CAPE HONDA AWARDED PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Cape Girardeau Honda was awarded the Honda President’s Award for the sixth year in a row, and the seventh year overall. The President’s Award is only given to dealerships that demonstrate excellence throughout all areas of their operations, including customer satisfaction, service and sales, according to a news release. Out of 1,048 Honda dealerships participating in the program annually, only 125 were given the award for 2015. Cape Girardeau Honda is one of only three dealerships in Missouri to win the award seven times. Chris Brown is the general manager of Cape Girardeau Honda.
BOLLINGER COUNTY CO-OP NAMED AMONG RISING STARS
MARBLE HILL, Mo. — The Bollinger County Co-op of Marble Hill was one of 10 Missouri companies to win a Rising Star Award from the University of Missouri Extension Business Development Program’s Missouri Small Business Technology & Development Centers, a statewide network of business counselors. It was the only winner from Southeast Missouri. Each firm was selected based on its exceptionalism, the difference it makes in the community, its economic impact in terms of sales and jobs and how MO SBTDC counselors helped the firm achieve its goals, according to a news release. In addition to the award, each business will receive a legislative proclamation honoring the firm for its contribution to the economic development of Missouri. The Bollinger County Co-op is owned by Bollinger County Cooperative members and counseled by Richard Proffer. The organization sells and leases agricultural products, livestock and agricultural operations in Bollinger, Wayne, Madison and Stoddard counties ranging from feed manufactured in-house to renting farm implements.
KENNETT INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY SOLD
KENNETT, Mo. — Tom Kelsey, commercial broker at Lorimont Place Ltd. in Cape Girardeau, confirmed that his real estate company had sold the former Dunklin County Compress property in Kennett. Kelsey said in a news release they had been working with the City of Kennett for several months on the purchase and verified the transaction has been completed. The property consisted of approximately 350,000 square feet of various warehouse and industrial buildings located on 80 acres of property in the center of the town. City officials announced the entire property will be used for economic development purposes to bring new and upstart companies into the city. Jim Grebing, economic development director for the city, will oversee the marketing and negotiation for new and existing area business on the site. Kelsey did not disclose the sale price, but the Lorimont website shows a $1.2 million asking price for the various buildings and 80 acres of land.
PLATO’S CLOSET OPENS IN CAPE
Marla and Scott Teter opened Plato’s Closet, which caters to high-school and college students as a way to buy and sell their clothes. The inventory from Plato’s Closet comes directly from customers. Those interested in selling gently used clothing can bring them to the store, and buyers will sort through the items to determine what they would like to buy and the price they will offer. According to the company website, buyers look for current teen and young-adult styles that have been in retail stores within the past 12 to 18 months. The Teters already own two Plato’s Closet franchises in Georgia. Teter, originally from East Prairie, Missouri, said she and her husband bought the territory for the franchise a year ago but only recently found the location they wanted. They are subleasing the former 5,000-square-foot Advance Auto Parts building on North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Teter expects to take on 25 part-time employees initially. A grand opening will be planned for mid-May.
TRAVELERS GAZEBO CLOSES IN CAPE
Travelers Gazebo Gardens and Pet Center closed March 31 after 53 years of business on South Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau. Owners Michael Obermiller and Glenda Bridges are retiring. Jesse and Marvalyn Obermiller first opened the business as Travelers Conoco, a service station, garage and 24-hour wrecker service. Jesse Obermiller’s son Michael joined the family business in 1975, working in the garage. Bridges, Jesse and Marvalyn Obermiller’s daughter, joined the business in 1985. The business transitioned to Travelers Garage and Gas in the 1970s and to Travelers Gazebo Gardens and Pet Center in the early 1990s.
SPORTS BAR OPENS IN DOWNTOWN CAPE
Blue Diamond Sports Bar opened on Main Street in downtown Cape Girardeau in late February. Tim Fischbeck, who hails from Farmington, Missouri, owns the restaurant, which is in the space Cape Billiard Center once occupied. Fischbeck previously worked in construction and spent time in the restaurant business before that. He still manages rental properties in addition to his new venture. Cape Billiard Center closed in November. Fischbeck brought in new pool tables lined with bright blue felt, and a stage sits in the northwest corner of the bar. Sandwiches, wraps, burgers, burritos and appetizers are offered all day. Pam Moore is manager of the business, which is a nonsmoking establishment.
