Business briefs

__CONSIGNMENT, FURNITURE STORE OPENS IN JACKSON__

The Hidden Attic, a furniture and consignment store, opened March 16 at the former location of Ross Furniture on South High Street in Jackson. Owner Daniel Glasco said in a news release the store will offer furniture from store closeouts, factory overruns and local consignments of home décor. The store formerly operated in Marion, Illinois, but is moving to Jackson because of the attraction of the area and the market, Glasco said.

__FILM, MEDIA FIRM OPENS IN CAPE__

Katholokos Republic Film + Media, a firm offering cinematic-style video marketing production and brand building, is open and serving clients from the former federal building in downtown Cape Girardeau. The advertising firm, which also goes by KR Film + Media, was founded and is owned by Robbie Spurlock, who serves as its creative director. The agency recently won a Silver Addy Award in Digital Advertising for its website. The firm also has worked with Creative Edge to create photography, video and cinematography for Codefi, the co-working community in the federal building. The firm is at 339 Broadway, Suite 138.

__LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP RECEIVES HONOR__

American Honda Motor Co. Inc. announced Cape Girardeau Honda has been awarded the Honda President's Award for 2014. The award is presented to dealerships for exceptional performance in all operations, including sales, vehicle condition, customer experience, service retention and brand representation, according to a news release. Only 125 dealerships out of more than 1,000 nationwide earn the award. The dealership will receive a trophy and recognition materials for its showroom. Cape Girardeau Honda has won the award the past five years.

__ANYTIME FITNESS OPENING IN JACKSON__

Anytime Fitness, a franchise 24-hour coed fitness club, opened in March at 2451 N. High St. in Jackson. The club has about 5,600 square feet and offers circuit and resistance training machines, free weights, cardio equipment, group fitness classes, kiosk-based video group fitness, private bathrooms, changing rooms and showers and tanning packages. Staff are in the club eight hours a day, and members can gain access any time with a computerized key system.

__SIMPLY FITNESS CUTS RIBBON__

Simply Fitness, a fitness center in Jackson with 24-hour access for members, held a ribbon cutting March 11. The center opened in early February at 2432 E. Main St.

__CENTURY 21 ASHLAND REALTY EXPANDS TO COMMERCIAL__

Century 21 Ashland Realty in Cape Girardeau has extended its area of real estate specialization to include commercial properties by obtaining the Century 21 Commercial program designation. Agents who completed training in the program include Doris Jean Arnold, Kim Baker, Cindi Davidson-Brashear, Darren Ellis, Regina Rhymer-Hall, Dana Leming, Patty Main, Juanita McQuay, James Seyer, Rick Sinclair, Vicki Stroud and Herman Uelsmann. Century 21 Ashland Realty has more than 30 licensed Realtors. Tim Merideth is broker/owner of the company.

__FERRELL MOBILE HOMES NETS AWARDS__

BENTON, Mo. -- Ferrell Mobile Homes was recognized as the No. 1 dealer of all manufactured housing and single-wides for Missouri in 2014. The awards were presented in March by Statistical Surveys Inc. of Grand Rapids, Michigan, which tracks Missouri manufactured housing sales. In addition to Missouri, Ferrell sells in Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas. Marvin and Florence Ferrell started Ferrell Mobile Homes in the early 1960s, becoming the first manufactured home dealership in Southeast Missouri. The company has since spanned three generations and nearly 54 years.

__THREE RIVERS -- SIKESTON CUTS RIBBON ON NEW LOCATION__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A grand opening and ribbon-cutting was held March 20 for Three Rivers-Sikeston's new location at 1400 S. Main St. The $7 million, 36,000-square-foot facility, which opened for classes in January, has 17 classrooms, a Learning Resource Center and LPN-to-RN Bridge Program facilities with a state-of-the-art simulation lab. There also is an auditorium/community meeting room that doubles as a 770-person storm shelter. Construction of the building began in August 2013. Because of Three Rivers' enrollment growth in Sikeston, the former facility on Kathleen Street had reached capacity. The new facility has the capacity to serve 1,500 students a semester, triple what the Kathleen Street location allowed.

__DONUT COMPANY CUTS RIBBON__

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- The Donut Company held a ribbon cutting March 3 for its new location at 434 N. Washington St. in Farmington. Corey and Becky Atkins own the business, which offers donuts and other pastry items, as well as sandwiches, paninis and other lunch items.

