Business Briefs

ZIGGIE'S CAFE CLOSES

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Ziggie's Cafe, located at the Holiday Inn, closed Dec. 27 without explanation. It had only been open since Feb. 26, 2009. Jackie Hubbard, manger of Holiday Inn, said approximately 30 Ziggie's employees were affected by the closure. The hotel is looking for another restaurant.

MODOT EARNS SERVICE AWARD

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation's ability to deliver more highway construction projects without adding full-time employees earned the department the 2009 Optimas Award for Service from Workforce Management magazine. The award recognizes MoDOT's aggressive efforts to reduce employee sick leave and increase staff attendance. Optimas Awards are presented to companies across the globe in recognition of workforce management initiatives that directly improve business results. All winners were featured in the December issue of Workforce Management and at www.workforce.com.

EDWARD JONES CELEBRATES OPENING

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for Randi Allgood's branch of Edward Jones, 1314 First St.

WIRELESS EXPERTS HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Wireless Experts, 115 S. Westwood Blvd., held a ribbon cutting with the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce.

AG EXPO COMING TO P.B.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Ag Expo 2010 has been scheduled for Jan. 22 and 23 at the Black River Coliseum. This marks the 24th year of Ag Expo, sponsored by the Butler County University of Missouri Extension Council and the Ag Club of Three Rivers Community College. There will be 118 booths for visitors to learn about agriculture and natural resources, as well as music, seminars, contests, a petting farm and more. The free event will be held Friday, Jan. 22, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information or to purchase booth space, contact the University of Missouri Extension Center, 222 N. Broadway, Poplar Bluff, call (573) 686-8064 or visit www.extension.missouri.edu/butler.

COUNTY WIDE HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

DEXTER, Mo. -- County Wide Abstract & Title held a ribbon cutting Dec. 11 to celebrate the completion of renovations at its facility in downtown Dexter. The building now has an entrance facing Stoddard Street and the interior has been redesigned.

LOAN SERVICE OPENS ON SPRIGG

A payday and title loan service and auto detail service shop opened in Cape Girardeau. Cash 4 Less and Ace Auto Detail are both located at 41 N. Sprigg St. Owner Scott McClellan also owns Cash 4 Less at 2616 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson. He hopes to add an auto consignment business to the Cape Girardeau property.

MCDOWELL HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

The Jackson Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Dec. 9 at McDowell South Outdoors, 2929 Sappington Drive, Jackson.

SHOE DISTRIBUTION CENTER TO CLOSE

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- Brown Shoe Distribution Center of Fredericktown will close its doors Jan. 31. According to company spokesperson Erin Conroy, the company announced Nov. 30 that it would close the center and permanently lay off the 43 associates employed there. Conroy said the closing is part of a process improvement plan that involves realigning distribution to increase delivery speed. In March 2009, the company decreased capacity at Fredericktown to handle only return goods and processing; 59 employees were laid off at that time.

Brown Shoe, founded in 1878, had been part of the Fredericktown workforce since it was purchased from Spalsbury-Steis Shoe Company in 1950. At its peak, the company employed about 600 workers in Fredericktown.

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR FORMS AVAILABLE

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 2010 University Educator of the Year. Forms are available at the chamber office, 1267 N. Mount Auburn Road, or www.capechamber.com/onlineforms/Educatorsform.aspx. Nominations will be accepted until Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. The Educator of the Year Banquet will be held in May. Finalists receive a crystal apple, $500 and a commemorative video.

CENSUS BUREAU SEEKS WORKERS

The U.S. Census Bureau will hire up to 1,000 people in the area to fill temporary positions. Bureau officials said Dec. 10 they were interviewing candidates for 2010 census office and field positions in a 25-county region in southern Missouri. Pay ranges from $18 to $30 an hour for managers and from $8.50 to $15 an hour for nonmanagerial staff. The census begins in March. For information about the positions, call 866-861-2010 or visit www.2010census.gov.

PHOTO STUDIO OPENS

Photography by Sheena opened at 19B N. Spanish St. in downtown Cape Girardeau.

SCHULTZ SENIOR APARTMENTS OPEN

The transformation of Cape Girardeau's first public high school into senior housing is complete. Thirty occupants moved into Schultz Senior Apartments, 101 S. Pacific St., when it opened Dec. 14. Sixty-six percent of the building is leased to qualifying applicants. The building has 21 one-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom units. In October 2007, developer Chad Hartle was awarded $600,000 in state and federal tax credits annually for 10 years to help finance the renovation of the building. In July the project was awarded a $250,000 grant tied to Cape Girardeau's participation in the Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri Initiative.

