MARK KARNES, GARY & ERIC HADLEY, RON COCHRAN

CEO Mark Karnes and partners, Gary Hadley, Eric Hadley, and Ronald Cochran have announed the purchase of 703 Campbellsville Road from Mitchell and May Coomer.

The building, formerly occupied by C & C Electronics, is being remodeled and divided into two large offices.

Diversified Marketing has from Burkesville Street to one of the offices, and the group says that a contract should be signed shortly on the other.

"This is the hottest part of Columbia," Gary Hadley said. "The traffic is good and this part of town is really improving faster than any other."

Diversified is only the latest to join in a snowballing move to North Columbia. Land and building costs have not reached the $200,000-plus per acre for some Jamestown Street locations, but land near the proposed site of the proposed bypass intersection with Campbellsville Road has been offered at $25,000 an acre.

The Hadleys and Cochran are recent partners in Diversified, which now has five main profit centers: 1) Cellular One sales, 2) Dish Network sales, 3) Primestar sales, and 4) newly added electrical contracting specializing in trailer hookups, and 5) the soon to be added equipment and tool rental center.