Business briefs

LIBRARIES AWARDED DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Sikeston Public Library received a Missouri State Targeted Collection Development Grant of $7,892. The grant was available from the Missouri State Library in conjunction with the Institute of Library and Museums Services. It allows the library to purchase books and other materials to improve its collection in the areas of career preparation, computer literacy, early literacy, bilingual materials and reading program support for statewide reading programs. Poplar Bluff Public Library also received a Targeted Collection Development Grant of $3,800.

EDWARD JONES EARNS HIGH RANK FROM J.D. POWER

For the fifth year out of the past six, Edward Jones ranks highest in investor satisfaction among full-service brokerage firms, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study. The study measures satisfaction based on seven factors: investment adviser, portfolio performance, account information, account offerings, commissions and fees, website and problem resolution. Edward Jones performed particularly well in the investment adviser and investment performance categories.

NEW CAFE HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett Chamber of Commerce and business owners Rick and Angie Pazanowski held a ribbon cutting July 14 for Rick & Angie's Coffee Bean Cafe, 1724 Independence Ave. The cafe also has a jewelry boutique and RV and marine storage.

KENNETT BANK AWARDED 7A AWARD

KENNETT, Mo. -- Dennis Melton, district director of the Small Business Association, and Bill Vickery, area manager of the SBA, recently presented the 2009 Top 7a Returning Lender for Eastern Missouri Award to William Mower, vice president of Kennett National Bank.

SIKESTON ARTISTS OPEN STUDIO

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Annie Schuchart and Juliana (Judy) Comer, local artists and art instructors, recently opened Front Street Studio and Gallery, 13 W. Front St., Sikeston. The women teach art classes and workshops for children and adults, and have original art, notecards and prints available for sale in the future, as well as space for other artists to feature their creations.

AUTO REPAIR BUSINESS OPENS

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- Tyler and Kim Sullivan purchased Brawell's auto repair shop at Route U and Truman. A grand opening was held recently with the Caruthersville Chamber of Commerce. According to Tyler Sullivan, the new business employs five people.

NEW WAVE NAMED OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston-based New Wave Communications was named Independent Operator of the Year for 2010. The award, given by CableFAX Magazine, the industry's leading trade publication in association with the National Cable Television Cooperative and the American Cable Association, recognizes the nation's independent cable operator that has best distinguished itself in the areas of excellence in technology, operations and community involvement. New Wave was honored in the July Top Ops issue of CableFAX magazine and at the CableFAX Top Op Awards event in August.

KENNETT FORMS DOWNTOWN COALITION

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett Community Development Corporation is recruiting individuals for the Downtown Kennett Coalition, a new group for those wishing to improve the atmosphere, appearance and mix of business in downtown Kennett. According to the city, although the KCDC is spearheading the recruitment of the coalition, the board intends for it to become an independent organization with a board of its own. The group's formation is the first goal of the Dream Initiative, a three-year program providing downtown planning assistance to chosen Missouri communities.

AUTISM CENTER HOLDS GRAND OPENING

A grand opening was held July 7 for the Southeast Missouri State University Autism Center for Diagnosis and Treatment, 611 N. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau. The center, which opened Jan. 4 and is directed by Connie Hebert, provides diagnostic and intervention services to families and individuals dealing with autism spectrum disorders. The center brings together four institutions that provide services there: Southeast, TouchPoint Autism Services-Southeast Project, The Tailor Institute and The Thompson Center--Southeast Outreach for Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention.

AUDIO TOURS AVAILABLE VIA CELL PHONE

WavBall tourism information service is now available at five Cape Girardeau historic sites, where signs are posted with a toll-free number visitors can call from to hear descriptions of the place they're visiting. During Independence Day weekend, WavBall debuted its audio tours at Cape River Heritage Museum, Glenn House, Fort D, Old St. Vincent Church and Red House Interpretive Center. The service is free to visitors, but the company's owners, father and son Steve and Jonathan Fritzler of Cape Girardeau, hope to sell advertising to local businesses. An ad message can be played as part of the audio tour. The company is working on an audio tour for the River Heritage Murals along the Mississippi River floodwall.

