Business briefs

CTC GETS GRANT FOR MORE PROGRAMS

With the help of a $1 million grant from the state, the development of the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center as an "Innovation Campus" during the next year will begin new programs that allow high school students to receive college credit and gain work experience, said Rich Payne, director of the center. Programs that will offer high school students early access to education in health care and manufacturing will be added at the center. The programs are starting as the result of a cooperative effort between the center, area school districts, Southeast Missouri State University, Three Rivers College, Mineral Area College, the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Foundation and area health care and manufacturing industry partners. Gov. Jay Nixon announced grant recipients Aug. 1 along with the intention that the grants should be used to develop "Innovation Campuses" throughout the state to help students complete their degrees sooner and land jobs in high-need fields. Payne said the grant money will be used to pay the tuition of up to 280 students when new programs roll out, likely in fall 2013.

PERRYVILLE FEATURED IN FORBES ONLINE

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perryville, Mo., was featured in a Forbes Online series on Reinventing America. The article, "How a Small Town in Missouri Became a Manufacturing Oasis," was written by contributor Ken Sweet. He and more than a dozen other Forbes contributors and staff writers are focusing on the challenges facing towns, cities and traditional industries across the nation and highlighting the growing number of success stories, like Perryville's. The article discusses the role of Perryville Development Corp. in the growth of Gilster-Mary Lee, TG Missouri and Sabreliner. The article can be found at www.forbes.com.

BIG RIVER BROADBAND TOWERS OPERATIONAL

Big River Broadband's phase one towers for its broadband network deployment became operational Aug. 6. The new towers are fully operational, making Big River's 4G LTE Broadband Internet service live. The 18 towers are concentrated mostly in Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois and Cape Girardeau counties. Towers are also in Bollinger, Madison and Perry counties. Big River Broadband is a recipient of an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus grant. This process of tower releases will continue until all 58 towers Big River is using to deploy the network are servicing Bollinger, Cape, Madison, Perry, Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois and Washington counties.

FOX 23 ADDS MORNING NEWS SHOW

FOX 23 KBSI added a live national morning news show, "The Daily Buzz," to its lineup. It premiered Aug. 6 and airs in more than 175 TV markets across the United States. The program includes news, weather and the latest social media and entertainment trends.

RELENTLESS OPENS CAPE OFFICE

Film and digital media company Relentless Inc. opened a new office in Cape Girardeau on Aug. 1, relocating from Jackson. Its new office is at 637 Broadway, Suite A, in downtown Cape Girardeau. The company is made up of Tempe, Ariz., and Cape Girardeau campuses, as well as an administrative hub in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

NEW BOUTIQUE OPENS ON BROADWAY

Sweet Designs Boutique opened at 120 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The store features home decor, gifts, accessories and jewelry. "I focus on quality handmade, local and artist-based lines," said owner Candi Winkler. Winkler also sells her own hand-painted typography and personalized wood signs.

TRANSPORTATION SERVICE BREAKS GROUND

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A groundbreaking was held Aug. 9 for the $1.2 million Southeast Missouri Transportation Services Inc. regional office and bus garage on Highway PP in Poplar Bluff, the Daily American Republic reported. Construction on the three-acre site was expected to begin in mid-August, with an eight-month construction timeline, said Denny Ward, SMTS assistant executive director. The office will have 2,100 square feet and the garage will have space for 12 buses.

JAPANESE RESTAURANT CUTS RIBBON

Watami Sushi and Hibachi Steakhouse, 45 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, held a ribbon cutting Aug. 8.

GIFT SHOP OPENS IN DOWNTOWN CAPE

Riverfront Gifts & Collectibles, 112 and 114 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau, held a ribbon cutting Aug. 3.

CONSIGNMENT SHOP OPENS IN ORAN

ORAN, Mo. -- Laurie Romas held a ribbon cutting for her new business, My Four Sons Consignment and More, at 105 N. Railroad St. in Oran, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. The business, which held a grand opening Aug. 4, sells clothing, home decor, antiques and collectibles provided by 41 consignees.

