Business Notebook: Miller Sporting Goods in Kennett is sold

Longtime business owner James Miller of Miller Sporting Goods sold his business Aug. 1. The store at 1417 St. Francis St. in Kennett, Missouri, was sold to Mark Brown of Caruthersville, Missouri.

The business originated in 1938 when Miller's parents, Elvis and Gertrude Miller, bought the space.

"My father had a junkyard in the back. Then he got into used cars. He had A-Models and T-Models, all kinds of used cars out there. Then he got into auto parts," he said.

Miller began working at the shop in the late 1950s and early '60s in the evenings and on weekends. He began working full time in 1966 and managed the business for 10 years starting in 1973. He bought the store from his mother after his father's death in 1983, keeping the business family-owned and operated.

Until the 1950s, the business consisted mainly of used cars, upholstery and auto parts. But Miller said his father began stocking sporting goods, hunting and fishing supplies and a small selection of guns. Once Miller started full time, he said he kept as many as 300 to 400 guns in stock.

Brown took over the business May 31. He was drawn to it because he said he has always enjoyed guns and hunting.

"In this area, with it being a rural community, you've got to have a niche, and I think guns and ammo will always be around," he said.

There is much about the store that will not change -- selling guns, ammo and the versatile Big Green Egg cooker, plus accessories. But Brown is planning to add a few things. He is looking for a registered gunsmith and an outboard mechanic.

Another possibility is an indoor firing range. Both Brown and Miller expect that to be a big draw to Kennett because the closest one is in Jackson, Tennessee.

Since the ownership change, Brown has decided to use two new names.

"I split it up, thinking about future endeavors," he said. "Bootheel Guns and Ammo will take care of the guns, the ammunition, the gunsmith and the possible firing range. Bootheel Outdoors will take care of the Big Green Egg accessories and other things that come up."

As he reflected on his years in business, Miller wished his successor well.

"I want Mark to make it. It means something to me. My heart and soul are in this place, but it's time for me to move on. I still have my gun license, and I'm going to go to gun shows, and swap and trade, like I learned from my dad years ago ... and my older brother. I learned from him, too."

State releases July general revenue report

State budget director Linda Luebbering announced Aug. 2 that July net general revenue collections increased 6.5 percent compared to July 2013, from $481.4 million last year to $512.9 million this year.

The individual income tax collections increased 9.2 percent for the year, from $341.9 million last year to $373.4 million this year. Sales and use tax collections decreased 0.2 percent for the year from $151.3 million last year to $150.9 million this year. Corporate income and corporate franchise tax collections decreased 7.2 percent for the year, from $18.6 million last year to $17.2 million this year.

All other collections increased 32.6 percent for the year, from $15.4 million last year to $20.4 million this year.

Refunds increased 7.3 percent for the year, from $45.6 million last year to $49 million this year.

According to the news release, Luebbering also noted the general revenue fund borrowed $200 million from the budget reserve fund for cash-flow purposes. The funds will be repaid before the constitutional deadline of May 15.

Business after hours

MRV Banks is sponsoring a business after-hours event from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Creative Edge, 160 Enterprise Lane in Jackson.

Business breakfast

The SEMO athletics department is sponsoring a business breakfast at Creative Edge, 160 Enterprise Lane in Jackson at 7:30 a.m. Friday.

Consumer survey

According to the Consumer Sentiment Survey by Arvest Bank, a study released Tuesday states a majority of Missouri consumers expect their personal financial situations to improve or remain the same in the next year, though at a slightly lower level than overall regional expectations.

In Missouri, 53 percent of consumers expect their personal financial situation to remain the same over the next 12 months, and 19 percent expect it to improve. Only 27 percent expect it to be worse over the same period.

By comparison, 27 percent of consumers in the three-state region of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri expect their personal financial situation to improve and 51 percent expect it to be the same, according to the news release.

The release also stated when looking at expectations of business conditions, Missourians were slightly more optimistic than Arkansas but less than Oklahoma. Only 30 percent of Missouri consumers expect business conditions to be favorable in the next year, compared with 22 percent of consumers in Arkansas and 32 percent in Oklahoma.

This trend continued when looking at expectations over the next five years, with 36 percent of Missouri consumers expecting positive business conditions compared with 33 percent in Arkansas and 41 percent in Oklahoma. This also is reflected in expectations of widespread unemployment over the next five years, with 57 percent of Missourians expecting widespread unemployment compared with 61 percent in Arkansas and 53 percent in Oklahoma.

Overall, Missouri residents are more optimistic about future business conditions than people in Arkansas, but not as optimistic as Oklahoma consumers.

Advertising Club -- Tri-State AMP

Boyce Holt, president of Tri State AMP, will be the speaker at Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals meeting at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 26 at Port Cape Girardeau in Cape Girardeau.

Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals is a not-for-profit organization of communications professionals from the regions of Cape Girardeau, Paducah, Kentucky, and Harrisburg, Illinois.

Holt's presentation, "All Hands on Deck for the Tri-State AMP Cruise," will provide members and guests with a review of the benefits of the organization and opportunities for members into 2015.