TUESDAY MORNING STORE MOVES
Retail store Tuesday Morning opened its new location on Siemers Drive in Cape Girardeau on March 11. Manager Calie Wilson said the decision to move was based on the location. The new site is much larger and considerably brighter, she said. The extra space provides the store with expanded storage room. Tuesday Morning originally came to Cape Girardeau in 2002 when it opened in the Town Plaza. The store operated there until March 6, at which point the staff set to work relocating inventory over the next four days.
DEXTER CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS
DEXTER, Mo. — The Dexter Chamber of Commerce held ribbon cuttings recently for El Braceros restaurant, 911C W. Business Highway 60; Chicken Hut, 27 W. Business Highway 60, owned by Hubert Neeley; and Q’s Comics and Games in downtown Dexter. The comic book store, owned by Travis and Kelly Quetermous, sells a full line of new comics, used comics dating back to the 1940s, board games, role playing games, card games and specialty action figures and toys. A ribbon cutting also was held March 9 at Mail n More, 205 W. Business Highway 60. The store, owned by Teresa Neeley, offers shipping, packing, copying, faxing, laminating, banners, computer rental, mailbox rental, fingerprinting, passport photos, notary services, moving kits and more.
STEV-MARK STORE CHANGES OWNERSHIP
Twin brothers Steve and Mark Mueller sold their family business, Stev-Mark Inc., to Mike and Carole Harvell, effective Jan. 1. They had owned the Cape Girardeau store selling paint, wallpaper, custom framing and other home-decor products since 1972 and recently decided to retire. The business previously was known as Cooley Paint Store, which the Muellers’ father bought in 1954 and ran for two decades. The brothers still can be found in the store on William Street, each working about 20 hours a week. The Harvells own Life-Style Designs and until recently had a storefront in downtown Cape Girardeau where they sold cabinetry.
CRUISE ONE TRAVEL AGENCY GETS NEW NAME
As part of a corporate initiative reinvesting in the travel brand’s growth, Cape Girardeau travel agency franchise CruiseOne will function under the name Dream Vacations, effective April 5, according to a news release. Carol Nunnery is the local franchisee.
MONDI JACKSON LEASES MCKESSON BUILDING
The former McKesson Pharmaceutical distribution building at 1823 Rust Ave. in Cape Girardeau has been fully leased. Tom Kelsey, commercial broker at Lorimont Place Ltd., handled a lease transaction with Mondi Jackson, securing 52,000 square feet in the building. The space will be used for product storage and distribution supporting Mondi’s two Jackson-based manufacturing facilities. Kelsey said the other 60,000-square-foot portion of the warehouse is occupied by MTA Distributing.
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FERRELL MOBILE HOMES NAMED NO. 1
For the second year in a row, Ferrell Mobile Homes Inc. was named the No. 1 dealer of all manufactured homes in Missouri by Statistical Surveys Inc., a data company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that tracks the sales of new manufactured homes.
MORTGAGE-LOAN COMPANY OPENS IN CAPE
Hometown Equity Mortgage St. Louis Inc., 121 S. Broadview in Cape Girardeau, is a mortgage-loan company owned by Donald Miller. The anticipated opening date was March 16.
RENAISSANCE CHANGES OWNERS
Renaissance, 139 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau, has changed owners. Once owned by Mike and Sherry Yaeger, the retail décor store now is owned by Jenna Beussink Lents.
PLUSH SALON OPENS ON BROADWAY
Shelby Allee opened PLUSH Salon at 437 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. Stylists at PLUSH offer a variety of services, including cut, color, updos, facial waxing and men’s cuts and beard trims. On-site wedding hair and makeup services also are available. The salon is next to the Corner Grocery Store in downtown Cape Girardeau. The location, Allee said, hadn’t been occupied for about three years. Alongside Allee is one other stylist, Brynna Downing.
