Business

Melissa Miller had a passport, but rarely used it. "I had never been out of the United States except for the Caribbean, which I don't really count," she said as she gazed over the twilight skyline of Barcelona, Spain, during an interview with the Missourian last week. "So it was a little crazy to take a job in a country and continent I had never been to."...

I had the good fortune of spending 10 days in Spain earlier this month, learning about that nation's rich history, fascinating culture and delicious food (I gained five pounds during the trip despite averaging more than 10,000 steps each day). My wife, Kathy, and I were part of a Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association tour group that visited Madrid, Cordoba, Toledo, Seville, Granada, Valencia and Barcelona. ...

The air is crisp, the leaves are falling and decorations are going up — holiday party planning season is here! Whether you’re in charge of planning parties for your family, friends or business, ensuring all the details are in place has the potential to be a stressful and expensive matter. It doesn’t have to be, though; with these three party-planning tips, help yourself enjoy the holidays this year as much as the guests you’re entertaining.

On Friday, Oct. 18, Southeast Missourian business editor Jay Wolz texted me and asked whether I would consider writing a guest column for the business section. He explained this would take the place of his normal column. After taking some time and careful consideration, I agreed to do so. ...

This story was originally published Oct. 8 in the Southeast Arrow. It was updated Nov. 8 to reflect the number of Hawk Sauce bottles sold. Students in the hospitality management program at Southeast Missouri State University are once again cooking up Cape Girardeau favorite Hawk Sauce to meet high consumer demand...

Most parents in the U.S. provide some sort of financial support to their adult children, multiple surveys have found. But often, financial aid goes the other way. A 2015 survey by TD Ameritrade found 13% of American adults provided financial support to a parent. ...

WASHINGTON -- Juul Labs said Thursday it will halt U.S. sales of its best-selling, mint-flavored electronic cigarettes as it struggles to survive a nationwide backlash against vaping. The voluntary step comes days after new government research showed Juul is the top brand among high schoolers who use e-cigarettes and many prefer mint...

If you woke up to a weird text that seemed totally out of place, you aren't alone. A mysterious wave of missives swept America's phones last week, delivering confusing messages from friends, family and the occasional ex. Friends who hadn't talked to each other in months were jolted into chatting. Others briefly panicked...

If you ask Steve Watkins who he is, he quickly answers, "I'm an artist. It's as simple as that." But Steve is not a "traditional" artist. You won't find his paintings on a wall, his sculptures in a gallery or his songs on an album. Instead, you will find his creations in the hands of some of the world's greatest chefs, as well as in the kitchens of people who simply want to use the same culinary tools as the professionals...

What do a local baseball team, food trucks and a children's museum have in common? Each one has roots in a team project developed as part of Leadership Cape. The seven-month-long Cape Chamber program marks 20 years of team projects in 2019. In the program, class participants visit businesses, schools and other organizations each month to learn how their community works. ...

The sign in front of the Pilot House restaurant says it was established in 1962 and the menus say it opened in 1961, but owner Jim Byrd says both those dates are wrong. Byrd has owned Pilot House since 1986 and, until recently, he also believed it opened in the early '60s. But a couple of weeks ago, he ran into a man who, as a teenager, worked at the Jaycee Golf Course just up the hill from the restaurant on Perryville Road north of the Cape Girardeau city limits...

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its September unemployment data last week for hundreds of metropolitan statistical areas across the nation, including the Cape Girardeau MSA. According to the BLS, the percentage of people in the area's workforce without employment stood at 2.4% in September, down 0.1% compared to August and a full percentage point lower than September 2018...

As the 30th year of Leadership Cape draws to a close, per tradition, Chamber members were presented an array of community improvement projects developed by Leadership Cape participants at First Friday Coffee. While several projects throughout the years have come to fruition, the goal of the projects is to improve leadership skills by intentionally exposing participants to the realities of working with different personality types...

A Rally's fast-food outlet is being built at 113 W. Jackson Blvd in Jackson near the intersection of South Hope Street on a lot formerly occupied by a Rhodes 101 convenience store. The Rally's will be operated by PAJCO Inc., the parent company of Rhodes 101. PAJCO president Jeff Maurer says he expects the Jackson Rally's to be up and running by November. Another location will open by the end of the year on North Main Street in Sikeston, Missouri...

While at the University of Missouri in 1974, we were required to take a P.E. course. Growing up in Poplar Bluff, we went swimming a lot in the Black River, private lakes, the Current River, Tenmile Creek and swimming pools, so I decided to take swimming for conditioning as a P.E. ...

"Good to Great" by Jim Collins offers many classic concepts that have helped me through my career. The concepts are not necessarily surprising, but they are backed by the evidence of a scientific study. Great companies are set apart from good businesses by focusing on disciplined people, disciplined thought, disciplined action and the flywheel. ...