With almost 40 years of experience, Holt has experienced everything from newspaper to radio to television. His experiences are being applied to his agency, All Media Services of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, which also is sponsoring the luncheon.

Registration is required for the program. The cost, including lunch, is $12 for Tri-State AMP members, $15 for nonmembers and $10 for students. Guests are encouraged to attend and learn more about the organization. Registration is online at tristateamp.eventbrite.com.

Utility exposition

The Missouri Rural Water Association will bring its Bootheel Expo to the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, on Aug. 26 and 27. This will be the seventh year the association has hosted a conference for water and wastewater operators in Southeast Missouri.

This year's conference has expanded to provide space for office professional training for employees such as clerks, collectors and office managers. Another addition in recent years has been board training. This year, city council members will be included as well in this specialized training for decision-makers.

The conference is the setting for formal training sessions for water and wastewater utility personnel, an exhibition hall displaying new technology and ample resources.

For more information about the association, visit moruralwater.org.

Carnegie course offered

Hendrickson Business Advisors is hosting an eight-week Carnegie Course September through November.

The course enables participants to go beyond their comfort zones and teaches them to strive for new goals and the five drives of success.

This course, which is open to the public, will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. each Wednesday from Sept. 24 to Nov. 12 at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce office.

This course is taught by Rhett Hendrickson, an internationally endorsed Dale Carnegie trainer. The cost for each course is $1,695 per participant. More details and a registration link can be found at hendricksonbusinessadvisors.com.

Rice Field Day

Advancements in agricultural technology and rice research will be highlighted at Rice Field Day.

The event, hosted by the Missouri Rice Council in cooperation with Southeast Missouri State University and the University of Missouri, will be Aug. 21 at the Missouri Rice Research Farm on Route J 10 miles west of Malden, Missouri.

The day begins with poster sessions from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Field tours will be conducted from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. with presentations from professionals and will be followed by information about the activities of the Missouri Rice Council, a recognition ceremony for sponsors and elected officials and information about the recently enacted farm bill.

The event, free to rice producers, will allow growers to learn about weed control; the use and demonstration of unmanned aerial drones in agriculture; breeding and pathology; rice pesticide drift control; nitrogen remote sensing in rice; row rice production; and rice in the farm bill, among other topics. Producers also will get a rice economic update. Lunch will be provided for those attending.

For more information, contact the Southeast Department of Agriculture at 651-2106.

Business roundup

* Cape BJJ & Fitness at 3210 Old Cape Road in Jackson held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.

* Realty Executives of Cape County at 1202 Greenway Drive in Jackson will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. Friday.

* A new branch of Perryville Overhead and Door, Midwest Overhead and Door, opened at 4680 Highway 74 in Cape Girardeau. Brent Schreiner is the senior district sales executive for Midwest Garage Door. Kevin Hoch is also a new employee at the Perryville location.

People on the move

Murielle Gaither, executive director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, accepted a board position with The Best of Missouri Hands, a statewide not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development of Missouri artists and artisans.

Members strive to educate on all levels and raise public awareness of and interest in handmade visual arts. As a board member, Gaither will represent the interests of artisans and art agencies in Southeast Missouri and work with the organization's executive director to ensure its mission is acted out in the region.

Dr. Joni Hand of Cape Girardeau is a new board member for the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.

Hand received her Ph.D. from the City University of New York Graduate Center in 2010. She also holds a master's degree in art history from Hunter College in New York, a master's degree in painting from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and a bachelor's degree in graphic design from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.

Her research focuses on illuminated manuscripts from Northern Europe and female patronage in the late-Medieval period. Her book, "Women, Manuscripts and Identity in Northern Europe, 1350-1550," was published in February 2013.

Susana Gutierrez was named to the International Serum Industry Association board of directors for the Cape Girardeau River City Biologicals, an animal serum processor for the cell culture, diagnostic and veterinarian business.

The annual membership meeting was held in Brugge, Belgium, in May and the directors took their position in July.

George "Skip" Wrape of River City Bio has stepped down as the chairman of the association after a two-year appointment and remains on the board as a past chairman.

Missouri Arts Council executive director Beverly Strohmeyer will retire effective Feb. 1 from the agency she has served for 17 years, nine of them as executive director.

Before joining the Missouri Arts Council staff, Beverly served as a member of the council's Citizen Advisory Panels, as a board member of the Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies and executive director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau.

She has been a board member since 2004 and is vice chairwoman of Mid-America Arts Alliance, a not-for-profit organization that supports cultural activity in a six-state Midwestern region. Since 2006 she has been a member of Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tourism Policy Council. In 2012, the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education presented her with a Lifetime Award for Support of Arts Education.

Strohmeyer served on the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri for 14 years, until she left in 1997 to take her current position with the state arts council.

Charla Myers began her new role as program director for the Read to Succeed program at the United Way of Southeast Missouri last Monday. She worked for the Missouri First Steps program as an area director and regional consultant for the past 10 years. Before that, she worked with child care resource and referral for seven years.