Business briefs

NOT-FOR-PROFIT COMES TO BERTRAND

BERTRAND, Mo. -- After operating primarily in Florida for the past several years, a not-for-profit organization that provides seeds to help those in third-world countries become more sustainable is bringing its entire operation to Bertrand this year, reported the Sikeston Standard Democrat. Mike Mueller, who owns and operates Mueller's Garden Lane and Mueller's Greenhouses, is executive director of Hope Seeds. He decided to move his not-for-profit from Florida because he is now living full-time in Missouri.

CARDWELL BANK TO CLOSE

CARDWELL, Mo. -- Focus Bank, the only bank in Cardwell, will close its doors March 31, reported the Daily Dunklin Democrat on Dec. 30.

SEMOBALL GETS NATIONAL AWARD

Semoball.com, a collaboration of Rust Communications newspapers in Southeast Missouri, earned an honorable mention in the Associated Press Sports Editors annual website contest. Semoball.com competed in the C class, which included websites with less than 500,000 monthly unique visitors. Semoball.com, which includes stories, photos, commentary and schedules for 58 high schools in the region as well as coverage of regional colleges, averages 65,000 unique visitors per month. This is the second year that APSE has judged newspaper websites and the first time semoball.com has been recognized. More than 100 websites entered the contest, which was divided into three classes.

MORLEY STORE EARNS INDUSTRY RECOGNITION

MORLEY, Mo. -- Morley Building Supply received two 2010 Do It Best Corp. Purchase Awards, earning recognition in two categories during a recent convention in Indianapolis. The business was fifth in lumber and home center-single store location with the highest total warehouse purchase per retail square foot, and fifth in single-store commodities purchases. Accepting the awards were Morley Building Supply representatives Tutti and Robert Gosche and Sharon Hennemann.

FAURECIA REDUCES WORKFORCE BY HALF

DEXTER, Mo. -- Employees of Stoddard County's largest industrial plant, Faurecia, learned Jan. 5 that the workforce there would be reduced to 500 employees from its current number of approximately 1,000, reported the Dexter Daily Statesman. According to human resource director Bobby Ward, the company will reallocate some activity from the Dexter facility to other Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies locations in North America. Workforce reduction will begin in March and continue through September. Ward confirmed that Faurecia officials do not plan to close the Dexter plant.

FARMINGTON CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- The Farmington Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Jan. 3 for Elite Fitness, a co-ed, 24-hour facility at 119A Walker Drive. The chamber also held a ribbon cutting Jan. 6 for Money Concepts and Wealth Concepts Insurance Solutions, which has a new office at 1117 Maple St.

BLAIR PACKAGING BUYS THORNGATE BUILDING

Blair Packaging Inc., Scott City, will open a paper box manufacturing facility this spring in Cape Girardeau's former Thorngate Ltd. building, initially bringing a $2.5 million investment and 30 jobs to the city. The new operation, Blair Best Box, will produce high-end recycled consumer boxes used for DVDs as well as other consumer products, including binders, rigid boxes, sewn products and advertising specialty items. It will also manufacture products using leather, faux leather, cloth, paper and vinyl materials, with a push toward using recyclable and recycled materials. The company, which currently manufactures vinyl packaging in Scott City, has been in business in Southeast Missouri since 1983.

Blair purchased the Thorngate building with assistance from a $165,000 low-interest loan from the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission's revolving loan fund, said Chauncy Buchheit, executive director.

NEW COUNSELING CENTER OPENS

Tender Hearts Child Therapy Center Inc. opened an office at 1353 N. Mount Auburn Road, Suite C, Cape Girardeau. The center treats children between 18 months and 18 years for issues including behavioral problems, divorce, physical or sexual abuse, ADHD, oppositional behaviors, OCD, grieving and separation anxiety. The center specializes in child therapy but also treats adults. The center has other offices in Dexter, Marble Hill, Jackson and Chaffee, Mo.

HENDRICKSON SPINS OFF BROKERAGE DIVISION

Jennifer and Rhett Hendrickson of Hendrickson Business Advisors have spun off their business brokerage operations and are now offering comprehensive business brokerage services through Murphy Business and Financial Corporation. Murphy is one of the largest business brokerage firms in North America, with brokers located throughout the U.S. and Canada and specializing in businesses for sale, franchises, valuations and related services. Craig Bohnsack and Tony Smee are now business brokers for Murphy Business and will also serve as consultants through HBA. Bohnsack has been a community banker since 1999, most recently as a commercial lender with Alliance Bank. Smee has been a business executive since 1992 and a small-business owner since 1996; he continues to own and operate an AmeriSpec franchise.

ADVANCE LEARNING CENTER GETS GRANT

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Advance Learning Center was awarded a Child Care Facility Improvement Grant from the Missouri Department of Social Services, Children's Division. The grant will be used for new flooring, paint and carpet inside the building, and to renovate the playgrounds to prevent standing water after heavy rains. Funds for the CCFIG come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

INFINITY RECYCLING HONORED AT CAPITOL

Infinity Recycling Solutions of Cape Girardeau was among 18 small businesses honored by the Missouri Legislature on Jan. 26 at a business showcase in Jefferson City, Mo. The Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Centers and the Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers sponsored the event. Infinity Recycling Solutions is owned and operated by Paul Hoeflinger. Owners and managers of the 18 businesses discussed their products and services at the capitol and received legislative resolutions from their respective state senators and representatives honoring the impact of their enterprises on the economic development of the state.