__CODEFI LAUNCHES OPEN DEVICE LAB, ANNOUNCES EXPANSION__

A new AT&T-powered open device lab at Cape Girardeau's co-working community, Codefi, will allow testing of websites and applications on various smartphones and tablets. The lab's purpose, according to a news release, is supporting local software engineers, coders, web designers and app developers because thorough testing on multiple devices can be difficult because of the "nature of operating systems and the cost of acquiring a comprehensive pool of test devices," the release stated. The open device lab can be used with a day pass bought at Codefi or is free for regular members. Codefi also announced a 1,000-square-foot expansion of its office space, bringing the total used by the co-working community in the former federal building at 339 Broadway to 5,000 square feet. Membership at Codefi has grown to 80 members from more than 30 businesses since the community's opening in November. Recent additions to amenities include 3D printing capability, private offices, a new conference room and a game room.

__U.S. NEWS LAUDS MBA PROGRAM AT SEMO__

Southeast Missouri State University's master's degree program in business administration was recognized in the 2016 "Best Graduate Schools" edition of U.S. News & World Report magazine. The MBA program, based at the Harrison College of Business, includes accounting, entrepreneurship, environmental management, financial management, general management, health administration, international business, industrial management and sport management options. The annual rankings by U.S. News are based on standardized test scores of new students, employment outcomes for graduates, acceptance rates and other criteria, according to a news release from the university.

__PRUDENTIAL BRIDGEPORT REALTORS JOINS NETWORK__

Realtors at Prudential Bridgeport in Cape Girardeau are transitioning to the network of Berkshire Hathway Homeservices and will use the name Bridgeport Realtors. The company recently celebrated its brand transition with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a news release. The real estate company has operated under the Prudential name in the area since 1980. With the transition, agents are expected to gain online tools, applications and services and business consultation, professional education and marketing support, according to a news release. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, based in Irvine, California, is a real estate brokerage network.

__HAIR SALON TO OPEN ON INDEPENDENCE__

Roots Spa and Salon is expected to open in April at 1512 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau. The salon and spa, owned by Megon Rousseau and Sheila Wade, will offer cosmetology services, massage therapy and hair and body products.

__GUN & PAWN OPENS IN DEXTER__

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Dexter Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting in March for Dan's Gun & Pawn LLC, a new business at 17 N. Walnut St. in downtown Dexter. Dan and Sandy Cunningham own the business.

__PEOPLES FURNITURE CLOSES__

KENNETT, Mo. -- Peoples Furniture Store in Kennett has closed after more than 75 years of service, the Daily Dunklin Democrat reported. Owners Ronnie and Anita Jo Brogden said they decided to retire and spend more time with grandchildren and traveling. A retirement auction was held at the store on March 28.

__MARBLE HILL LICENSE OFFICE CONTRACT RENEWED__

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The Marble Hill License Office will remain in the hands of Bollinger County Abstract and Title Co. Inc., according to an announcement from the Office of Administration, in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Revenue. All license office contracts in Missouri are awarded through a competitive bidding process. Bollinger County Abstract and Title Co. Inc. has been the contractor of the Marble Hill License Office since 2011.

__SUBWAY OPENS IN SENATH__

SENATH, Mo. -- A grand opening and ribbon-cutting were held March 13 for the new Subway restaurant at 311 E. Commercial St. in Senath, the Daily Dunklin Democrat reported.

__USDA TOOL HELPS TALLY YIELDS, LIKELY PROFITS__

A new spreadsheet tool to help farmers and landowners make decisions about whether to add cover crops to their systems is available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. The free tool helps farmers consider the benefits of incorporating cover crops into rotations versus the costs, according to a news release from the USDA. Farmers can enter their own data, generate scenarios and see results represented in dollars and graphs, according to the release. The spreadsheet is available for download at nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/mo/soils/health/.

__NEW WEBSITE OFFERS AGRICULTURAL NEWS__

The Missouri Department of Agriculture has a new website for market news. AgMarketNews.mo.gov features current market information for agriculture in the state, according to a news release. It is updated daily with price information on commodities and livestock. The site offers daily and weekly audio, video and text format updates, 10 years of historical data and customizable graphs of seasonal and historical price data. The website is compatible with mobile devices.

__VOELKER INSURANCE BECOMES NATIONWIDE INSURANCE__

Voelker Insurance Agency in Cape Girardeau now is known as Nationwide Insurance. John Nowak operates the agency. Carol Voelker is the insurance agent, and the agency has expanded offerings to include automobile, home, business and life insurance through Nationwide, Voelker said. The agency is at 1749 Independence St.

__SHOE SENSATION CUTS RIBBON__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting March 26 for Shoe Sensation, which has expanded its facility at 1415 N. Westwood Blvd.

__NEW MADRID CHAMBER PRESENTS AWARDS__

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- The New Madrid Chamber of Commerce presented awards at its annual banquet March 17. Awards went to Kate Hampton, English teacher at New Madrid County Central, Educator of the Year; Hart-Stepp House Gallery, Tourism Award; H&R Block, Business of the Year; and Clyde Hawes, Man of the Year.

