Firm owned by former Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell's friend files for bankruptcy

ATLANTA - Samuel ``Rickey&#39;&#39; Rowe, a close friend of former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, whose R&D Testing and Drilling Inc. won more than $17 million in city work while Campbell was in office, has filed for bankruptcy. <br> <br> After Campbell left office in January, R&D&#39;s annual contract to test materials was put out for bids by the new administration. <br> <br> The company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, has debts of more than $500,000 and assets of less than $100,000, according to a bankruptcy petition filed last week in U.S. District Court. <br> <br> R&D&#39;s contract was renewed and extended through the eight years of Campbell&#39;s administration. Rowe won its most recent work an $8.4 million project to clean up contaminated soil at D.L. Stanton Park with the city taking bids. <br> <br> In 2000, federal authorities subpoenaed city records involving R&D, as well as records for DXD Construction, a company owned by Rowe&#39;s sister, Donna Heard, and records of Rowe Concessions, which Rowe&#39;s wife, Dorothy, heads. <br> <br> Rickey Rowe&#39;s attorney, Michael Bergin, acknowledged his client is a target of the federal investigation of Campbell and City Hall. <br> <br> R&D Testing and Drilling previously filed for bankruptcy in 1985. The firm emerged from bankruptcy in 1992 and in 1993 won a city contract to test materials for the city.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/6/193861