LOCAL COMPANY CREATES CHURCH INDEX

Hendrickson Business Advisors created a Faith Perceptions Church Index for benchmarking worship experiences. The Cape Girardeau company designed the program for churches based on the consulting firm's mystery shopping program for businesses, sending "undercover" guests to churches each Sunday. More than 40 churches have used Faith Perceptions to understand what a visitor thinks and feels when attending a church service. Fifteen criteria are evaluated on each visit, and more than 400 visits have been made. Now that a sufficient number of churches have participated, Faith Perceptions has an index that aggregates all church data compiled to date. The index has been segmented by congregation size so each church can compare itself against a peer group of like size.

TRACTOR'S FEATURED IN RURAL MISSOURI

Tractor's Classic American Grill, with locations in Jackson and Perryville, Mo., was profiled in the July issue of Rural Missouri magazine, the statewide publication of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives. Tractor's, owned by Teresa and Steve Blankenship, opened its Jackson location in 1997 and its Perryville restaurant in 2000.

NEW SHOP SPECIALIZES IN $10 hairCUTS

Hair Cutters opened at 2106 Jackson Blvd., Jackson. Haircuts for men, women and children are $10, and buzz cuts are $8. The walk-in shop is owned by Millie Yates, who also owns Cape Cuts, 2009 Independence St., Cape Girardeau.

SMOOTHIE KING OPENS IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

Smoothie King is now open at Crossroads Shopping Center, 97 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau. Smoothie King is owned by Shea Inc., comprised of David and Sandy Donley, Chris and Bridgett Wheeler and Tammy Silvey. The Donleys own the shopping center at the corner of Kingshighway and Independence St., where the Smoothie King franchise is located.

RAY'S, WATER'S EDGE TEAM UP

Ray and Cindy Ressel, owners of Ray's in Kelso, Mo., formed a partnership with Ed and Abbie Leoni, owners of The Water's Edge in Gordonville. The partnership allows Ray's to operate The Water's Edge facility and gives Ray's food and beverage catering privileges. The Water's Edge, an outdoor-indoor wedding venue, was previously known as Grossheider Lakes. The Leonis purchased the property in December 2004 and opened The Water's Edge in 2006.

LICENSE BUREAU AWARDED TO TRCC ENDOWMENT TRUST

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Following a competitive bidding process, the Three Rivers Endowment Trust was selected to operate and manage the Licensing Bureau for Butler County. According to the announcement released by the Missouri Department of Revenue, the Endowment Trust's bid was one of two considered in a bidding process implemented by the agency and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon last year. The bid from the Endowment Trust included an offer for a 5 percent return to the state on its yearly profits. At present, the Endowment Trust has plans for a new office at 2218 Westwood Blvd. in the old Pear Tree Inn building, which Drury Southwest Inc., donated to the college last year.

FOOD BANK RECEIVES NAP CREDITS

The Missouri Department of Economic Development approved Southeast Missouri Food Bank for $250,000 in state tax credits under the Neighborhood Assistance Program. The food bank will use the tax credits to provide more food to charitable and disaster relief programs in Southeast Missouri.

HUNTER VALLEY WINERY RECEIVES AWARD

Hunter Valley Winery's "Simply Apple" wine was named "Best Fruit Wine" in the Fourth Annual Mid-American Wine Competition held at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa. The competition was held July 9 to 11 and included wines from 15 Midwestern states.

TJ MAXX TO OPEN IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

T.J. Maxx spokesperson Thea Houghton confirmed July 22 that her company has signed a lease for a new store in Cape Girardeau, set to open this fall. T.J. Maxx will move into the former Goody's Family Clothing location on Siemers Drive, which has been vacant for the past 14 months, said Mark Kohl, manager of real estate and development with Drury Land Development.

ELITE TRAVEL RECEIVES STAR AWARD

Elite Travel Inc. received the MLT Star Agency award from MLT Worry Free Vacations. The agency qualified for the award by ranking as one of the top-producing agencies in the United States. MLT Vacations manages Delta Vacations, Worry-Free Vacations and Continental Airline brand packages that provide a wide range of destinations to customers. Elite Travel has received the the MLT Star Agency Award over five times and is the only Gourmet Certified Consulting firm in Southeast Missouri.

ONLINE STORE SPECIALIZES IN SEMO APPAREL

An online store specializing in Southeast Missouri State University logo athletic apparel launched in mid-July. SpriggStreet.com offers customized children's, women's and men's clothing with the Southeast Red Hawk logo. Since this is licensed logo apparel, there is a royalty fee paid to Southeast's athletic department to help support its programs, said SpriggStreet.com developer T. Robin Cole of The Rite Group in Cape Girardeau.