__EDEN SPA & SALON CUTS RIBBON__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting March 27 for eDen Spa and Salon, 3530 N. Westwood Blvd.

__NEARLY PERFECT SHOES CLOSING JACKSON STORE__

Nearly Perfect Shoes, a store with four Southeast Missouri locations, will consolidate to three with the closing of its Jackson store April 30. Robert Petch, a member of the ownership group for Nearly Perfect Shoes, said Jackson has been a good market for the store since it opened in the early 1990s, but he sees more opportunity in growing the Cape Girardeau location. The Cape Girardeau store, 209 S. Kingshighway, is making its women's department front and center, Petch said, and will add merchandise to the men's and children's sections. The Jackson store is at 1985 E. Jackson Blvd. Nearly Perfect Shoes stores in Dexter and Poplar Bluff will remain open.

__AT&T TOUTS $35M INVESTMENT IN REGION__

The addition of wired and wireless networks for homes and businesses in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson area since 2012 has cost AT&T more than $35 million, the company stated in a news release. Upgrades and expansions to networks have included new cell sites, more network capacity and new wireless high-speed Internet connections. Most recently, the company expanded 4G LTE coverage to seven cell sites along Interstate 55, added a cell site in downtown Cape Girardeau and increased capacity for 14 cell sites in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City and Lambert, according to the release.

__FIVE BELOW STORE OPENS APRIL 17__

Five Below, a store offering novelty items, accessories, candy, sporting goods, games and other merchandise for $5 or less, opened April 17 in Cape Girardeau. Work began on an expansion to a Drury Development-owned building on Siemers Drive last summer to house the store and create retail space for other prospective businesses. Five Below is a national chain with about 300 stores.

__GLASS ART STUDIO EXPANDS ITS OFFERINGS__

Glass Art by MSM, a Cape Girardeau County business that offers stained-glass fabrication, restoration and repair, recently bought new equipment from a Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, stained-glass business and is expanding. Dick and Judy McClard own the business, and Belinda Schearf is an associate. The fabricators have worked on stained glass at many local churches and Southeast Missouri State University buildings. In addition to offering classes through the university's continuing education programs, the business is holding classes at an in-home studio where participants can create their own art by cutting and shaping stained glass.

__DELMONICO'S MARKS 30 YEARS IN BUSINESS__

Delmonico's, a Jackson steakhouse, will celebrate 30 years in business in May. David and Janet Ackman established the restaurant in 1985, naming it after a place seen in the television show "Gunsmoke." The Ackmans' son, Blake Ackman, now runs the restaurant, which offers hand-selected, hand-cut 100 percent Angus beef steaks, an all-you-can-eat buffet, dessert bar with ice cream, two large banquet rooms and the regular dining room. It is at 2951 Old Orchard Road in Jackson.

__BOLLINGER COUNTY CHAMBER ADDS MEMBERS__

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce added the following members in March: Deadly Writes Publishing LLC, owned by Sharon and Bill Hopkins; Mayfield Cultural Center, a multi-function community and performing arts center housed in the former Will Mayfield College; Southeast Missouri State University Institute for Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship; TLC Wellness Center, owned by Patricia Wischmann; and Woodland Inn, owned by Wanda and Kelly Francis.

__FIRST COMMERCIAL OPENS ORAN BRANCH__

ORAN, Mo. -- First Commercial Bank recently opened its 10th location with a branch at 1300 State Highway W in Oran. The full-service bank has served Southeast Missouri since 1920, according to a news release.

__BRAD BERRY OPENS INSURANCE AGENCY__

Brad Berry Insurance Agency, 885 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, is a Farmers Insurance agency offering automobile, home, business and life insurance. Brad Berry owns the agency, and an anticipated opening date was listed as March 1.

__HAIR ENVY OPENS ON INDEPENDENCE__

Hair Envy, 1606 N. Independence St., 3B, Cape Girardeau, offers cutting, styling and chemical hair treatments. Sierra McElmurry owns the business.

__LIGHTZ ENT OPENS ON BROADWAY__

Lightz ENT LLC, 731 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, offers amusement and is owned by Kyle Valentine. An anticipated opening date was listed as March 1.

__CATERING BUSINESS OPENS IN CAPE__

Faithfully Fed LLC, 2148A William St., Cape Girardeau, is a faith-based health food catering kitchen serving vegetarian, nonvegetarian and organic food and firebrick pizza. Tina Graham and Cheryl Mothes own the business, which opened in early April.

__DOCUMENT PREP SERVICE OPENS IN CAPE__

El Centro De Esperanza LLC, 18 N. Frederick St., Cape Girardeau, is a document preparation service owned by Curtis Session.