Business briefs

__OLD TOWN CAPE RACKS UP AWARDS__

Downtown revitalization organization Old Town Cape brought home four major awards from the recent 2015 Missouri Main Street Conference in Kansas City, according to a news release. At the conference, the organization accepted an Adaptive Reuse award on behalf of Janus Development Group; a Business Excellence award on behalf of Thomas R. Higgins of TRH Accounting; a Stick Out Your Neck award on behalf of James D. Maurer; and the Great American Main Street cup for winning the Great American Main Street Award. Among the attendees from Old Town Cape were executive director Marla Mills; Dr. Steven Hoffman, board of directors president of Missouri Main Street Connection and an Old Town Cape board member; Christa Zickfield, project manager; William Zickfield, volunteer; and Kevin Taylor, the organization's development and resource coordinator.

__COMPANY CREATES AUTO BUYING SERVICE__

First Auto Credit in Jackson recently began a new service for businesses and people who want to buy a specific vehicle and save time. Curb Service, according to business co-owner Ken Seabaugh, "can come to you at the office, at home or a casual meeting over lunch" and "is tailored to the buyer and focuses specifically on the customer's needs." The service moves at the customer's pace, he said in a news release, and offers "complete upfront disclosure of details, terms and price," with financing and nationwide delivery. The service was developed for people who do not want or do not have the time to go out to the lots or online to find the perfect vehicle, First Auto Credit co-owner David Kinder said in the news release.

__REALTORS BOARD GRANT HELPS HOUSING STUDY__

The Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors was awarded a $5,000 grant from the National Association of Realtors' Housing Opportunity Program to help create and expand affordable housing opportunities, according to a news release from the board. The grant partially pays for a housing needs survey by the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission for the city of Perryville, Missouri. The grant will help raise awareness about the need for more housing opportunities in the community and identify and promote solutions that address affordable housing, said Dawn Seabaugh, the board's association executive. The national association's program awards grants 10 times a year.

__SUNSET TOWERS BUSINESSES EXPAND__

Two businesses in the Sunset Towers office development at 1020 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau recently increased office space. Carnes Financial Group, an investment, financial planning and insurance firm, and Guardian Land Title, a real estate title service, expanded office space when adjoining office suites became available, according to a news release from Tom Kelsey, a commercial broker with Lorimont Place who handled the lease transactions. Sunset Towers, a 26,000-square-foot multi-tenant office and retail development, is owned and managed by Rhodes Real Estate Partners.

__ELITE TOW AND RECOVERY CUTS RIBBON__

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Aug. 8 for Elite Tow and Recovery, 1087 Commerce Drive. Mitch Faught and Nick Brock own the business, offering 24-hour roadside assistance along with auto maintenance and repair.

__JACKSON TO CONSTRUCT SPECULATION BUILDING__

The Jackson Industrial Development Committee soon will construct a speculation building it hopes will help lure prospective businesses. The building that will be erected in the Jackson Industrial Park on Highway PP will sit on a 6-acre lot and cost between $1.2 million and $1.4 million. The money required to complete the project has been obtained in loans from a consortium of local banks, which the Jackson Industrial Development Committee plans on repaying with money from the eventual sale of the building. The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce has volunteered to pay the loan interest, said Jackson Mayor Dwain Hahs. The building will be 50,000 square feet, with 30-foot ceilings and minimal ventilation. Features such as loading docks, bay doors or specialized ventilation could be added, Hahs said, but for the purposes of a speculation building, adaptability is a top priority. The building would function as a sort of head start to a company looking to expand.

__DUNKIN' DONUTS TO TAKE OVER HOUCH'S BUILDING__

A new franchise of Dunkin' Donuts will be placed in the location that held Houch's Donuts on North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Carl Ritter Jr., one of the franchise owners bringing the restaurant to Cape Girardeau, said his group has bought the building at 1001 N. Kingshighway, and renovations will begin with in the next couple months. A projected store opening is February or sooner, according to Ritter.

__ISLE OF CAPRI TO CLOSE MISSISSIPPI SITE__

Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., the parent company of Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, in mid-August announced it will close its Natchez, Mississippi, property, Isle Natchez. Isle of Capri also has entered an agreement to sell its Natchez hotel and some related nongaming assets to Casino Holding Investment Partners LLC, parent company of Magnolia Bluffs Casino, for $11.5 million, according to a news release. Isle of Capri has 15 casino properties in seven states.

__SKYVIEW ANIMAL CLINIC RELOCATES__

Skyview Animal Clinic in Cape Girardeau moved to 2139 Megan Drive in Cape Girardeau. The veterinary clinic previously was at 883 S. Kingshighway.

__MRV BANKS RANKED AMONG NATION'S HEALTHIEST__

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- MRV Banks was named to the 2015 edition of the Top 200 Healthiest Banks in America in a recently released list from Deposit-Accounts. The bank, which ranked No. 162, stood out in all of the primary evaluation categories, including Texas ratio, deposit growth and capitalization. MRV Banks, headquartered in Ste. Genevieve, is the 149th-largest bank in Missouri. It was established in 2007 and, as of March, had grown to 16 employees at two locations.