MAHNKE OFFERS NEW PHOTO SERVICE

Mark Mahnke of Fruitland turned his part-time photography work into a new business, M&M Photography. He specializes in natural-style photography, including family and child portraits. He also does engagement and wedding photos and photography for corporate events and sports teams.

DJ SERVICE MOVES TO CAPE

Affordable DJ Services LLC relocated to Cape Girardeau from Muskegon, Mich., according to owner Dave Ross. The business serves Southeast Missouri and the St. Louis area, Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois and Memphis, Tenn., offering music, lighting, wireless microphones and more.

TRCC BUSINESS DEPT. RECEIVES ACCREDITATION

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Three Rivers Community College recently became the only community college in Missouri accredited by the Association of College Business Schools and Programs. The global business accrediting firm held a conference in Los Angeles in late June to announce which schools would receive its endorsement in 2010. Three Rivers was among 20 other institutions to have the credentials of its business programs reaffirmed. According to Candace Ransom, instructor of business and economics, who represented Three Rivers at the conference, representatives from the association visited campus to review the faculty and speak with administration members. The business department also submitted a self-study report on six criteria: leadership; strategic planning; students, stakeholder and market focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; faculty and staff focus; and process management.

FSCB TO ACQUIRE BANK IN RISCO

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Farmington-based First State Community Bank agreed to purchase a Sun Security Bank location in Risco, Mo. The acquisition, which will be finalized upon regulatory approval, will increase FSCB's branch network to 33 locations and will be one of six branches purchased by the bank in 2010. The acquisition will likely be complete early in the fourth quarter.

MAYBERRY'S AUTO HAS NEW OWNER

Mayberry's Auto Body of Jackson is now under the ownership of Nick Mayberry, who has taken over the business from his father, Don Mayberry. Nick Mayberry previously worked for Huckstep Body and Paint Shop in Cape Girardeau for 27 years. He specializes in auto body repair, restorations and motorcycle painting. A ribbon cutting was held July 14.

KING AND COPE CLOSES, SOLD TO NEW OWNER

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Don Cope, the last family member of King and Cope Body Shop, 609 Sycamore St., has sold the 54-year-old business and decided to retire. The shop, now called Tony's Body and Frame Shop, is operated by Tony Womack, who also operates Tony's Towing and Recovery.

GLITZ ADDS CLOTHING LINE

Glitz, a boutique at Independence and Spanish streets in downtown Cape Girardeau, now carries dresses in addition to its accessories and gifts. The summer dresses are manufactured in limited quantities by Moka and Katydid.

NEW SCHOOL TO HOLD OPEN HOUSE

DESLOGE, Mo. -- A ribbon cutting will be held Aug. 18 for the new addition to Parkside Elementary, and an open house is set for Aug. 22. The school was formerly known as Desloge Elementary.

HIBBETT MOVES TO MANSION MALL

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Hibbett Sporting Goods relocated its Poplar Bluff location to 1395 N. Westwood Blvd., in the Mansion Mall Marketplace. The store reopened June 26 and employs approximately eight full and part-time workers.

KFVS12, FOX 23 KBSI PARTNER FOR NEWSCAST

KFVS12 in Cape Girardeau is expanding its local news effort with the addition of an hour long local newscast that will air on local Fox affiliate KBSI-TV. Beginning Oct. 1, Heartland News will air seven nights per week at 9 p.m. The 9 p.m. newscast on Fox will be in addition to the newscasts that currently air on KFVS12. With the expansion, KFVS12 will now produce more than 30 hours of local news each week. Fox23 KBSI currently airs a half-hour newscast at 9 p.m. that is produced by local NBC affiliate WPSD. According to Sinclair Broadcast Group, owners of KBSI, the agreement with WPSD ends Sept. 30.

HORIZON SCREEN GOES GREEN

Horizon Screen Printing and Promotional Products is participating in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership. Horizon is purchasing more than 20,000 kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which is enough green power to meet 15 percent of the organization's electricity use. Horizon is also participating in Ameren's Pure Power program. According to the U.S. EPA, Horizon's green power purchase of more than 20,000 kwh is equivalent to avoiding carbon dioxide emissions of three passenger vehicles per year, or carbon dioxide emissions from the annual electricity use of two average American homes.

