St. Louis-based Interco Inc. has stepped up...

St. Louis-based Interco Inc. has stepped up its bid to acquire Lane Co. of Altavista, Va., by launching a tender offer for the furniture maker of $55 a share, or $441.6 million . . . Bank of America will sell its Canadian mortgage subsidiary, which holds about $250 in residential mortgages in Ontario and Quebec, to Montreal Trustco . . . Craig Corp. said it has acquired 1.75 million additional shares of the common stock of Stater Bros., bringing its holdings to about 48% of Stater’s outstanding stock . . . Swiss chocolate maker Jacobs Suchard Ltd. said it agreed to acquire E. J. Brach Corp., a manufacturer and marketer of packaged bulk candies, from American Home Products for undisclosed terms.