After 70 years, General Sign Co. closes its doors

EDITOR'S NOTE: The opening date of a business listed in this column has been corrected.

Thirty-one workers employed by General Sign Co. at 4857 Nash Road are now looking for new jobs after the company closed June 18. A few staff remain onsite working to finalize financial accounts.

Wayne Waldon, owner of Idyllic Enterprises, a quarter of a mile up Nash Road from General Sign, visited the facility last week to notify former workers that he has openings for clerical, shipping and sales positions.

Employees of General Sign received two weeks' severance pay.

Company spokesman Clay Otto said the decision to close was made by the company's 94-year-old owner who lives out of state. Otto declined to give the owner's name. However, records filed with the Missouri Secretary of State's office identify Lon J. Maxey as the company's registered agent.

General Sign opened in Cape Girardeau in 1939, according to its website. It manufactured custom outdoor illuminated signs at its Cape Girardeau facility. The company also had a sales office in St. Louis.

* New natural pet food store to open: Busch Pet Products will open July 1 at 121 S. Broadview St., No. 5, in Cape Girardeau.

Busch Pet Products has operated an online store for the past two years. Owner Stacy Busch-Heisserer also operates a pet-sitting service.

The new store will feature the entire line of NutriSource products as well as Pure Vita and Natural Planet Organics dog and cat foods. Primal Pet Foods, which is a raw-based diet for dogs and cats, also will be sold there.

"I will carry all-natural, holistic and organic products for dogs, cats and horses and I will be focusing on lots of U.S. and locally made products, such as Miss Autumn's Barkery," Busch-Heisserer said.

In addition to pet foods, Busch Pet Products will have toys, treats and chews, collars and leashes, shampoos, grooming supplies and supplements, the majority of which are made in the U.S.

For more information, visit www.buschpetproducts.com.

* Pink Squirrel to open on Good Hope Street: The former Ed's Bar at 519 Good Hope St. in Cape Girardeau is undergoing renovations and will reopen July 4 as Pink Squirrel.

The building was recently purchased by Scott McClanahan, and the new business is a partnership between McClanahan and Eldon Nattier, who also owns Rose Bed Inn bed and breakfast on Sprigg Street.

Pink Squirrel will be open seven days a week and will open at 11 a.m. daily, serving both lunch and dinner. The new restaurant and bar will include a theater area where comedians, bands and female impersonators will regularly perform, McClanahan said.

* Finance class set for Tuesday: SOTO Property Management will offer a class titled "Financing for Real Estate Investors" by finance expert and author Jeff Elias at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Show-Me Center. Registration is $10. The three-hour class will cover several topics including how to take advantage of tax laws, how to improve credit scores, underwriting, VA and FHA financing and more. Elias is the author of "Jeff Elias' Comprehensive Guide to Real Estate Finance," which has sold more than 250,000 copies nationwide. He owns more than $3 million worth of residential properties. For more information, call 332-7686.

* New teacher supply store to open: Classroom Connect will open July 17 at 2136 William St., Suite 140, in Cape Girardeau. The new store, owned by Jane and Larry Schnurbusch, will carry teacher supplies.

* Bag City opens Cape Girardeau store: Bag City recently opened at 21 S. Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau. Owner Roger Birk also owns Bag City in East Cape, Ill. The store features general merchandise, gifts and furniture.

Southeast Missourian business reporter Melissa Miller may be contacted at 388-3646 or mmiller@semissourian.com.