Business briefs

CAPE COMPANY MAKES KNITTING MACHINE

Erlbacher Gearhart Knitting Co. recently debuted its Erlbacher Gearhart Circular Sock Knitting Machine. The new company is a division of Erlbacher Gear and Machineworks, Cape Girardeau. The company, owned by David "Peewee" Erlbacher, is remanufacturing the Gearhart circular sock knitting machine last made in 1925.

CAMPBELL OUTLET HOLDS GRAND OPENING

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A grand opening was held April 9 for the Campbell Mattress Factory Outlet, 125 N. 11th St., Poplar Bluff. The store is in the Kesler Furniture building behind Walgreens.

poplar bluff CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held ribbon cuttings for the newly-renovated Westwood Hills Country Club and for Tents and Events, owned by Bootheel Parts and Equipment. The chamber also held a ribbon cutting to open Doggy Designs, a grooming salon and boutique at 211 N. Westwood Blvd.

VIDEO GAME STORE OPENS IN JACKSON

Gaming Grounds video game center opened at 131 W. Main St., Jackson. Lonnie Chapman owns the business, where customers may buy, sell and trade games, and play any game in the store's library.

CAPE ADDS MASSAGE BUSINESS

Massages by Mary opened at 1749 Independence St., Cape Girardeau. The owner is Marc Jackson.

COPIER BUSINESS OPENS IN CAPE

GFI Digital opened at 2504 William St., Suite 5, Cape Girardeau. Bruce Gibbs of St. Louis owns the copier and printer sales and service company.

DEXTER CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Dexter Chamber of Commerce held ribbon cuttings for Jag's Hair Place for Men, owned by Kady Parres, and Tax Depot, owned by Tyler Lance.

LIBRARY OPENS IN NEW LOCATION

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- The Carter County Public Library opened in its new location at 403 Ash St., Van Buren. Its previous location, 111 Sycamore St., flooded numerous times, and a decision was made to build a new facility. The library was temporarily housed at 104 Ash St. before moving into its new 3,400-square-foot facility in December. Funding came from a Missouri Community Development Block Grant, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, donations and funds from the sale of the previous building. Architects Dille & Traxel designed the building and Charles Hampton & Son Construction contracted the work.

LOCAL BUSINESSES WIN SPARK AWARDS

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- Philip Goggin, owner of Pro Software Solutions, Farmington, Mo., received the SPARK Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence by the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Southeast Missouri State University. He was one of three in Southeast Missouri to receive a SPARK Award, reported the Park Hills Daily Journal. Others were Ellen Hogenmiller, owner of Ellen's Flowerscapes in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., and Rob Luna, owner of Rob LUNA Designs in Potosi, Mo. Each of these businesses were started or expanded after receiving grant funding through the CIE's Operation JumpStart business plan competition and participating in entrepreneurial training.

MALDEN SEARS STORE HONORED

MALDEN, Mo. -- The Sears Hometown Store in Malden, Mo., was named a 2011 Sears Hometown Store Premier Dealer, reported the Delta News Citizen. The annual award recognizes Sears Hometown Stores across the country that consistently offer the greatest customer service, outstanding store performance and standards, and demonstrate community involvement. Annett McMillian is owner and operator of the local store.

ICE CREAM SHOP OPENs IN CAPE

Kaleidoscoops opened in April at 1741 N. Kings highway, Cape Girardeau, offering ice cream, bagels and muffins. It is owned by Bill and Jennifer Green, Cape Girardeau. The couple also owns Q Audio and Video in the same shopping center.

CAPE ADDS FRAMING BUSINESS

River City Custom Framing will open in May at 1027 Broadway, Cape Girardeau. The store, owned by Malcom McLeary of Cape Girardeau and Brittany Burns of Jackson, will offer custom picture frames and framing services.

SMOKE SHOP OPENS ON KINGSHIGHWAY

SEMO Smokes opened at 1412 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau. The store sells custom-made cigarettes and is owned by Mark Metcalf, who recently moved back to the Cape Girardeau area from Las Vegas.

CANDY SHOP HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- The Farmington Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting April 6 for Sweetheart Chocolates, 625 N. Carleton St.

MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT OPENS

Phoenicia, a Mediterranean restaurant, opened at 1000 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau. Owner Emad Salamy previously operated the restaurant from 1992 to 2004, and returned to Cape Girardeau to reopen the business.

SIKESTON RESTAURANT GETS BURGER AWARD

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Rural Missouri magazine's 10th annual Best of Rural Missouri contest named Kirby's Sandwich Shop as the winner of the Best Hamburger award for the southeast region. More than half a million Rural Electric Cooperative members were asked to vote for their favorite foods and places in Missouri. Winners were included in the April issue of Rural Missouri. Kirby's, at 109 N. Kingshighway, has served Sikeston since 1907, making it one of the oldest continuing restaurants in Southeast Missouri.