SEMO VIDEO RENEWS CONTRACT WITH CAPE

SEMO Video Productions LLC owners Lou Peukert and Andrew Chronister announced July 7 that their contract to produce and televise the Cape Girardeau City Council meetings has been renewed for another term. SEMO Video Productions has provided the service since Jan. 4.

NEW TENANTS AT LORIMONT PLACE

Steel Concepts and Design LLC will relocate its offices to the Lorimont Place development in Cape Girardeau. Commercial broker Tom Kelsey confirmed that the company has leased a 2,793-square-foot suite at 272 S. Mount Auburn Road. Steel Concepts, owned by Rocky Francis, contracts with principals, engineers and architects to produce shop drawings for industrial, commercial and residential projects. Also sharing the office suite will be Angela Francis Interiors, an interior design company owned by Angela Francis and specializing in interior design services in Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri. Kelsey said the space is being redecorated to accommodate both businesses with an occupancy date within 45 days.

SEMO ENTERS CHIROPRACTIC STUDIES AGREEMENT

Southeast Missouri State University is joining forces with a St. Louis college to offer chiropractic training. University officials signed an articulation agreement July 21 at Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Mo. The six-year program, which will be offered in the fall, will be split between both schools. Southeast students will start their chiropractic training at Logan during their fourth year. They will receive a bachelor's degree in biology from Southeast after the fourth year and a doctor of chiropractic degree after completing three years at Logan. Logan has similar agreements with about 50 universities across the country, including seven in Missouri.

HORST PHARMACY EXPANDS LAB FACILITY

Horst Pharmacy of Jackson is expanding its compounding lab facility from 75 square feet to 900 square feet to offer more custom medications. Upgraded lab equipment and safety equipment will also be installed. An open house for local physicians is set for 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 19, and a bioidentical hormone replacement seminar is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26. Horst Pharmacy is at 2705 E. Jackson Blvd.

CWI OFFERS CARDBOARD RECYCLING

CWI of Missouri started a corrugated cardboard recycling program for businesses in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson areas. Customers receive a separate bin for cardboard to place next to their traditional dumpster for weekly pick up, said Jeff Fishbaugh, division sales manager for CWI of Missouri. Rebates to reduce the cost of commercial trash pickup are offered to customers based on the value of the cardboard they recycle. Recycled cardboard is selling for about $100 per ton, Fishbaugh said.

BIG RIVER PARTNERS WITH CEDAR POINT

Big River Telephone of Cape Girardeau is now delivering wholesale communication services using Cedar Point Communications voice-over-IP switching technologies. Ten to 15 jobs will be added to support the partnership. Cedar Point Communication is based in Derry, N.H., with its European headquarters in Meersburg, Germany.

SEMO SAFETY DEPT. RELOCATES

As of Aug. 3, Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Public Safety moved from Dearmont Hall, 360 Dearmont Circle, to the former Aleen Vogel Wehking Alumni Center, 1401 N. Sprigg St. The department's new site, a single-story building near the entrance to the Show Me Center, previously housed the University Advancement division. The Department of Public Safety, which includes the University Police Department, Parking and Transit Service and Emergency Preparedness, now has an updated and remodeled facility.

RECYCLING CENTER OPENS IN BOLLINGER COUNTY

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A grand opening was held Aug. 14 for the Bollinger County Recycling Center on Highway 51, seven miles north of the four-way stop in Marble Hill. The center is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Recyclables accepted are newspaper, corrugated cardboard, gray board, plastics 1, 2 and 5, plastic shopping bags, junk mail, office paper, washed metal cans and aluminum. No glass or Styrofoam is accepted.

MANSION MALL EXPANDING

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Due to an increased demand for tenants, Jim Bailey is expanding his business operation at Market Mall Marketplace. JML Construction began moving dirt in early July on Bailey's purchase of 4.5 acres between Swafford's Amoco Service and Kentucky Fried Chicken along North Westwood Boulevard. A 20,000-square-foot facility is expected to be completed in 90 days, Bailey told the Daily American Republic, and leases are being negotiated for several tenants to be in place by the holiday season. A new entrance designed for better internal traffic flow by Smith & Co. Engineers will be 60 feet south of the stoplight, and there will be a one-acre lot available for purchase on either side of the roadway. The new retail outlet will have 120 parking spaces perpendicular to the Mansion Mall parking lot. Initial talks for Bailey's recent land purchase began with Southern Bank in the fall, and the deal was closed June 30. Bailey also purchased the 130,000-square-foot Mansion Mall from the bank in 2005. Bailey currently has 24 of his 25 stores filled with tenants, most recently welcoming Hibbett Sports. Maurices is under construction for its grand reopening later this year.

