Business notebook: Ross Furniture celebrates recent expansion

After an expansion, Ross Furniture and Bedding in Jackson celebrated its grand reopening Thursday.

In between showing pieces of furniture, general manager Adam Ross said the new place is a great improvement for the business and the customer experience.

"Mainly, our growth has skyrocketed," Ross told the Southeast Missourian in May, when the expansion was announced.

"We had our mattress shop (Missouri Mattress) in front of Walmart the past two years," he said Thursday night.

Instead of continuing to pay rent, he said it made more sense to build a new showroom of its own, which sits next to the main Ross location on East Jackson Boulevard.

Ross said the business moved to its current location about five years ago, having previously been in Jackson's uptown area for more than 30 years.

"Time flies. Now, we've almost doubled our showroom," Ross said, "which we have needed ever since we moved in here."

He said the additional space -- 10,500 square feet total -- makes it easier for customers and sales staff to maneuver around the showroom.

"We're going to see how the new staff handles it," he said. "But we did have to increase our warehouse staff, because we're moving a lot more now."

He said the space also allows more inventory to be on-hand.

He said the business often gets customers from as far away as St. Louis and Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

"Our business has just grown," he said.

Cape chamber official named MEDC co-chair

Shad Burner, vice president of business development with the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed to serve as public policy co-chairman for the Missouri Economic Development Council.

The statewide not-for-profit was created in 1979 to provide a unified voice for economic development.

Burner will serve on the board of directors, helping to draft the council's annual statewide public-policy agenda and other duties.

Missouri Vein Care to open in Cape

Missouri Vein Care and Dr. Michael Ryan have announced a clinic to open in Cape Girardeau.

The specialty clinic will focus exclusively on diagnosing and treating venous disorders. The clinic will be at 2917 Independence St.

Ryan is a graduate of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, and he completed general surgery residency at the University of Minnesota. He completed cardiac and completed cardiac and vascular surgery residency and trained with Dr. Denton Cooley at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston.

Ryan is board certified in venous and lymphatic medicine, general surgery and cardiovascular surgery. Vein care relies heavily on ultrasound technology for diagnosis and treatment, and Ryan also is a registered physician in vascular ultrasound interpretation and a registered vascular ultrasound technologist.

"I am excited to see the benefits of improved circulation as patients undergo treatment. Their symptoms resolve and they become more energetic as the circulation improves. It is very satisfying to see," he said in a news release.

Missouri Vein Care has five other clinics in Missouri -- in Jefferson City, Columbia, Hannibal, Rolla and Poplar Bluff.

Foot and Ankle Centers honored

Foot and Ankle Centers of Southeast Missouri's Hugh R. Protzel, DPM, has been selected four years in a row for the 2017 Best of Cape Girardeau Awards for Podiatrist and now qualifies for the Cape Girardeau Business Hall of Fame.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627