Business notebook: Missouri's jobless rate inches down

In June, Cape Girardeau County's unemployment rate was 5.8 percent, or 2,238 people, according to data released by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. That's lower than the unemployment rate in June 2013, when it was 5.9 percent, or 2,309 people unemployed.

Missouri's unemployment rate fell by a tenth of a point in June to 6.5 percent, according to seasonally adjusted data released by the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Missouri's nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 1,800 jobs in June, according to the agency. This follows May's revised employment increase of 8,200 jobs, up from the 3,700 new jobs originally reported. Industries that experienced growth in June include arts, entertainment and recreation, adding 1,800 jobs.

The professional, scientific and technical services industry also gained 1,100 jobs during the month.

Operation Jump Start

A six-week training opportunity will be offered at no charge in August at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.

The program, Operation Jump Start, "is a nationally recognized, highly successful training model designed for individuals who are considering starting or expanding a small business," according to a Southeast news release.

Topics addressed will include product pricing, legal structure, competition, marketing and cash flow management.

Classes start Aug. 5 at the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at 920 Broadway and will run from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays until Aug. 28.

To register, call 651-2929 or visit semo.edu/irie/training. Registration ends Aug. 1.

State rankings

Missouri was ranked No. 8 in Pollina Corporate's "Top 10 Pro-Business States" rankings, according to a release from Gov. Jay Nixon's office.

Missouri received an "A" grade from Pollina, a corporate real estate brokerage and economic development consultation firm based in Park Ridge, Illinois. The ranking involved the following factors: corporate tax index, business inventory taxes, property taxes, unemployment insurance, transportation infrastructure and electricity costs.

Health care Scholarships

Perry County Memorial Hospital awarded $15,000 in scholarships to area high school seniors entering the health-care field:

Caley Hennemann of Perryville High School, who plans to attend Missouri Baptist University for a degree in neuropsychology; Whitnie Petzoldt of Perryville High School, who plans to attend Southeast Missouri State University for a degree in nursing; Miranda Brewer of Saxony Lutheran High School, who plans to attend Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, for a degree in pre-med neurology; Kristi Pohlman of Saxony Lutheran High School, who plans to attend the University of Missouri for a degree in occupational therapy; Casey Unterriner of St. Vincent High School, who plans to attend MU for a degree as a physician's assistant; Alex Lipe of St. Vincent High School, who plans to attend Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville for a degree in pharmacy; Kristen Yamnitz of St. Vincent High School, who plans to attend Maryville University in St. Louis for a degree in occupational therapy; and Katie Mattingly of St. Vincent High School, who plans to attend Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, for a degree in dentistry.

Servpro officials honored

Sandy and Richard Hastings of Servpro of Cape Girardeau and Scott counties received the director's gold award for outstanding revenue performance at Servpro's annual conference June 24 through 27 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville.

Organic Certification funding

$167,700 in U.S. Department of Agriculture funding has been made available in Missouri to help with the cost of organic certification.

These programs provide cost-share assistance through participating states to USDA certified organic producers and handlers for certification-related expenses they incurred from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.

Payments cover up to 75 percent of a producer's or handler's certification costs up to a maximum of $750 per certification. To receive cost-share assistance, organic producers and handlers should contact their state agencies.

State contact information can be found on the NOP Cost Share website, ams.usda.gov/NOPCostSharing.

KCI Satellite Inc.

KCI Satellite has moved its operations office from Cape Girardeau to Scott City. KCI has leased a 5,320 square-foot building at 200 S. Outer Road in Scott City, which gives the company a larger facility to dispatch their installers and technicians throughout the area, said Tom Kelsey, a commercial broker with Lorimont Place, Ltd., which handled the recent real estate transaction.

Business licenses

The following businesses received new Cape Girardeau business licenses as of July 17:

* Banner Finance of Cape Girardeau: owner Don's Loan Service; managing officer: Gale Duguran; 1 S. Plaza Way, Cape Girardeau.

* Robert & Jim Auto Repair; owner: Robert Lee Maglone; 231 Ellis St., Cape Girardeau; 208-9793

PolyOne

PolyOne Designed Structures & Solutions LLC, 2500 Spartech Drive in Cape Girardeau is under new ownership as of Thursday. PolyOne Corp. replaced Spartech Corp. as the owner of the business.

State lags in optimism

A recent study suggests that Missouri consumers are less optimistic about the economy than average U.S. consumers.

The Arvest Consumer Sentiment Survey, conducted by the Center for Business and Economic Research in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, lists Missouri's consumer sentiment index at 68.6, compared with Arkansas at 67.4, Oklahoma at 76.4 and the national index at 82.5.

The study was commissioned by Arvest Bank, which has 260 branches in Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

Business roundup

Leigh Anne's Loft at 810 E. Jackson Blvd in Jackson had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday.