Business briefs

BRANDING IRON OPENS IN P.B.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting recently for the Branding Iron. Jeremy Horton is general manager.

SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM RECOGNIZED

BENTON, Mo. -- The Scott County Search and Rescue K-9 Unit received the 17th annual National "Keeper of the Flame" Award by the CUE Center for Missing Persons of Wilmington, N.C. The local unit was established by Marshia Morton in November 2003. The award recognizes work the team did in Florida, Texas, North and South Carolina and West Virginia.

DEXTER CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Dexter Chamber of Commerce held ribbon cuttings recently for three new businesses on East Stoddard Street. They include The Metro Gallery, owned by Erin and Larry Brown; Laura Davis Photography and Jala Sweet Decor & More, owned by Laura Davis and Jazmyne Butler; and Mr. Charlie's, owned by Charlie and Elenora West.

SEMO-NASV GETS ACCREDITATION

Following an extensive application and site review process, the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence received reaccreditation from the National Children's Alliance, the main accrediting agency for Children's Advocacy Centers across the country. Accreditation is the highest level of membership with the NCA and denotes excellence in service provision. Accredited Children's Advocacy Centers must undergo a reaccreditation process every five years.

STEAKHOUSE GETS AWARD FOR BEST BBQ

HOLCOMB, Mo. -- Strawberry's Steakhouse was recognized as having the best barbecue in the KAIT-Channel 8 viewing area. Colby Brooks, account executive for the Jonesboro, Ark., TV station, presented the award to restaurant owner Jerry Holsten and his daughter, Cindy Wamble, who manages the restaurant with her husband, Ryan Wamble. CAIT-Channel 8 viewers cast their votes for the award on the station's website.

GAMBLE PRINTING HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

MALDEN, Mo. -- Gamble Printing Co., 102 W. Laclede St., Malden, held a ribbon cutting on Feb. 26. Barbara and Bob Hancock own the business.

UNITED WAY GETS GRANT FROM AT&T

The United Way of Southeast Missouri received an additional $25,000 grant from AT&T to support its family engagement plan for families with students in grades eight through 12 in the Cape Girardeau Public School District. United Way works with the Harvard Family Research Project and United Way Worldwide to develop a Family Engagement for High School Success tool kit. The local United Way was one of 15 in the U.S. that received an initial grant of $50,000 to begin the FEHS project in January 2010, and is one of eight to receive additional funding to continue the project through August 2011.

ANTHEM TO CLOSE CAPE OFFICE

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri will close its Cape Girardeau office in May, transitioning 150 of its approximately 175 employees to home offices. Company officials made the announcement March 3, less than a year after eliminating 125 workers from the local office last April. According to Deborah Wiethop, Anthem's public relations director, downsizing will help the company reduce overhead operating costs. She said Anthem will look for a smaller office in Cape Girardeau to house sales, account management, provider network management and meeting rooms. Anthem will provide phones, computers and training assistance for employees as they transition to working from home. Those transitioning to home offices currently work in the company's service operations, claims and billing departments. Some administrative positions will be eliminated and some employees may choose to retire rather than work from home, said Wiethop. Anthem has operated at 471 Siemers Drive since the late 1990s. Last April's layoffs cut 40 percent of Anthem's 316-person workforce in Cape Girardeau.

BOWEN ENGINEERING HAS NEW OFFICE

Bowen Engineering & Surveying held a ribbon cutting for its new office at 2121 Megan Drive, Cape Girardeau, adjacent to Cape County Park South. The 7,100-square-foot facility has 10 individual offices, a conference room, break room and a soils and concrete testing lab.

Mirror Image salon holds ribbon cutting

SALON HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

The Jackson Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting March 1 for Mirror Image salon, 2480 S. Main St., Suite A.

HEISE HONORED FOR EXCELLENCE

Koch Air LLC, a distributor of Bryant heating and cooling products, presented a Top Gun Award to Heise Heating & Cooling Inc., Cape Girardeau, in recognition of its volume sales excellence. The award, presented at a recent dealer reception in St. Louis, was given based on superior performance, year-over-year growth and dedication to the Bryant brand. This is the third year in a row that Heise has won the award.

J.C. PENNEY ADDS SEPHORA STORE

A Sephora store is now open inside J.C. Penney at West Park Mall, Cape Girardeau. The 1,500-square-foot Sephora store carries more than 50 makeup brands, as well as fragrances, skincare products, beauty tools and accessories. It's one of 75 Sephora stores to open inside J.C. Penney stores this year. Dustin Duncan, manager for the Cape Girardeau Sephora store, said his eight-member staff began training in January and will offer 10-minute Service Expresses to help customers learn new makeup trends and techniques. A grand opening was held April 15.