PEPSI MID-AMERICA EXPANDING IN P.B.
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Ground soon will be broken on a $2.1 million Pepsi distribution center in Poplar Bluff, the Daily American Republic reported. Pepsi Mid-America expects to add more than 30 jobs as it expands and relocates to a 15-plus-acre facility on the West Outer Road near U.S. 67 South. Butler County was awarded a grant from the Department of Economic Development to help with infrastructure improvements. The DED committed to donating $114,328 for sewer and water improvements needed to assist the expansion. Additionally, Pepsi Mid-America is committed to at least $1 million in private investment. Pepsi Mid-America currently serves areas within a 50-mile radius, including Poplar Bluff, Dexter, Donipan, Malden, Campbell and Van Buren, Missouri.
PLUS-SIZE FASHION STORE OPENS IN DOWNTOWN CAPE
Nathalee Williams and her fiance, Clifton Brown, opened Zazzy Fashion House on Main Street in downtown Cape Girardeau. The store opened March 15 and features a variety of clothing styles and sizes for men and women, as well as fashion accessories. Zazzy carries women’s sizes up to 4X and men’s sizes to 6X. The storefront most recently was inhabited by Life-Style Design. Williams previously owned a liquor store in Jamaica, from where she hails. The store has continued successfully since she left.
THREE RIVERS BREAKS GROUND ON SPORTS COMPLEX
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — A ground-breaking was held April 1 for the Libla Family Sports Complex at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff. Dille Traxel Architecture, a firm in Poplar Bluff and Cape Girardeau, completed the architectural design work for the new sports complex. The 60,000-square-foot facility will provide seating for more than 3,000 and will be the basketball venue for the Raiders and Lady Raiders basketball teams. Included within the sports complex is a 12,500-square-foot FEMA safe room which doubles as the locker rooms for both basketball teams, weight rooms, training rooms and offices for coaches. Dille Traxel completed architectural design work for other Three Rivers facilities, including the renovation of the Academic Resource Commons (Poplar Bluff campus), the construction of the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center (Poplar Bluff campus) and the construction of the Academic Building (Sikeston campus). The $10.5 million sports complex construction is to be completed in October 2017.
INDIAN RESTAURANT OPENS IN WEST PARK MALL
Tandoor Indian Grill, an Indian restaurant, opened April 9 inside West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau. The restaurant offers traditional Indian fare reflective of the variety of cooking styles available throughout that country, as well as a fusion menu.
CENTRAL STATES RENTALS RELOCATING
Central States Rentals is relocating to 2967 E. Outer Road in Scott City in the next 30 to 60 days, according to commercial broker Tom Kelsey of Lorimont Place Ltd. The new location is a 21,800-square-foot industrial building that will be remodeled to include a new operation office, storage and repair shop. More than 3.5 acres of land will allow the business to have an outdoor display of its equipment.
SIMPLY A DEAL CLOSING IN CAPE
Simply a Deal, on Broadview Street in Cape Girardeau, is closing. A sign on the door indicated after 12 years, the store is going out of business.
HD MEDIA SYSTEMS BUYS STEREO ONE
HD Media Systems, on Broadway in Cape Girardeau, purchased StereoOne on Kingshighway. The focus of StereoOne will not change with the sale. It will continue to function as StereoOne, a division of HD Media Systems.
DOWNTOWN CAPE NOMINATED FOR HONOR
Downtown Cape Girardeau has been nominated for the Best Shopping on Main Competition in the Charming Town category. The winning city will appear on the syndicated TV show “Small Town Big Deal” and will receive its own section on the website shoponmain.com. According to a March 25 news release from Old Town Cape, Cape Girardeau is in the top 10 cities in its respective category.
ESCAPE CAPE OPENS ON BROADWAY
Escape Cape LLC, 1231 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, is owned by John Welter. The business offers amusement, recreation and business training services. The anticipated opening date is May 1.
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