Take a moment to consider the drummer. Like at a live show. Their function is fundamental; necessary. And when it's good, it keeps everything working as planned. It helps tease out the nuances of the larger body of work and adds a sense of emotional heft to the experience. It might even be so good that nobody really notices...

Halloween is big business. In fact, it's almost scary how much people (and goblins) will spend this year on candy, costumes, party supplies and decorations ranging from simple carved pumpkins to elaborate home accessories that will turn any ordinary dwelling into a spirit-filled haunted house...

The Scott City Plaza, the largest neighborhood shopping center in northern Scott County, has a new owner. Tom Kelsey of Lorimont Commercial Real Estate told me the sale was closed last week between the former owner, Rhodes Real Estate Partners, and the property's new owner, REAUPS Inc., a Cape Girardeau-based investment company...

NEW YORK -- For 50 years, the American Express "Green Card" has been the card many people wouldn't leave home without. Launched in 1969, the Green Card gave travelers a sense of importance they didn't feel carrying traveler's checks. For many people, it was their first AmEx card. Over time, however, the Green Card became neglected in favor of its fancier siblings, the Gold and Platinum Cards...

As outrage over the Volkswagen emissions-cheating scandal fades, the refurbished diesel vehicles are trickling back into the marketplace, and bargain hunters may want to snap them up. In 2015, Volkswagen was forced to either buy back or fix some 590,000 diesels after it was discovered they had been rigged to pass emissions tests. ...

We know shopping on Amazon can be convenient, but this holiday season, we’d like to remind you local businesses deliver far more for your dollar.

Laurie Everett and her husband, Rocky, purchased the property now known as The Indie House at 605 Broadway in Cape Girardeau in 2015. Now, Everett's vision for the building to house creative spaces in which different businesses operate out of different rooms of the historic property is reality: the building houses the quirky boutique Mother Earth, the niche gift boutique High Street Station, the trendy Brickwood Boutique and Fudio, a studio that offers cooking classes and tasting events...

There are a pair of maps on the wall in the front office at Erlbacher Gear & Machine Works in Cape Girardeau. One is a map of the United States. The other a map of the world. Both are adorned with hundreds of blue pushpins. Grayson Erlbacher smiles as she looks at the map, realizing each pin -- placed in virtually every region of the maps -- represents someplace where her father's "crazy idea" led to the sale of a unique device made in the Erlbacher machine shop...

Wednesday, November 6 Noon to 1:45 p.m. Catapult Creative House 621 Broadway Street Cape Girardeau The Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will host The Hult Prize, a competition that crowdsources ideas from MBA and college students after challenging them to solve a pressing social issue around topics such as food security, water access, energy and education. ...

If you ask fourth graders what they want to be when they grow up, you’ll likely hear answers such as “fireman” or “astronaut” and occasionally “professional basketball player.” But after taking part in a career exploration program last week, fourth-grade students at Jefferson Elementary School in Cape Girardeau might tell you they want to be a real estate agent, city planner, professional photographer or software developer. ...

I spent part of Saturday afternoon with hundreds of HAVCO Wood Products employees and their families as they celebrated the company's 40th anniversary with food, fun and plant tours. The company was founded by Cape Girardeau businessman Charlie Harris and his then-son-in-law Jim Vangilder (in case you're wondering, as I was, "HAVCO" stands for "Harris and Vangilder Company). ...

Credit cards are daily payment tools for many Americans, but yours probably also has unintended tactical uses you never thought of, such as slicing open birthday card envelopes your grandparents send. Of course, credit cards offer convenience, and some also feature perks such as an interest-free period or rewards, the points or miles earned on spending. And if you pay your bill diligently -- in full and on time each month -- credit cards help build your credit rating...

Several local physicians are combining their practices in a new multi-specialty medical practice set to open next month in Cape Girardeau. Alliance Health is scheduling appointments now for its primary care, internal medicine, pediatric and dermatology physicians. The practice at 304 S. Mount Auburn Road, will open Nov. 4. Its phone number to schedule appointments is (573) 803-3331...

The best business decisions are usually based on facts, and some of the best facts can be obtained through the U.S. Census Bureau. The Census Bureau, along with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Small Business Development Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus, will host a free workshop next week about the tools and research data available through the bureau...

If you're not familiar with SIM swap fraud, prepare to be terrified. This scam, also known as port-out or SIM splitting fraud, allows criminals to hijack your cellphone number. Once they have your number, the bad guys can clean out your financial accounts, confiscate your email, delete your data and take over your social media profiles...

The Cape Girardeau office of the Better Business Bureau, serving Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, presented its annual TORCH Awards at a reception Thursday night at the Drury Plaza Conference Center in Cape Girardeau. Two Cape Girardeau companies were recognized along with a not-for-profit charitable organization in Southern Illinois for what the Better Business Bureau described as their customer satisfaction and "commitment to exceptional business ethics."...

