1.  The effect of this provision is to deprive all employees other than the purchasing director of apparent authority to agree to variation of the terms.

2.  Bob Blum, City of Houston purchasing director, was more optimistic than many of his counterparts.

3.  John Cioffi of Hialeah, Fla., a purchasing director, assumed his insurer would pay a minor medical bill for his son Erik.

4.  Trae Cyrus, the purchasing director for Gourmet Garage markets in Manhattan, said prices are not decreasing by any great amount because of Ocean Spray.

5.  In January, prosecutors ended a three-year inquiry into Lopez, a purchasing director, after accusations from GM.

6.  A German prosecutor has brought charges against former Volkswagen purchasing director Jose Ignacio Lopez, accused by General Motors and Opel of industrial espionage, Opel said Wednesday.

7.  Attention was concentrated on reports that the purchasing director at Volkswagen, Jose Ignacio Lopez de Arriortua, was about to resign.

8.  Ed La Varnway, an analyst with First Albany, said the release Wednesday of the national index of purchasing directors could provoke similar market nervousness.