WH Smith Buys U.S. Airport Bookstores.(Brief Article)

IN SUPPORT OF its mission to raise its visibility in the U.S., the British bookstore chain WH Smith has bought the Benjamin Company for [pounds]12 million ($19 million). Owned by Robert Creuz, the stores sell books, newspapers and gifts at 17 major airports, including Dallas--Fort Worth, San Francisco, New York's LaGuardia, Boston and Seattle. In the year ending December 31, 1999, Benjamin had I an operating profit of $3.6 million on sales of $26.2 million. Announcing the deal, WHS chief executive Richard Handover said, "It gives us a major …