EBAY BUSINESS OPENS IN JACKSON

Robert Heyden opened Robert's Nick-Nacks, 117 W. Main St., Jackson. Heyden uses eBay to sell items for customers and receives a small percentage of profits from each sale.

JACKSON STREETSCAPE COMPLETED

A ribbon cutting was held Dec. 17 to celebrate the completion of a streetscape project in uptown Jackson. Improvements on a section of High Street between Main and Adams streets include historic lighting, cobblestone sidewalk pavers, bike racks, benches and trash receptacles.

DESE ANNOUNCES PERFORMANCE AWARDS

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced Distinction in Performance awards. Out of 523 public schools in the state, 319 received the award, which is based on the Missouri Assessment Program. Area districts receiving the award are Altenburg, Bell City, Cape Girardeau, Chaffee, Delta, Jackson, Kelso, Leopold, Meadow Heights, Nell Holcomb, Oak Ridge, Oran, West County (Park Hills), Woodland and Zalma.

LAWYER STARTING OWN PRACTICE

Cape Girardeau lawyer Bryan Greaser is opening his own legal office at 1353 N. Mount Auburn Road, Suite D. He planned to open for business by early January.

AGENCIES RECEIVE GRANTS TO HELP HOMELESS

Homeless assistance programs in Southeast Missouri received almost $1 million in grants to help women with children, the homeless and the disabled, among others, find transitional and permanent housing. The grants, announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, are part of the Continuum of Care program to alleviate and end homelessness. Grants include $186,389 to Community Caring Council, Cape Girardeau, for its Supportive Housing Lease Assistance Program; $137,627 to Family Counseling Center Inc. for the Cape Girardeau Women and Children Safe Haven Program; $124,575 to Family Counseling Center Inc. for SEMO's Homeless Disabled; $135,780 to Family Counseling Center Inc. for SEMO SafeHaven in Kennett, Mo.; $116,657 to Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation/Bootheel House of Progress Permanent Housing, Portageville, Mo.; $149,719 to Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation/Bootheel House of Progress Transitional Housing, Portageville, Mo.; and $108,576 to Missouri Department of Mental Health's Bootheel Area Shelter Plus Care Tenant Rental Assistance program.

TWO CAPE BUSINESSES CLOSE

A video game club and sandwich shop are the latest businesses to shut their doors in Cape Girardeau. Playmoors, which opened in West Park Mall in early November, closed after a month in operation. Blimpie ceased operations at 1001 Broadway; the owner still has stores in Advance, Mo., and at 3036 William St., Cape Girardeau.

BONNE TERRE CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- The Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the Bonne Terre License Office; the chamber took over the office in mid-October.

CREDIT UNION HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- A ribbon cutting was held at the new Leadco Community Credit Union facility, 551 E. Karsch Blvd.

DONUT HAWG HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- Donut Hawg owners Mary Motsinger and Jennifer and Byron Ratliff celebrated a ribbon cutting at their new business.

CUSTOM HOME HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Custom Home Entertainment, 1117 Maple St., held a ribbon cutting. The business, owned by Erin and Bill Beard and managed by Donnie Zavala, offers flat panel TV sales and installation, surround sound systems and home theater systems.

HOLIDAY INN EARNS AWARD

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites of Farmington was selected for the 2008 Best of Farmington Award in the Hotels and Motels category by the U.S. local Business Association (USlBA). The USlBA "Best of local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country each year, identifying companies that achieved exceptional marketing success in their community and business category.

CONVENIENCE STORE OPENS

Since late July, crews have worked on rebuilding a convenience store at 865 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. The project is scheduled for completion in early January, according to Midwest Energy owner Laura Younghouse. The 3,000-square-foot store replaces the Amerimart that was damaged by the January 2009 ice storm. The new store will have a large selection of coffee, healthy food choices and a drive-thru window.

FREDERICKTOWN LICENSE OFFICE AWARDED

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- The Fredericktown License Office was awarded to Lee Agencies LLC. The company is associated with incumbent agents Kenneth and Deborah Lee of Fredericktown, who have been involved with running the office since 2005. Their bid was one of three submitted; a 2 percent return to the state was included. The office will remain at its current location, 135 W. Main St.

