effectively achieve continued growth, said Mike Ferris, vice president and general manager of the Industrial Products division. Ferris noted that 1997 is the company's 40th year in the community. "The opportunity for our Consumer Products associates to join us in Murfreesboro is a very exciting one for the Singer organiza that they jvere having a problem competing with the major chain drug stores," Wom ack said.

"They needed some additional purchasing power. They said this legislation has been introduced and implemented in some other states, so we began the process here. "The bill would enable independent druggists to enter into a consortium to buy in volume, so they would qualify for discounts that many major chains would qualify for," he said. "By being able to purchase at a reduced amount, the independent druggist will have the inexpensive rate major chain stores receive, and tion, including state employees, have insurance issued through large, managed-care organizations. Requiring those people to use a preferred network pharmacy in order for them to be fully reimbursed for prescriptions will all but eliminate business at independent pharmacies, Kinnard explained.

The number of independent pharmacists has been decreasing, Kinnard said. In 1961, when I graduated, there were nothing but independents," Kinnard said. "Today, less than half of all pharmacies are independent The House bill conformed with the Senate bill, which was passed on April 21, and it will be forwarded to Gov Don Sundquist for his and passes into law. will reduce the number of indepen dent pharmacists health care providers have to work with. Health care organizations can deal with the consortium as a whole, instead of each independent pharmacist "If we are recognized by manufacturers, then we can hope to be recognized by health care," Kinnard said.

"Without the consortium bill, independent pharmacies will be an extinct species, particularly in Smyrna and Murfreesboro. "If the insurance company says, 'You either go where we tell you to, or we will not reimburse you 1 people are going to go to pharmacies where they will get fully reimbursed for their prescriptions," he added. A large portion of U.e "popula 'c By Lori Gray Staff writer NASHVILLE A bill allowing independent pharmacists to increase their volume buying power by forming buying consortiums was 'passed by the state House of Representatives Thursday and sent for the governor's signal ture. A group of independent pharmacists supported the bill which Sen. Andy Womack and Rep.

Mary Ann Eckles, both Murfreesboro Democrats, sponsored. The bill allows pharmacists to form buying consortiums to pur- 1 chase drugs, medical equipment and other supplies in bulk. "We have some local independent druggists in Rutherford County that came to me and indicated.