Business memo 12/31/01

First Friday speakers from airport industry

Bruce Loy, manager of the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, and Chuck Howell, president of Corporate Airlines, a Smyrna, Tenn.-based commuter airline which provides air services from Cape Girardeau to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, will be guest speakers at the Cape Girardeau First Friday Coffee, to be held Jan. 4 at the Show Me Center.

Corporate Airlines started operations in December 1996.

Quick Lube to open second operation

Performance Quick Lube will open a second store in Cape Girardeau, at 101-A North Kingshighway early next year.

A Performance Quick Lube is currently in operation at 429 Siemers Drive.

The new quick lube will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Business counseling sessions availableThe Small Business Development Center will conduct counseling sessions at Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Mo., and Perryville, Mo. in January.

The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office. The counseling sessions (about one hour) are free. Call 335-3312 for appointment.

Degenhardt will conduct sessions at the Sikeston Chamber of Commerce from 9-11 a.m. Jan. 15. Appointments are available by calling (573) 471-2498.

He will hold sessions at the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning office in Perryville from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 17. Appointments are available by calling (573) 547-8357.

The Small Business Development Center represents a partnership for economic development between Southeast Missouri State University, the U.S. Small Business Administration, local financial institutions, area utility companies and Southeast Missouri municipalities. The goal of the center is to stimulate diversity and growth in small-business by assisting new and existing businesses to become more productive and more profitable.

Firm says 2001 job losses at over a million

The United States is on pace to record more job losses in 2001 than it has in at least nine years, the job placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said.

Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, U.S. companies have announced 624,411 job cuts, more than the 12-month totals for every year from 1993-1997, the job placement firm said.

Through the end of November companies had announced close to 1.3 million job cuts in 2001, nearly three times more than were announced in 2000 and the largest number since Challenger began tabulating such figures in 1993.

The worst year prior to 2001 was 1998, when 677,795 job cuts were announced.

The job losses cut across three significant economic sectors: manufacturing/industrial, high technology and travel, Challenger said.

ABF Freight wins NetMarketing award

ABF Freight Systems Inc., has been named a NetMarketing 200 award winner, with its Web site, abf.com, receiving the highest score of any LTL motor carrier Web site.

ABF Freight System provides motor carrier service to all 50 states, nine Canadian provinces, Mexico, Guam and Puerto Rico.

The company, founded in 1923, is a subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corp., and includes an office in the Cape Girardeau area.

Kennett hotel turning into home for seniors

The old Cotton Boll Hotel in Kennett is undergoing a renovation project that will turn the old hotel into a home for senior citizens 60 years old or older -- Cotton Boll Commons.

The project has been two years in the making, said Ken Maddox. When is finished, it will contain one-bed room units of about 750 to 800 square feet. Two bedroom units will be about 900 square feet.

Thirty-nine rental units will be available. The project may be completed by October.

-- From staff, wire reports