BROWN OPENS BAKERY BUSINESS

Martha Brown recently opened Ms. Martha's Cookies, featuring homemade gourmet cookies and other baked goods. Brown, who has been baking cookies and other treats for years, said her friends kept raving about and asking for them, so she decided to start selling them. Brown is also the city planner with the City of Cape Girardeau.

GIBSON RECOVERY AWARDED ACCREDITATION

CARF International awarded three-year accreditation to Gibson Recovery Center Inc. of Cape Girardeau for its residential treatment program. The accreditation is the second consecutive three-year accreditation that the international accrediting body has awarded to Gibson Recovery Center. Accreditation represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization's substantial conformance to CARF standards. The accreditation process involved rigorous peer review and an on-site visit by a team of surveyors.

DONZE GETS FIVE-STAR CERTIFICATION

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Donze Construction Inc. received CertainTeed Corporation's 5-Star Siding Contractor certification, reported the Park Hills Daily Journal. The program gives contractors training and tools to improve installation skills, as well as enhanced product information for CertainTeed's vinyl and polymer siding and Restoration Millwork Exterior PVC Trim. To attain CertainTeed 5-Star status, contractors must have proof of insurance and pass the CertainTeed siding education programs, including the Restoration Millwork Master Craftsman Program, Vinyl Siding Master Craftsman Program and Vinyl Siding Institute Certified Installer Program.

HENDRICKSON ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP

Hendrickson Business Advisors of Cape Girardeau has finalized a partnership with Dale Carnegie Training – St. Louis. Rhett Hendrickson, vice president of Hendrickson Business Advisors, has been working with master trainers in St. Louis to prepare for endorsement as a Dale Carnegie trainer. Dale Carnegie Training offers professional corporate training in leadership, management, communications, presentations and sales skills.

RIBBON CUTTING HELD FOR BEEF RESEARCH FACILITY

A ribbon cutting was held Feb. 4 to launch a Beef Research Facility at Southeast Missouri State University's David M. Barton Agriculture Research Center. The Beef Research Facility is a building with adjoining animal holding pens designed for demonstrating feeder cattle practices and conducting research involving meat animal quality and feed efficiency. It is located on an approximately 80-square-foot area next to the animal research facility at the Barton Agriculture Research Center. Funding for the facility was made possible by Southeast Missouri State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development.

BEAUTY SUPPLY SHOP OPENS ON BROADWAY

A new beauty supply store, 4 U Beauty Fashion, opened at 612 Broadway, Cape Girardeau. Store owner Peter Chon of Dyersburg, Tenn., also owns 2 U Beauty Fashion in Sikeston, Mo. Chon said a cosmetology license is required to purchase supplies at his store.

MO GUARD MAINTENANCE SHOP RECOGNIZED

The Missouri National Guard's Field Maintenance Shop in Cape Girardeau won second place in the National Guard Bureau Army Award for Maintenance Excellence competition. Awards are presented in three categories: small, medium and large. The National Guard Bureau reviewed the local shop's accomplishments and selected it for second place in the small category. The 11 soldiers who work in the Cape Girardeau shop provide field maintenance and equipment support for five units in Southeast Missouri.

UPDATES

PRINTING CO. ACQUIRES BLAKE GRAPHIC ARTS

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- The Printing Co. acquired Blake Graphic Arts of Farmington, reported the Park Hills Daily Journal. The Printing Co., a family business with locations in Cape Girardeau and Perryville, Mo., offers full-service printing, design, production and promotional products. The business will continue to employ all associates working for the company, and the Farmington business will remain at its Columbia Street location.

MANPOWER RELOCATES

KENNETT, Mo. -- Manpower moved to 929 Independence St., Kennett.

FARM BUREAU OFFICE MOVES

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff's Missouri Farm Bureau office relocated to 3464 Kanell Blvd.

AGRI-TRANSPORT MOVES TO NASH ROAD

Russ Mothershead, Benton, Mo., purchased the former ABF trucking terminal property at 4014 Nash Road near the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport and leased it to Agri-Transport. Mike Riley, transportation manager for Agri-Transport, said the property is in an ideal location and will accommodate continued expansion of company operations. Some of the facilities will be developed for use by additional tenants, he said. The 10-acre tract includes office space, truck bays, a loading dock and warehouse storage.

COMFORT KEEPERS OFFICE MOVES

Comfort Keepers moves to new location. (Submitted photo)

Comfort Keepers In home Assisted Living services moved to a larger office at 615 N. Broadview, Cape Girardeau.

NEW OWNERS AT MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP

Scott City's former Minor's Harley Davidson is now Black Diamond's Bootheel Harley Davidson. The dealership was purchased in December by Rob Hocking, Rodney Cabanes and Shad Zimbro of Marion, Ill. The group has operated Black Diamond Harley Davidson in Marion for four years. Jason Butler of Cape Girardeau is now serving as marketing and public relations administrator for the dealership. Since it has been under new ownership, the dealership has tripled its inventory of motorcycles, doubled its motor clothing offerings and remodeled the inside of the building, Butler said.

DEVELOPMENT

GROUNDBREAKING HELD FOR FINE ARTS CENTER

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- The Ste. Genevieve R-II School District held a groundbreaking Jan. 16 for its new Fine Arts Center, reported the Ste. Genevieve Herald. The contract for the multimillion dollar project was awarded in November to Herzog Construction of Ste. Genevieve. Herzog will use six local subcontractors for the job. The new facility will include a 700-seat auditorium and band and vocal music classrooms.