__NUMOTION BRANCH RELOCATES IN AREA__
Numotion, formerly United Mobility and Seating, relocated and expanded its Southeast Missouri branch. Numotion opened a new facility at 126 Airport Road, just off Interstate 55, near the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. According to Tom Kelsey, commercial broker at Lorimont Place Ltd. who handled the real estate transaction, the 9,000-square-foot facility is nearly twice the size of the company’s previous space and “will enable the company to expand both in office, service and repair space along with additional storage capabilities for their various lines of products.” The Cape Girardeau branch is one of many locations in 40 states. Missouri is home to seven. The wheelchair company offers a variety of mobility products, including manual and complex-type wheelchairs, power chairs and scooters as well as service, repair and parts for all of their lines.
__CLEANING BUSINESS OPENS IN CAPE__
Green Kleen is a home-based business owned by Kevin Green in Cape Girardeau. It specializes in the cleaning of commercial and residential buildings.
__PRINCETON REVIEW RANKS SEMO MBA PROGRAM__
Southeast Missouri State University’s Master of Business Administration program was ranked among the nation’s outstanding business schools by the Princeton Review, according to a news release from Southeast. The education services company profiled the program in the 2017 edition of its annual book, “The Best 294 Business Schools.” The Princeton Review surveyed 25,000 students attending the 294 business schools included in the book. Students were asked an 80-question survey to rate their schools on several topics and report on their experience. The book’s two-page profiles have sections on academics, student life, admissions information and graduates’ employment data. In the profile on Southeast’s MBA program, editors describe the school as a “top-notch education at an affordable price.” The profile also quotes students who praised Southeast’s international programs, classroom environments, professors, career services and small class sizes.
__MONTGOMERY BANK TO OPEN CENTER IN JACKSON__
A dormant Jackson property will have new life when the Montgomery Bank Conference and Training Center opens in it next year. The building at 526 W. Main St. most recently housed Main Street Lanes. The former bowling alley will undergo $3 million in renovations to transform it into the training center for the bank. Jim Limbaugh, executive vice president and community bank president for Montgomery Bank, said its staffing needs had outgrown current facilities, and a centralized location for training employees in St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Sikeston, Missouri, was needed. Montgomery Bank has owned the vacant property for about two years. Planned renovations include a 160-seat auditorium with state-of-the-art video equipment, as well as office space, flexible meeting space, a concourse, kitchen and bar area. The facility also will accommodate the bank’s accounting and financial-support departments that occupy the second floor of the bank’s Cape Girardeau location on Broadway. Once those departments vacate the Broadway location, those offices will be available for rent. Phillip B. Smith Architect LLC and Kiefner Brother Construction are handling the design and construction, which Limbaugh expects will be completed in 12 months. A 10,000-square-foot space adjacent to the conference center will be available for lease. Dollar General will remain in its current location.
__PERRY COUNTY LANDLORDS GROUP FORMED__
Twenty investment-property owners voted in October to form the Perry County Landlords Association and to elect board members and officers. Members of this association will work with the Perry County Health Department, public-works director and aldermen to ensure clean and safe living conditions for all tenants in Perry County. Those interested in joining the association should contact Perry County Landlords Association president Pam Muench at (573) 547-9231.
__TWO NEW FOOD TRUCKS COME TO CAPE__
Something Bout That Chick’n of Charleston, Missouri, is a mobile food truck owned by Joyce Jones. The food truck’s anticipated start date in Cape Girardeau was Sept. 19. The Ferris Wheel is a food truck owned by Benjamin Bird. The mobile restaurant will specialize in foods such as funnel cakes and turkey legs.
__WALKER STARTS DELIVERY SERVICE__
Walker Brothers Express is a home-based delivery service owned by Bryan D. Walker. The business began operating Oct. 3 in Cape Girardeau.
__ELEMENT 74 EXPANDING IN CAPE__
Element 74 is expanding its office in Cape Girardeau. The company still will be at 113 S. Silver Springs Road, but has acquired an additional 1,000 square feet to accommodate their 20 team members, according to a news release. “We’re adding seven additional offices for our team, including an entire new area for the project management team. The new space will provide opportunities for better collaboration and quiet space for deep focus when needed,” said Toni Eftink, director of project management at Element 74.