ALOHA POOLS HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Aloha Pools and Spas, 1749 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, held a ribbon cutting recently with the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce. This is the business' fourth location. The owner is Brad Cook, and store manager is Renee Baity.

JACKSON FLORIST HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

Sweetheart Florist holds ribbon cutting

Sweetheart Florist, 119 S. High St., Jackson, held a ribbon cutting April 15.

RESALE SHOP OPENS IN BERTRAND

BERTRAND, Mo. -- Re-Store and More, a new resale shop at 412 Highway 62, Bertrand, held a grand opening. The store owners are Terry Burns and Donna Eaker.

HICKORY HOUSE OPENS IN JACKSON

Ron and Bobbie Nevils of Jackson opened the Hickory House Restaurant, 2259 E. Jackson Blvd., Jackson. The restaurant serves made-from-scratch dishes including chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, barbecue and steaks. All of the meat-cutting is done in a butcher shop on site, said Ron Nevils.

Clearpoint Counseling holds ribbon cutting

CLEARPOINT CREDIT OPENS IN CAPE

ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions, 1707 N. Mount Auburn Road, Cape Girardeau, held a ribbon cutting April 28.

LICENSE OFFICE HAS NEW CONTRACTOR, LOCATION

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Bollinger County Abstract and Title Co. Inc. is the new agent for the Marble Hill Motor Vehicle and License Office, the Missouri Department of Revenue announced April 11. The winning proposal was chosen as part of a competitive bidding process implemented in Missouri in 2009. The Marble Hill bidding process began in February when the state canceled its management contract with the office's previous agent. The Marble Hill License Office will move to a new location at 101 Gilmore St.

CAPE AIR GETS FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT

Cape Air was awarded a four-year contract April 11, the longest ever for a service provider at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, reported the Southeast Missourian. The. U.S. Department of Transportation announced that Hyannis, Mass.-based Cape Air was selected for the Essential Air Service contract over the other applicant, Air Choice One, which has corporate headquarters in St. Louis. The contract runs from Dec. 1, 2011, through Nov. 30, 2015, and provides annual federal subsidies of $1.6 million. This is Cape Air's second contract with Cape Girardeau since it began operations in November 2009. Cape Air was awarded similar contracts airports in Quincy and Marion, Ill. Those were given six daily round trips, while Cape Girardeau will maintain four. Andrew Bonney, Cape Air's vice president of planning, said the contract includes two improvements: a downtown ticket office and the elimination of going through security in St. Louis in most circumstances. The ticket office will open around Dec. 1, Bonney said. Cape Air will also provide an interterminal shuttle at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

NARS EXPANDS

National Asset Recovery Services (NARS) acquired Integrity Financial Partners. Both companies are third-party debt collection firms. The acquisition adds Integrity's four call centers in Overland Park, Kan., St. Charles, Mo., Columbus, Ohio, and Santiago, Chile, to NARS operations. NARS, based in St. Louis, employs more than 3,000 people at call centers in St. Louis; Cape Girardeau; Minneapolis and Monticello, Minn.; Decorah, Iowa; Panama City, Panama; and Montego Bay, Jamaica.

ISLE EXPANDING IN PENNSYLVANIA

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort announced April 14 that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board selected their proposed casino project at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Fayette County, Pa., for the state's final available Category 3 resort gaming license. The casino, Lady Luck Nemacolin, is expected to include 600 slot machines, 28 table games, a casual dining restaurant and lounge. The project, expected to cost approximately $50 million, will be funded by Isle of Capri. The company operates 15 casinos in the U.S and is building a new casino complex in Cape Girardeau, set to open in late 2012.

ZOELLNER OPENS CAPE OFFICE

Zoellner Construction Co. Inc., based in Perryville, Mo., opened a new office and shop at 2004 Themis St., Cape Girardeau. Zoellner, a commercial general contractor, has operated in Southeast Missouri since 1983. The business is engaged in all types of carpentry and concrete work and recently formed an industrial division.

HABITAT STORE RELOCATEs

Cape Girardeau's Habitat for Humanity ReStore moved to a new site at 2365 Rust Ave. The building is nearly twice the size of its previous site on North Middle Street in downtown Cape Girardeau. A grand opening was held on May 7. Proceeds from the ReStore support the construction of local Habitat for Humanity homes.

BUSINESS COLLEGE MAINTAINS ACCREDITATION

The Donald L. Harrison College of Business at Southeast Missouri State University maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International--The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. To maintain accreditation, a business program must undergo an internal review every five years, demonstrating its commitment to 21 standards relating to faculty qualification, strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students, and continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals. The college's achievement was recognized April 28 through 30 at the 2011 AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting in New York City.

STEVIE'S STEAKBURGER REOPENS

Stevie's Steakburger, 600 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, reopened under its previous ownership on May 11. Owner Steven Majeed also owns SEMO Gas, 40 North St., Cape Girardeau.

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.

HUCK'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a groundbreaking for the new Huck's Food and Fuel store to be built on Westwood Boulevard, near the Valley Plaza.