RUE 21 OPENS AT MALL

Rue 21 opened March 31 in Cape Girardeau's West Park Mall. The fashion retailer offers men's and women's apparel. Rue 21 has more than 650 stores in 44 states and will open about 100 new stores this year.

CAIN CLOSES

Cain, a fine-dining restaurant at 31 N. Main St., Cape Girardeau, closed March 5 after more than one year of business. It was operated by James Cain, son of Doc Cain, who owns Port Cape Girardeau.

LA TORITA TO OPEN IN CAPE

La Torita will open this month at the former El Torero location, 1740 Broadway, Cape Girardeau. Jose Mata of Cape Girardeau owns the Mexican restaurant.

CAPE ADDS CHINESE RESTAURANT

China Wok opened at 1330 Broadway, Suite 102, next to Family Video in Cape Girardeau. Xiu Kai Zhang, Cape Girardeau, owns the restaurant.

CAPE SPLASH GETS DESIGN AWARD

Cape Splash received a 2011 Gold Medal Award from the Aquatech Society of Pool Building Professionals in the commercial multiuse category. Aquatech Society Awards are among the highest industry honors for pool design. Cape Splash was designed by Markey and Associates of Georgia and built by Westport Pools of Maryland Heights, Mo. Westport Pools submitted Cape Splash for the award. Winners are selected by judges who evaluate each company on creativity in design, safety in workmanship, construction innovation and overall aesthetics.

NEWSPAPER RECEIVES AWARDS

The Southeast Missourian received several awards in the Suburban Newspapers of America 2010 Editorial Contest, including first place for best local election coverage in its circulation class. Other awards included: first place for best sports section among all circulation classes; third place for best photojournalism in its circulation class for "Saddling Up for Sonic"; third place for best young people's coverage in its class for the neXt section; third place for best arts and entertainment writing in its class for SE Live; and honorable mention for best continuing coverage in its class for "Casino Proposed for Cape Girardeau." In the 2011 Missouri Associated Press Managing Editors contest, reporters Scott Moyers and Melissa Miller received first place in the spot news category among similar-sized daily newspapers in the state for their coverage of the Missouri Gaming Commission's decision to grant the state's final gambling license to Cape Girardeau.

NEW BUILDING SUPPLY STORE OPENS

MARCO Construction Products opened at 824 S. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau. The company carries a variety of commercial and industrial construction products, said owner Todd Marchi, who previously worked as a sales representative for Goedecke Co.

CAPE APARTMENTS GET PRESERVATION AWARD

Schultz Senior Apartments in Cape Girardeau, and developer Chad Hartle, received a Preserve Missouri Award for historic preservation during a March 2 ceremony at the State Capitol Rotunda. Schultz School closed in 2008, and Hartle developed the vacant building into 45 units of affordable senior housing. Renovations were possible through a combination of historic tax credits, low-income housing tax credits, a community development block grant and private equity. The Preserve Missouri award is given by Missouri Preservation to individuals, groups and organizations that contribute to Missouri's historic resources.

SERVPRO OPENS IN FARMINGTON

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Kyle and Janet Short opened a Servepro franchise in Farmington. The company offers fire and water cleanup and restoration services, as well as carpet and floor cleaning and on-site dry cleaning of draperies, furniture and upholstery. The business serves St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Madison, Washington and Iron counties.

BBQ RESTAURANT OPENS ON MORGAN OAK

Monk's and Brook's Kitchen opened at 435 Morgan Oak St., Cape Girardeau. The restaurant specializes in barbecue and offers dine-in, carryout and catering services. It is managed by Brook Patterson, Cape Girardeau.

COFFEE SHOP OPENS ON BROADWAY

Calix Coffee opened at 818 Broadway, at the former Grace Cafe location in Cape Girardeau. Owner Andrew Whaley, Jackson, previously worked at Grace Cafe as a barista. The shop sells coffee and fresh baked pastries, and Whaley hopes to add sandwiches and salads in the future.

HD MEDIA TO RELOCATE

HD Media Systems, Jackson, will relocate in May to the former Sonic site at 2126 Broadway, Cape Girardeau. Scott Starzinger and Drew Balsman own the business.