SEMO TO OFFER ARMY RESERVE TRAINING PROGRAM

Officials from Southeast Missouri State University and representatives of the Missouri National Guard announced Aug. 14 the formation and fall 2013 launch of a U.S. Army Reserve officer training program, the Southeast Missourian reported. The program, Show Me Gold, will include for-credit classroom instruction, leadership laboratories and physical conditioning training. Participants who complete the program will become commissioned officers of the U.S. Army Reserve who will serve in the Missouri National Guard. For-credit leadership courses from the National Guard will be required of students in addition to enrollment in the university's regular academic programs. Some of the leadership courses will be open to university students not enrolled in the program. Along with the launch of the program, Southeast will create a director's position within the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. The director's duties will include administration of the officer training programs and expanded services for students who are veterans. The university is advertising for candidates to fill the position. A National Guard officer to recruit students will also be based at the university soon.

BAGBY FIRM ANNOUNCES EXPANSION

DEXTER, Mo. -- Mike Bagby, senior investment adviser and owner of Bagby Investments Consultants, has transitioned his business from being an independent branch office of LPL Financial to being an independent firm, Bagby Investment Consultants LLC, a registered investment adviser under LPL Financial's hybrid RIA program. The business will now be an independent company under the state of Missouri legal and regulatory authorities. The only major difference for clients is that they will have an investment advisory contract with Bagby Investment Consultants LLC instead of with LPL Financial.

VETERINARY CLINIC OPENS IN ADVANCE

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Dr. Brett and Amanda Ward opened a new veterinary clinic Aug. 18 on Highway 25 east of Advance. The newly remodeled facility, formerly home to the Jehovah's Witness Church, features an X-ray room with a digital machine designed for animals, new kennels for dogs and cats, a quarantine room with a filtration system to prevent infection being spread among animals, and a high-tech operating room with a heated table.

POLICE DEPARTMENTT EARNS ACCREDITATION

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Poplar Bluff Police Department received basic law enforcement accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) after final testimony was presented to a subcommittee in Scottsdale, Ariz., completing a more than three-year process. By achieving accreditation, the department becomes one of only about 4 percent nationwide to hold the status.

WORLD OF HONDA-YAMAHA TO CLOSE

World of Honda-Yamaha in Cape Girardeau will close in October, said owner Robert Ford. He and is wife, Marty, have owned the business since February 1979, and have decided to retire. The building at 1728 N. Kingshighway has been sold, said Robert Ford, but he declined to say who has bought the property because the sale has not closed officially yet. In the meantime, the business' existing inventory is being liquidated.

KRCU ADDS MORE NPR NEWS PROGRAMMING

On Sept. 3, KRCU made programming changes to bring more NPR News to the region, according to a Southeast Missouri State University news release. "The Diane Rehm Show" now airs weekday mornings from 9 to 11 a.m. With this addition, "Performance Today" moved to weeknights from 8 to 10 p.m.

MERRY MAIDS OPENS IN CAPE

Merry Maids, 1301 N. Kingshighway, Suite E in Cape Girardeau, held a ribbon cutting Aug. 16.

TRI-STATE CUTS RIBBON

Tri-State Swimming Pools held a ribbon cutting Aug. 14 for its new location at 2215 Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

PERKINS CLOSES IN P.B.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, 2121 N. Westwood Blvd., closed its doors Aug. 19, reported the Daily American Republic. Customers and the 32 people employed there were surprised to learn the restaurant was closing immediately. The restaurant and GuestHouse International Hotel are both owned by Dr. and Mrs. Alex Hoja of Poplar Bluff. The hotel will remain open, but presently there are no plans for the food service area. Hotel manager Dee Hoja said the restaurant had been open eight years and was running at a loss due to the economic downturn.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES OPENS SIKESTON OFFICE

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri has a new office at 205 W. Malone St. The organization, established in 2009 with administrative offices in Springfield, Mo., has additional offices in Cape Girardeau, Joplin and Van Buren, Mo. Catholic Charities provides help to individuals and families of all faiths and all economic, racial or social backgrounds.

