Business Briefs

ACME CONTRACTORS OPENS CAPE OFFICE

St. Louis-based Acme Contractors is now leasing a 6,376-square-foot building at 2380 E. Outer Road across from Cape Girardeau Regional Airport in northern Scott County. A spokesperson for Acme, a 100% employee-owned and managed specialty construction company founded in 1947, said the company “delivers highly complex projects for manufacturing, food and beverage, airports, automotive, bulk handling systems, power, industrial, chemical, precast and steel erection, clean room and pharmaceutical industries. ”

CAPE COUNTY TO GET NEW ROUNDABOUTS

Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is planning to build a $750,000 traffic roundabout at Highway 25 and Route K in Gordonville. A meeting to receive public input was held Tuesday, Dec. 4 . The city of Jackson expects to build a roundabout in 2024 at North High Street (U.S. 61) and East Deerwood Drive, which will be the city’s third traffic circle . The city of Cape Girardeau has seen the construction of four roundabouts between 2001 and 2016.

NEW DIRECTOR NAMED

Red Cross of Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas (SEMO NEAR), based in Cape Girardeau, has a new leader. Amanda Smith, who holds a law degree from University of Arkansas-Little Rock, is SEMO NEAR’s new executive director.

SOUTHEAST HEALTH, SAINT FRANCIS WIN AWARDS

Missouri Hospital Association, at its 100th annual convention held Nov. 2 to 4 in Osage Beach, Missouri, recognized SoutheastHEALTH and Saint Francis Healthcare System with Show Me Excellence marketing awards. SoutheastHEALTH won 16 awards: seven first-place, seven second-place and two third-place recognitions. Saint Francis won 18 awards: five first-place, 10 second-place and three third-place recognitions.

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE TO HOLD 2023 AWARDS BANQUETS

Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, which by tradition holds its annual awards dinner in the fall of each year, will instead delay its 2022 event until 2023. Rob Gilligan, chamber president and CEO, said the banquet will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, March 31, at the Show Me Center. Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual banquet Friday, Jan. 13, at the Jackson Civic Center.

SCOTT CITY LAWMAKER WINS TOP MISSOURI HOUSE POST

State House GOP representative Jamie Burger of Benton (D-148) was elected Wednesday, Nov. 9, as assistant majority floor leader by his colleagues in Jefferson City, Missouri. Burger, who has served in the General Assembly since 2021, was tapped for the No. 4 leadership position in the state legislature’s lower chamber, and Burger will help coordinate the legislative calendar to determine which bills make it to the floor for debate. Also from Southeast Missouri, Rep. Hardy Billington, District 152 Republican from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was elected Wednesday as House Majority Whip.

JACKSON OFFICE FOR FOOD BANK TO OPEN BY YEAR END

Southeast Missouri Food Bank officials announced staff will be operating out of its new 18,500-square-foot Jackson satellite office, before the end of the year, at 4536 E. Jackson Blvd. The building, formerly Sappington Pro Outdoor, was purchased by the Sikeston-based food bank through grant funding and reserve funds. Scott City’s Coast to Coast Signs has erected outdoor signage at the Jackson site. As many as five full-time staff will be employed at Jackson, with one employee — responsible for community outreach and Medicaid assistance — transferring to the Cape Girardeau County location.“We have a $300,000 capital campaign underway for renovations to Jackson,” said food bank’s Heather Collier. A formal grand opening for SEMO Food Bank-Jackson will be held in early 2023.

SCHNUCKS INTRODUCES NEW SERVICE

Family-owned and St. Louis-based Schnucks is offering a new 30-minute delivery service in all its 112 stores, including Cape Girardeau. Schnucks said it is partnering with Instacart to introduce its online “Schnucks Now” program, ideal for smaller orders, during regular store hours.

JACKSON BURGER KING RAZED, NEW ONE TO BE BUILT

Burger King restaurant at 2235 E. Jackson Blvd. (U.S. 61), which first opened in late 1986, was razed Oct. 24, 2022, as owner Midamerica Hotels plans to put a newer version of the franchise in its place no later than March 2023. “Because of the building’s age and a desire for an updated style, we made the decision to demolish and build new,” said John Drury, Midamerica Hotels’ vice president of construction. Drury said the more than $1 million project will actually take up a slightly smaller footprint — 3,315-square-feet — compared to the former build out of 3,375 square feet.