SHAWNEE PARK CENTER OPENS

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department held a ribbon cutting March 28 to mark the grand opening of the Shawnee Park Center. The 14,541-square-foot center, at 835 S. West End Blvd., includes a gym, fitness room, activity room, meeting room and full-service kitchen. The center will host afterschool programs, open and league basketball and volleyball, and summer camps. Playground equipment will be added at a later date.

BANK TO OPEN ANOTHER CAPE GIRARDEAU BRANCH

First Missouri State Bank of Cape County purchased property for a branch location at 800 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, most recently home to Bank of America. The bank has secured approval from the Missouri Division of Finance and the FDIC to proceed with opening a branch. First Missouri State Bank will remodel the space before opening the branch; an opening date has not yet been set.

AUTO FINANCING BUSINESS OPENS IN JACKSON

First Auto Credit opened at Kinder Motor Co., 2856 Sappington Drive, Jackson. Both businesses are owned by David Kinder. First Auto Credit specializes in cars priced below $5,000, Kinder said. The company offers buy here, pay here house financing without credit checks or interest charges.

JACKSON ADDS CONSIGNMENT BUSINESS

The Consignment Center, owned by David Kinder and Kyle McDowell, opened in the former William Nobbe John Deere dealership, 2990 Old Orchard Road, Jackson. The business sells cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs campers, ATVs, boats, trailers and airplanes on consignment. The dealership is on six acres with 20,000 square feet of indoor showroom and storage space. McDowell also owns McDowell South RV in Jackson.

BANK OF MISSOURI EXPANDS

The Bank of Missouri, headquartered in Perryville, Mo., will purchase two new facilities in Ozark, Mo., and Springfield, Mo. The bank has served southwest Missouri for about five years with branches in Republic, Mo., but these acquisitions will allow it to expand its customer base and diversify geographically, said Bank of Missouri CEO David Crader.

FUNERAL HOME HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- A ribbon cutting was held recently for the new Park Hills Caldwell Chapel addition to C.Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Homes, 711 E. Main St., Park Hills.

UPDATES

SOTO REBRANDS REAL ESTATE BUSINESS

David E. Soto of SOTO Property Management, Cape Girardeau, rebranded his company to better reflect the real estate services he offers. SOTO Property Solutions was formed, with property management and property investment divisions.

SEMO-NASV CHANGES NAME

After 14 years as the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence (SEMO-NASV), the advocacy and medical center has changed its name. As of March 31, SEMO-NASV, which provides medical forensics, counseling and prevention education to victims of sexual violence, is Beacon Health Center. Tammy Gwaltney, president and CEO of the organization, said the the new name is more customer-friendly and positive, and reflects the diversity of care now available through the organization. The agency has offices in Cape Girardeau, Perryville and Benton, Mo.

DEVELOPMENT

LA CROIX MARKET TO OPEN IN MAY

A new shopping center is under construction near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Kingsway Drive, Cape Girardeau. LaCroix Market, 1720 Kingsway Drive, will include six suites ranging in size from 1,000 to 3,745 square feet. The building is scheduled to be completed in May, said developer Scott Rhodes of The Rhodes Group.

CAPE GETS GRANT FOR BIKE LANES

A $253,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health will pay for 30 to 40 miles of bike lanes in Cape Girardeau, reported the Southeast Missourian on March 9. The proposed routes will be finalized after weighing residents' opinions about converting five of the seven bike routes to no-parking streets, said assistant city manager Heather Brooks. The three-year grant will pay for striping, bicycle racks, safety education and to promote the health benefits of cycling. About 175 single-post bike racks will be placed around Southeast Missouri State University. Twenty loop racks will go in various city parks and near the Osage Centre and Shawnee Community Center, and 30 single-post racks will go to Old Town Cape for the downtown area. The grant, which did not require local matching funds from the city, will also pay for painted bicycle-shaped stencils within the lanes as identification markers

NEW SCHOOL TO OPEN IN FROHNA

FROHNA, Mo. -- A groundbreaking was held Feb. 13 for a school addition for the newly formed United in Christ Lutheran School in Frohna. The school provides Lutheran/Christian primary education for students in Perry County. Klaus Construction of Perryville, Mo., is the general contractor.

CASINO HOLDS GROUNDBREAKING

Isle of Capri broke ground March 31 for its $125 million casino in Cape Girardeau. The new gaming and entertainment complex, to be built north of downtown off North Main Street, will have 1,000 slot machines, 28 table games, three restaurants, a lounge and terrace and a 750-seat event center.