NUTRITION CENTER OBTAINS NEW BUILDING

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Bloomfield Area Nutrition Center obtained a former church building at 609 Delaware St. and will transform it into a kitchen and dining area. Hazel Williams, president of the nutrition center, says the building was donated to the organization and she hopes to begin serving meals there by the end of the year.

KENNY ROGERS CENTER TO EXPAND

Kenny Rogers Children's Center groundbreaking

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Kenny Rogers Children's Center broke ground recently for a 7,000-square-foot expansion. The project will provide more state-of-the-art equipment, including a motion-analysis lab and interactive sensory-motor learning center, as well as a multipurpose meeting room. According to Michelle Fayette, executive director of the center, once the expansion is complete and three to five additional therapists are hired, the center should be able to accommodate the 100 or so children on the waiting list for treatment. The center has also undergone extensive renovations in the past few months, with new therapy offices and a computer room, expansion in the lobby, new reception area, updated bathrooms and kitchen, and new carpeting in the main gym. The parking lot was resurfaced and restriped, and 14 spaces were added.

BUFFALO WILD WINGS FINISHES REMODELING

Buffalo Wild Wings of Cape Girardeau, owned by Bill Zellmer, closed July 18 for renovations and reopened July 26. Improvements include new furniture, kitchen equipment, paint, flooring and a new storefront. Seating was redesigned to add 50 seats, booths were added in the bar area and upgraded bar equipment was installed, including a beer tap system with 35 taps. About 10 new employees will be hired, Zellmer said. He also plans to add new HD televisions and two 110-inch HD projectors.

NEW PLAZA TIRE TO OPEN IN AUGUST

Construction will be complete in mid-August on a new Plaza Tire Service location at 1638 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau. The store will replace the current Cape North store at 1634 N. Kingshighway, only a few yards away. Following construction, the old store will be demolished. The new store will feature an expanded showroom and service areas, outnumbering the current four-bay facility with 10 bays.

AIRPORT REOPENS TO PLANE TRAFFIC

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Work to connect the parallel taxiway to the main runway at Farmington Regional Airport is complete. The airport has reopened, with the taxiway to be available for traffic by early August. Once completed, the taxiway will have five accesses to the 4,221-foot-long runway. Over the past two years, other improvements have included a new terminal building, shade hangars, fuel delivery system and fuel provider. The next set of improvements, scheduled for 2011, includes extending the southern end of the runway to a total length of 5,000 feet.

CITY CELEBRATES MOUNT AUBURN ROAD COMPLETION

The city of Cape Girardeau held a ribbon cutting July 29 to celebrate completion of roadwork on Mount Auburn Road from Kingshighway to Independence Street. Projects were funded through Transportation Trust Fund 3, approved by Cape Girardeau voters in August 2005. The design contract was awarded to Bowen Engineering and Surveying. Fronabarger Concreters and Lappe Cement Finishing completed construction contracts. Work was completed in two stages, starting with improvements at Independence and Mount Auburn, and adding traffic signals to the intersection of Hopper Road. The first stage required removal of existing infrastructure and construction and installation of new pavement, sidewalks, curb ramps with truncated domes, a segmental block retaining wall and new pavement striping. Stage two widened Mount Auburn Road from 44 feet to 59 feet, removed and replaced storm sewers, constructed segmental block retaining walls, added sidewalks and one-and-a-half inch asphalt overlay and other items.

MODOT COMPLETES FOUR-LANE PROJECT

SIKESTON, Mo. -- After 21 years of work, U.S. 60 is now a four-lane highway from Sikeston to Willow Springs, Mo., the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. The completion of the project means that U.S. 60 is now a four-lane road from Springfield to Charleston, Mo., a distance of about 240 miles. Missouri Department of Transportation marked the milestone with a caravan celebration between Sikeston and Willow Springs on Aug. 13.