__SOUTHEAST MISSOURIAN EARNS 30 AWARDS IN STATE CONTEST__
The Southeast Missourian recently was honored with 30 awards in the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. The awards cover a broad range of categories, including news and feature stories, photography, design, sports coverage and general excellence. Among the more than two dozen honors, the Southeast Missourian, its journalists, photojournalists and designers received seven first-place and 12 second-place awards. The newspaper took first in the best overall design category and second in general excellence. The judges called the design “reminiscent of a big-city newspaper with a local focus,” praised the prominent use of photographs in the masthead and use of photos, fonts and white space, and called the classified section “amazing.” A second-place honor in the best front page category garnered praise for a promotion of state baseball. Flourish, the quarterly lifestyle magazine geared toward women, earned first place as the best magazine or alternative publication, selected over magazines produced by the Kansas City Star and the Jefferson City News Tribune. The Southeast Missourian also received recognition as having the best website in its class. The judges’ praise for the newspaper’s photography department includes several of its photo packages as well as sports and feature art. The layout of photos also was recognized.
__MAYFIELD OPENS CRACKER BUSINESS__
Nancy Mayfield, a retired elementary-school secretary from Patton, Missouri, recently began her own line of baked goods, producing mostly crackers. “It started because I wanted to have healthy, whole-wheat type crackers, and I never could find anything that was really good in the store,” says Mayfield, who sells her goods at the farmers markets in Cape Girardeau. Her business, Creative Crackers, also offers fresh-baked breads and freezer jellies. “Everything’s natural: natural flavors, no preservatives, no trans fats,” she says. Mayfield had a commercial kitchen built next to her home and plans to begin selling online. Her crackers also are being served at STA, a restaurant on Sprigg Street across from Southeast Missouri State University.
__ORSCHELN STORE LOOKS FOR NEW SITE IN CAPE__
Orscheln Farm & Home is looking to expand in Cape Girardeau. “We are planning on moving our store to a much larger footprint,” Nicholas Orscheln, real-estate manager for the company, said in a telephone interview. “As of right now, we have not settled on a location.” Orscheln said the old Sears building in Town Plaza was being considered, but officials determined it was not a feasible location.
__DELIVERY SERVICE EXPANDS INTO REGION__
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King Bee Courier, a delivery service based in Lexington, Kentucky, is expanding to Southeast Missouri and its surrounding four-state region. Tom Kelsey, commercial broker at Lorimont Place Ltd., said the courier will occupy a 6,000-square-foot warehouse at 3170 Industrial Fuels Drive in Scott City, just off the Interstate 55 Nash Road exit. Kelsey said the company will begin its operations soon and will hire drivers to begin operations.
__NEW BOUTIQUE OPENS IN FARMINGTON__
FARMINGTON, Mo. — The Park Hills-Leadington Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Sept. 2 for The Lemonade Stand Boutique, 310C Potosi St. in Farmington. This store sells clothing, jewelry, accessories, home décor, spiritual and religious items and more, the Park Hills Daily Journal reported. Store owner Ginger Pizarro said 10 percent of every dollar spent in the boutique is donated to charities and local organizations, including The United Way of St. Francois County, the Alzheimer’s Association, SEMO Family Violence Council, Help the Hungry Bake Sale, Season of Hope, Shared Blessings, March of Dimes, Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life and local schools.
__MAIN STREET PIZZA OPENS IN BERNIE__
BERNIE, Mo. — Main Street Pizza opened Oct. 7 at 108 Drake St. in downtown Bernie, the Delta News Citizen reported. Marisa Farmer owns the business, which offers pizza, sandwiches, pasta, wings, breakfast and other items.
__TAXI SERVICES COMES TO PORTAGEVILLE__
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — W.M. Taxi Service now is operating in Portageville, the Portageville Missourian reported. Walter McDowell, a 20-year resident of Portageville and a military veteran, began offering the service in September. The service is available 24/7 and goes as far north to Cape Girardeau, south to Steele, Missouri, and west to Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
__TWO WAL-MART STORES WILL CLOSE IN REGION__
Wal-Mart stores in Caruthersville and Piedmont, Missouri, will close at the beginning of 2017. Store employees were informed of the decision Oct. 21. The two locations are traditional Wal-Mart stores and not the large-scale supercenters commonly seen in the area. They have served their communities for decades. The Caruthersville Wal-Mart opened in 1977 and employs 85 people. The Piedmont location opened in 1980 and employs 75 people. The company is seeking transfer opportunities for employees wishing to continue with the company. Severance packages will be offered to all other full and part-time employees. Both stores will close Jan. 20.