ROZIER AWARDED LICENSE CONTRACT

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Joe Rozier will continue to run the Ste. Genevieve motor vehicle license office. The state awarded the contract Dec. 3. The new contract runs Dec. 17, 2009, through Dec. 16, 2010. Rozier has run the office since 2005 and applied to renew his contract in June.

UNITED WAY RECEIVES GRANT

United Way of Southeast Missouri received a $50,000 grant to fund a plan to increase parent involvement in the Cape Girardeau School District. The organization was one of 15 nationwide to receive a Family Engagement for High School Success grant from AT&T and United Way Worldwide. Funds will go toward United Way's LIFE Initiative, which funds programs in Cape Girardeau and Jackson schools. The goal will be to increase participation in the LIFE Initiative's education programs for parents. The grant continues until May.

UPDATES

P.B. LICENSE BUREAU TO BE REBID

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Bidding was to be reopened for the Poplar Bluff License Bureau by the end of December. The office's current contract was awarded to Alternative Opportunities in September. The state said the Springfield-based not-for-profit lost contracts to run all 10 of its Missouri license bureau locations. They will remain open under the direction of Alternative Opportunities until the new bidding process is complete. AO submitted incomplete information concerning the locations' proposed contract manager, which was the group's chief financial officer, according to the Missouri Department of Revenue. The executive named, though associated with AO for many years, was being paid by WD Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Providence Service Corp. Contract rules bar subcontractors from handling the main functions of offices. Reggie McElhannon, spokesman for AO, said the organization was not trying to hide anything and plans to rebid for the contract.

FORMER SUPERFUND SITE SOLD

An Oak Ridge concrete contractor purchased the former Missouri Electric Works property in Cape Girardeau. According to Tom Kelsey, commercial broker with Lorimont Place Ltd., Glen Fronabarger of Fronabarger Concreters will redevelop the 6.5-acre site at 824 S. Kingshighway to include storage units.

STEVIE'S STEAKBURGER OWNER RETURNS

Steve Majeed moved back to Cape Girardeau to run Stevie's Steakburger, 600 Broadway, and SEMO Gas, 40 N. Sprigg St. He had previously leased out the properties and returned to his native Pakistan in July.

SECURITY CO. CHANGES OWNERSHIP

St. Louis-based Hackett Security acquired the former Secure Tech, 1272 Gloria Drive, Jackson. The Jackson company was founded by Brian K. Mouser in 1992. He will remain at the office for two more years until he retires. Michael J. Hackett is CEO and president of Hackett Security.

PASTA HOUSE RELOCATING

The Pasta House moved from West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau to 2406 William St., which had remained unoccupied since Jimmi's Restaurant closed in March 2009. The transaction was completed Dec. 9. Edward Goergen, a partner with Primo Restaurants, which owns Pasta House locations in Cape Girardeau and St. Peters, Mo., expected the restaurant to close Jan. 10 and reopen a few days later on William Street. Susan Godorov, spokeswoman for Centro Properties Group, which owns West Park Mall, said despite the closures of The Pasta House and the adjoining Steve & Barry's location, which closed in August 2008, 94 percent of space inside the mall remains leased.

PLAZA TIRE CHANGES SITE FOR NEW BUILDING

Plaza Tire Service began building a new store at 1710 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, but halted construction and changed its location to 1634 N. Kingshighway, adjacent to the current store planned for demolition. Owner Scott Rhodes said construction should be complete by mid-summer.

OFFICE SUPPLY BUSINESS OPENS NEW STORE

Interstate Document Solutions opened a second store at 821A Broadway, Cape Girardeau. Owner Ed Alvey said the office supply store is an extension of his copier business, which he purchased four years ago.

MENTORING PARTNERSHIP MARKS 10 YEARS

Missouri Mentoring Partnership, 937 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, celebrated its 10th anniversary with an open house Dec. 11.

BARBERSHOP COMPLETES MOVE

Hair Styling for Men moved from 1735 N. Kingshighway to 835 N. Kingshighway, Suite 102, Cape Girardeau. Owner Kim McKee said new features include a pool table, leather couches, flat-screen TV and gourmet coffee maker.

SCOTT CITY DINER REBUILT

Berghoff's Cafe of Scott City, which collapsed during last January's winter storm, was rebuilt and reopened at 408 Rose Con Road.