There's a new Hallmark store at an old Hallmark store location featuring a new twist on merchandising. Confused? Keep reading for the translation. Dana's Hallmark opened in early August in Cape Girardeau's Town Plaza Shopping Center in the former location of Carol's Hallmark, which closed last winter. Cape Girardeau's other Hallmark outlet, Kirlin's Hallmark, closed about two years ago...

Citing the company's mission to "nourish people's lives," Schnuck Markets Inc. announced last week it will end the sale of all tobacco products effective Jan. 1. The discontinued products will include cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, chewing tobacco and snuff. The St. Louis-based company, which operates a Schnucks supermarket at 19 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, will sell its existing inventory through the end of the year...

There’s one day out of the year there is truly no better time to become a member of the Cape Chamber. That day is the Membership Blitz.

I received a couple of interesting notes last week related to McDonald’s and specifically about McDonald’s franchise operations in this area. McDonald’s announced last week Amazon’s Alexa can now assist with the first step of a McDonald’s restaurant job application as part of the company’s new “McDonald’s Apply Thru” skill for the Alexa voice-activated assistant...

When Missourians approved the production, distribution and use of medical marijuana last year, they unwittingly triggered a lengthy list of business, economic and legal questions, according to a pair of cannabis industry experts who spoke last week on the Southeast Missouri State University campus....

NEW YORK -- Walmart's Sam's Club is teaming up with several health care companies to offer discounts on everyday care its customers might delay or skip because of the cost. Starting in early October, Sam's Club members in Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina will be able to buy one of four bundles of health care services ranging in annual fees from $50 for individuals to $240 for a family of up to six members. ...

Professional development is an important, ongoing part of business success. It should permeate all levels of organizations large and small. And while most employers would agree with the importance, many have come up short with sustained implementation.

Even as a child, Russell Amelunke had a knack for cooking, a knack which has led him to today's reopening of the Jackson Deli, 437 W. Main in Jackson. "I was always in the kitchen helping mom and grandma," he said. By the time he was in high school, Amelunke's interest in cooking and food preparation took him to the culinary program at the Career & Technology Center in Cape Girardeau, followed by Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky, where he studied professional catering...

I think Herb Taylor would be impressed. Herb came to Cape Girardeau in the mid-1970s from Worcester, Massachusetts, to join the faculty at Southeast Missouri State University where he helped create what many today consider to be the "voice" of the university, 90.9 KRCU-FM...

Veteran newspaper editor and former publisher Rick Fahr has been named managing editor of the Southeast Missourian, which he joined in 2018 as a copy editor. Fahr has managed newsrooms in several Arkansas communities including Russellville, Jonesboro, El Dorado and Conway. ...

Retirement experts frequently recommend working longer if you haven't saved enough. But you may not realize just how powerful a little extra work can be. Researchers who compared the relative returns of working longer versus saving more last year reached some startling findings. Among them :...

Employment in various business sectors in Cape Girardeau County generally mirrors statewide data, according to information presented by Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner at the chamber's Women's Network luncheon last week...

With the 2020 census scheduled to start in just a few months, the U.S. Census Bureau is "counting" on finding several hundred thousand temporary workers to conduct the count. "We're going to hire almost a million people nationwide," said Harry Niendorf, recruiting assistant with the Census Bureau in the Cape Girardeau area. Niendorf spoke last week about the bureau's employee recruitment efforts at a meeting of the Scott City Area Chamber of Commerce...

NEW YORK -- Walmart is rolling out a grocery delivery subscription service this fall as it races to gain an advantage in the competitive fresh food business. The service will charge an annual membership fee of $98 for subscribers to access unlimited same-day delivery, which will be offered in 1,400 stores in 200 markets. By year-end, it will extend to a total of 1,600 stores -- or more than 50% of the country...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Facebook is trying to coax "news deserts" into bloom with the second major expansion of a tool exposing people to more local news and information. But the social network confesses it still has a lot to learn. The social media giant said Thursday it is expanding its "Today In" service to 6,000 cities and towns across the U.S., up from 400 before...

Sifting through a credit card's terms and conditions can be daunting. The language isn't always straightforward, and it's not uncommon to feel lost. Two-thirds of consumers report fully understanding credit cards' rewards offerings, according to J.D. Power's 2019 Credit Card Satisfaction Study. And cardholder satisfaction with issuers' explanation of terms scored low in comparison to other card features and services...

Inc. Magazine tells us celebrating is very critical to success — even suggesting if you don’t celebrate, you are likely to burn out. Celebrating changes your physiology and psychology, strengthens your network and attracts more success.

A network of regional high schools has announced the creation of a foreign exchange program to let students study across the big pond: the Mississippi River. The program, dubbed IMAGINE (Illinois Missouri Association Guiding Interstate Noteworthy Exchanges), will allow high school students to live with a host family and experience life on the other side of the river...