__HENDRICKSON BUSINESS ADVISORS BUYS BUILDING__

Hendrickson Business Advisors, which celebrated eight years in business July 31, bought a new building in August. The building, at 715 N. Clark Ave., next to the Cape Girardeau Public Library, previously housed law offices. A management and marketing consulting firm, Hendrickson Business Advisors began in 2007 in the lower level of Rhett and Jennifer Hendrickson's home, according to a news release. In April 2008, the Hendricksons bought a house on William Street and converted it to office space.

__THOMPSON RELOCATES FINANCIAL OFFICE__

J.P. Thompson, a licensed financial broker-dealer at MML Investors Services LLC, expanded and relocated his office to 1353 N. Mount Auburn Road, Suite A, Cape Girardeau. Tom Kelsey, commercial real estate broker at Lorimont Place Ltd., handled the recent lease transaction. Thompson's financial offices were previously housed within the First Midwest Bank building in Jackson.

__BANK OF MISSOURI LEADS IN SOCIAL MEDIA__

The Independent Community Bankers of America on Aug. 21 released its list of Top 50 Community Bank Leaders in Social Media. This is the third year the association has held the contest and the third year The Bank of Missouri has been recognized on the list. The contest, sponsored by Shazam, highlights social media trailblazers among the community bank industry, according to a news release. ICBA sought nominations from the nation's community banks from May to June and received nearly 300 nominations. Community banks were scored based on their engagement with fans and followers, the content distributed on their social media platforms, the number of followers they have and the frequency of posting new content, the release said. To view all 50 community banks featured, visit www.icba.org/smleaders.

__MISSISSIPPI MUTTS RELOCATES__

Mississippi Mutts of Cape Girardeau moved to a new location in August. The new location, at 609 Broadway, is about six blocks east of the store's former address at 1231 Broadway.

__DESLOGE CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS__

DESLOGE, Mo. -- The Desloge Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Aug. 21 for the new location of Bates Insurance at 918 E. Main St. in Park Hills, Missouri. The chamber also held ribbon cuttings in August for Hammack Advisory Group, 334 N. State St., Suite C1 in Desloge, and ResCare HomeCare, 1136G N. Desloge Drive.

__AUTO SPA OPENS IN FARMINGTON__

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Farmington Auto Spa held a ribbon cutting Aug. 18 for its new location at 205 Karsch Blvd. in Farmington.

__ROBINSON CONSTRUCTION RECOGNIZED AS A TOP CONTRACTOR__

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Engineering News-Record recognized Robinson Construction Co. as one of the Top Contractors in the Midwest for the third consecutive year. Based on 2014 revenue for work completed in the Midwest region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin), Robinson moved up 16 spots from its 2014 ranking to No. 66 on the ENR Midwest Top Contractors list for 2015. ENR is a weekly magazine that provides news, analysis, data and opinion for the construction industry worldwide and is owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies, according to a news release. ENR performs annual surveys of the largest contractors and design firms in the U.S. and internationally and ranks them based on annual revenue.

__BONNE TERRE CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS__

BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- The Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting recently for Renew Auto Detail and Tuneup. The business, owned by Willie Thurman, is off Division Street in Bonne Terre. The chamber also held a ribbon cutting for the grand reopening of The Coffee Shoppe at the corner of Allen and Behnam streets. Patricia Murphy owns the business, which recently added a new drive-thru.

__ONLINE MASTER'S IN MANAGEMENT PROGRAM RANKED NO. 3__

Southeast Missouri State University's online Master of Science in management is ranked No. 3 among the "Top 50 Best Value Online Master's in Management Programs 2015" by Value Colleges, according to a news release. Value Colleges ranks institutions beginning with accredited colleges and universities offering online management degrees and then considering Payscale's 2015 College ROI Report, U.S. News & World Report rankings of online programs and per credit hour tuition rates, the release said.

__GROUND BROKEN ON SIKESTON THEATER__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Cotton Ridge Development broke ground Aug. 28 on the Malco Theatre to be built in Sikeston.

__FORD AND SONS CUTS RIBBON ON NEW LOCATION__

Ford and Sons Funeral Home held a ribbon-cutting Aug. 31 at its new location, the former Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home, at 708 W. Main St. in Jackson. Ford and Sons announced it had bought Cracraft-Miller in early February. Josh Ford, vice president of Ford and Sons, is overseeing the relaunch of Cracraft-Miller under the Ford and Sons name. The facility is Ford and Sons' fourth.

__PERRYVILLE DOG GROOMER CUTS RIBBON__

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Macy's Place Dog Bath and Boutique held a ribbon cutting in August at 9 E. Ste. Marie St. in Perryville, the Perryville Chamber of Commerce announced. The store specializes in locally handmade dog items and has a do-it-yourself pet bathing area, according to the business' description on its Facebook page. The store also offers baked treats from Mississippi Mutts in Cape Girardeau.