RHODES TO REPLACE JASPERS

Jaspers, 3618 E. Jackson Blvd., Jackson, closed Jan. 3 and will be replaced by Rhodes 101. The store will be rebuilt and reopened at the same site by March or April. Keith Boeller, president of Pajco Inc., which owns Rhodes 101 stores throughout Southeast Missouri, said the new store will feature a new Beer Cave concept. The company is also planning a Rhodes 101 on East Main Street; it is one of several new development sites Boeller said the company will start in the next 12 to 24 months. Her expects the East Main Street store to break ground sometime this year.

TITLE COMPANY RELOCATING

Guardian Land Title was planning a January move to Cape Girardeau's Sunset Towers development at 1020 N. Kingshighway, Suite G. According to Tom Kelsey, a broker with Lorimont Place Ltd., which handled the deal, the company needs the 1,550-square-foot site for additional operations area and space for transaction closings with clients. The business will move from 1467 N. Kingshighway.

BIG RIVER ACQUIRES JACKSON PROVIDER

Big River Telephone acquired Jackson Internet service provider ShowMe.net. Officials at Cape Girardeau-based Big River said the purchase of ShowMe.net allows the company to provide additional services to a customer service base of under 5,000 in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry, Scott and Ste. Genevieve counties. Big River will handle billing duties and will fulfill contractual agreements with ShowMe.net customers, said Kevin Cantwell, president of Big River.

DEVELOPMENT

LOCAL CITIES APPROVED FOR GRANTS

DEXTER, Mo. -- The city of Malden was approved for $671,200 in Community Development Block Grant funds from the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Funds were made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Malden will use the funds to expand and improve the rail spur in the Malden Industrial Park. Additionally, the city of Perryville, Mo., was approved for $230,000 in additional CDBG funding, which will be used for a wastewater systems improvement project to facilitate the expansion of Sabreliner Corporation.

LILBOURN SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BEGINS

LILBOURN, Mo. -- A groundbreaking was held Dec. 9 for a four-room classroom addition at Lilbourn Elementary School. On Nov. 9, the New Madrid County R-1 Board of Education awarded the contract for construction to Sides Construction. The addition will cost approximately $945,443, with $343,156 in additional funding provided through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This is the last phase of a project made possible by passage of Propositions 1 and 2 in 2006, which allowed the district to borrow $8,993,000 for the renovation of the three elementary schools and the addition at Lilbourn.

$9.4 MILLION AWARDED FOR TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON -- Nine highway projects in Mississippi and Missouri will receive $9.4 million from the Federal Highway Administration's Delta Region Transportation Development Program. Southeast Missouri projects receiving funds include the following: Poplar Bluff, $2,102,386 for a bypass around Poplar Bluff to the Industrial Park; Pemiscot County, $950,000 to upgrade pavement and shoulders at Interstate 55 interchange at State Route 84; Perry, Ste. Genevieve and Cape Girardeau counties, $607,573 to replace pavement and improve shoulders on State Route 61 between Fruitland and Jefferson County; and Stoddard County, $342,418 to pave sections of county roads.

WORK BEGINS ON NEW HOTEL

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- A groundbreaking was held Nov. 11 for a new Hampton Inn to be built next to the former Value City building and north of Kerasotes Theater. The target opening date is July 1. The 40,000-square-foot hotel will include 64 guest rooms and a meeting room for 75 to 80 people. Construction is being handled by Thomas Construction of Osage Beach, Mo.

SIKESTON AWARDED GRANT FOR DOWNTOWN EFFORTS

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Economic Development announced Dec. 8 that Sikeston was approved for a $100,000 grant under the Community Development Block Grant program on behalf of the Historic Midtown Development Group Inc. The grant will be used to assist in hiring a downtown manager. Sikeston is a Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri community.

ACCOUNTING FIRM UNDER CONSTRUCTION

An accounting firm will move into a building at 2820 E. Jackson Blvd., Suite B, Jackson, by mid-January. Lisa Cook and Gina Hamlin, who started their firm Cook and Hamlin, are operating out of a home office until the building is ready. The firm will offer tax preparation, payroll services and bookkeeping.

STE. GENEVIEVE RECEIVES PRESERVATION GRANT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon announced Dec. 17 that the city of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., a Certified Local Government, will receive two grants totaling $26,211 through the federal Historic Preservation Fund. A $20,000 grant will be used to repair the roof and steps on the Bequette-Ribault House and a $6,211 grant will be used to replace the roof on the Moses Austin House. Both properties are contributing buildings in the Sainte Genevieve National Historic District.