__MOTORCYCLE REPAIR SHOP OPENS IN CAPE__
Lawbikes, 429 Optimist Drive in Cape Girardeau, is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle repair shop owned by Kit Cameron. The business has been open for four months.
__NEW SALON OPENS ON WILLIAM STREET__
Hair Phoenix LLC, dba Supercuts, at Cape West Shopping Center, 3441A William St. in Cape Girardeau, is a hair salon owned by Lisa Clark and Lawrence Hatchett. The anticipated opening date was Nov. 2.
__BARBECUE RESTAURANT OPENS IN PARK HILLS__
PARK HILLS, Mo. — The Park Hills-Leadington Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Oct. 19 for Hungry Bellies BBQ, 1020 E. Main St. in Park Hills. The new restaurant offers smoked brisket, chicken, hot links, pulled pork, ribs and more.
__R.P. LUMBER BUYS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI BUILDERS SUPPLY__
Home center and building materials supplier R.P. Lumber continues to extend its reach into Southeast Missouri, this time through the purchase of Southeast Missouri Builders Supply in Cape Girardeau. For 30 years, Mark Beaudean, John L. Essner and Tom Spitzmiller owned and operated the building-supply store on Jefferson Avenue. Recently the three men set their sights on retirement and decided to sell the business to R.P. Lumber, which took ownership of the 111-year-old business in October. This is the third R.P. Lumber acquisition in Southeast Missouri. The company purchased Pocahontas Lumber and Hardware in Jackson last winter. Kelso Supply Co. in Kelso, Missouri, transitioned into an R.P. Lumber store in June. Like the two other acquisitions, all Southeast Missouri Builders Supply employees have been retained. Jason Plummer, vice president of R.P. Lumber, said the products and services will remain the same, though he said some product lines may be expanded. The big change, he said, will come when the store moves out of its long-standing location. For now, R.P. Lumber’s Cape Girardeau store will remain at its three-acre facility near the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, but Plummer said they are under contract to purchase a new facility and intend to move in the near future. He was not prepared to announce the new location.
__BATTING CAGES OPEN IN LEADINGTON__
LEADINGTON, Mo. — The Park Hills-Leadington Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Oct. 7 for ProBall Cages and Activities Center. Justin Thompson and Ryan Hawkins are co-owners of the new business in the St. Francois Plaza. The center has new batting cages with 5,400 square feet of turf, all new pitching machines, professional grade L-Screens and private training.
__BRA BOUTIQUE OPENS IN DOWNTOWN CAPE__
Perfect Fit Bra Boutique LLC, 519 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, is a retail clothing store owned by Kriste and Barry Martin. It opened Oct. 22.
__BARBER SHOP OPENS IN P.B.__
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting recently for American Classic Barber Shop, 1613 S. Broadway. Jimmy Hunt Jr. and his wife, Taylor Hunt, own the new business.
__COFFEE SHOP COMING TO UPTOWN JACKSON__
Bob and Serena Schooley will open a coffee shop, the Ground-A-Bout, at 107 E. Adams St. in uptown Jackson. The Schooleys hope to open the business Dec. 3, using beans supplied by Parengo Coffee in Sikeston, Missouri, and pastries and baked goods from Home Sweet Home Bakery in Millersville.
__TWO CAPE BUSINESSES MOVING__
Angela Francis Interiors and Steel Concepts and Designs LLC, two businesses at 272 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau and owned respectively by Angela and Rocky Francis, are relocating. The husband-and-wife team bought the office buildings at 1754 and 1762 Independence St. — one formerly occupied by Shannon Kirchhoff Orthodontics and the other the previous location of Dan’s Key and Lock — and will move before the end of the year, according to Tom Kelsey, a commercial broker at Lorimont Place Ltd. who handled the real-estate transaction. Kelsey said both businesses will be headquartered in the former orthodontics building. The other building will be used as warehousing for the interior-design operation. Both buildings will go through extensive remodeling before move-in.
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