P.B. CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for Justin Campbell's new business, Rednecks Racks and Reels, at 411 W. Pine St.

EIGHTEEN GRADUATE FROM OPERATION JUMPSTART

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Several new small businesses will open or expand in the next few months because of the help of an award-winning, nationally recognized program they completed in Poplar Bluff. Eighteen aspiring entrepreneurs graduated from the Operation JumpStart small business training program with assistance from certified facilitators and guest speakers. The Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Small Business Technology Development Center at Southeast Missouri State University and the University of Missouri Extension provided professional business coaches to work one-on-one with participants throughout the six-week course. Participants learned to develop the components of a successful business plan and had the opportunity to submit their feasibility plans in late August in competition for startup grants or microloans through ACCION Delta, a new microlender in Missouri. The class was facilitated by Steve Halter, director of the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce.

LANG JEWELRY STORE TO CLOSE

Lang Jewelry and Fine Gifts will close this fall as its owners retire. The store in downtown Cape Girardeau has been in business 96 years. It has been in the Lang family since 1916 at the same location, 126 N. Main St. Roger and Judith Anne Lang currently own and operate the store; Roger Lang is a third-generation owner.

BAKERY OPENS ON INDEPENDENCE

Sugar Buzz Bakery is now open at 1929 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau. The specialty bakery features cream horns, cannolis, eclairs, cupcakes, fudge, cookies, cinnamon rolls, brownies, pies and cakes.

SHEAR ENVI OPENS ON KINGSHIGHWAY

Melissa King and Nikki Meyer opened Shear Envi, a full-service salon at 1610 N. Kingshighway, Suite 107 in Cape Girardeau.

RHODES OPENS NEW MERCATO DI RODI

PAJCO Inc. opened a new Mercato di Rodi ON Aug. 27 at 425 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau. It is the second Mercato di Rodi location for the company and the first in Cape Girardeau. The store provides an upscale setting with wine selections from Primo Vino, a walk-in beer cave, a Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain, cafe items and public Wi-Fi. An assortment of grocery and convenience items are also available.

SCHOOL LIBRARY NAMED AFTER LORIMIER

The Cape Girardeau School Board named the new library at Central Junior High in honor of city founder Louis Lorimier. According to a news release, the board voted unanimously to name the library the Louis Lorimier Library. Funding for the library came in part from the sale of the Louis J. Schultz school, which was deeded by Lorimier to the city for the establishment of a public school.

SCHNUCKS UNDERGOING RENOVATION

The Schnucks supermarket in Cape Girardeau is undergoing a multimillion-dollar upgrade that will bring more variety and convenience for shoppers, store manager Dennis Marchi said. Work began in August to install energy-efficient coolers, brighter LED lighting, new bins in the bakery and more. The Cape Girardeau store is one of only four in the company with a gourmet cheese selection and olive bar with 24 olive products. The renovations will allow Schnucks to add more organic produce, dairy-free and gluten-free products, said Marchi. Additional coolers will allow the store to offer more seafood, both fresh and frozen, and more dairy products. The store will celebrate a grand reopening in October. This is the store's 36th year in Cape Girardeau. Its last remodel was in 2000.

SIGNATURE PACKAGING NAMED TO TOP 20

Signature Packaging and Paper LLC of Jackson was named one of the Top 20 small businesses in St. Louis for 2012 by the Small Business Monthly Magazine at the Hilton Frontenac Hotel on Aug. 21. Signature Packaging is a manufacturer of corrugated packaging and displays, serving a diverse customer base, including Procter & Gamble, since 2003.