ENTERPRISE OPENS NEW OFFICE IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

Enterprise Truck Rental opened its first location in Cape Girardeau at 2080 Rusmar St. in October. According to a news release, the new local truck rental office is Enterprise’s 10th location in Missouri and one of 500 combined across the U.S. and Canada. Enterprise’s business plan calls for opening at least one new branch weekly for 60 consecutive weeks in order to “meet rising demand for seasonal, project-based and e-commerce delivery rentals, as well as vehicles for personal truck rental needs.”

MAJOR REMODELING COMPLETED FOR CAPE EATERY

Culver’s, a restaurant in operation at 295 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau since 2008, underwent a substantial remodel in late October and the eatery was closed for the better part of a week, according to co-owner Rick Geis. Geis, who owns the local Culver’s with his wife, Barb, and son Aaron, said the restaurant, which employs 60 workers, got updated equipment, including a new grill and a new frozen custard machine.“We’ll also have a new drive-thru ordering system and a new sign out front,” Geis added.

PERRY COUNTY-BASED BUCHHEIT MAKES ACQUISITIONS

Buchheit Family of Companies, headquartered in Perry County, Missouri, has announced the acquisition of 12 retail locations formerly owned by Orscheln Farm & Home. Orscheln’s Cape Girardeau store is not included in Buchheit’s purchase. “We’re excited to grow our footprint in the Midwest to serve customers who enjoy the simpler life we love,” Buchheit CEO Eric Hasty said. A Buchheit news release said the 12-store acquisition will take the company into Kentucky, Arkansas and Nebraska. Buchheit said they intends to keep all Orscheln employees in those locations. The dozen Orscheln outlets purchased by Buchheit are part of a set of stores that must be divested by Brentwood, Tennessee-based Tractor Supply Co. — who now owns Orscheln — in order to adhere to Federal Trade Commission rules. Buchheit currently operates stores in Missouri and Illinois.

KNEER RETIRES FROM SOUTHEAST MISSOURIAN

Mark Kneer, longtime circulation director of the Southeast Missourian, retired Oct. 28, 2022. K neer’s service with the Missourian began in 1993. Joyce Cliff has been named Kneer’s successor.

KROGER BUYS GROCERY COMPETITOR

Kroger has announced it will buy grocery competitor Albertsons for $24.6 billion, a move combining the nation’s two largest supermarket chains. In Southeast Missouri, Kroger has a store in Poplar Bluff. The Cincinnati-based conglomerate also owns Ruler Foods, a discount chain carrying mostly Kroger merchandise, which has a store at 2103 William St. in Cape Girardeau. Albertsons had a 56,540-square-foot Cape Girardeau store at 2126 Independence St. from Feb. 21, 2001, to March 22, 2002. The 24-hour market, employing 170 people, closed after 13 months because of what a company spokesman at the time called “unprofitability.” The former Albertsons site is now occupied by Healthpoint Fitness.The current deal requires scrutiny and approval by federal antitrust regulators. Albertsons, which went public two years ago, merged with Safeway in 2015 and then unsuccessfully tried to merge with pharmacy chain Rite Aid in 2018.

MAJOR CHICK-FIL-A EXPANSION IN CAPE

Chick-fil-A restaurant at 3333 Gordonville Road in Cape Girardeau, near Saint Francis Medical Center, is expanding its operation after acquisition from Drury Southwest of an adjacent parcel formerly occupied by an AT&T store. Brian House, owner and operator of the Cape eatery, said a new dual lane pathway, capable of holding 80 cars, will be able to queue up to the drive-thru, once exterior alterations are completed by Jan. 1. House, who said the interior of the restaurant will be unaffected by the changes, noted 119 people, both full time and part time, are employed at his eatery. College Park, Georgia-based Chick-fil-A, one of America’s largest fast-food chains, has 2,836 restaurants under its banner with locations in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.