Best Buy opens doors

Best Buy has become South Iowa Street’s newest superstore retailer.

The electronics retailer opened for business Friday morning. Store manager Ann Marie Courchene said the opening attracted a large crowd.

“We knew a lot of customers in Lawrence were traveling to our stores in Topeka and Kansas City,” Courchene said. “We knew the demand was here. From the minute we opened the doors, we’ve been nonstop all day.”

Courchene said the store had about 200 employees to work the opening weekend, but normally the 30,000-square-foot store will employ 80 people. Among Friday’s employees were Woody Haur, pictured left, and Neil Howell.

Manufacturing

Honeywell to book $1.3 billion in new sales

Aerospace parts maker Honeywell International has signed new contracts worth $1.3 billion to provide commercial jet parts and services.

The agreements, with at least six major buyers, are for cockpit systems, engine parts, satellite communications gear, wheels, brakes and maintenance services.

None of the new orders, though, are expected to provide new work for Lawrence’s Honeywell manufacturing plant at 2920 Haskell Ave., a company spokesman said. The Lawrence plant manufactures traffic alert and collision aviation systems.

Distribution

Fleming may seek buyers for grocery division

Groceries distributor Fleming Cos., which filed for bankruptcy in April, said Friday it was exploring a possible sale of its grocery wholesale business as it closes underperforming units.

The company also said it has received “multiple expressions of interest” from potential financial and strategic buyers for its other key business, Core-Mark operations, a unit which Fleming bought in April 2002 to expand into the convenience store distribution market.

The Dallas-based company was founded in Topeka and still operates a major distribution center there. Former Kansas University Chancellor Archie Dykes is Fleming’s chairman.