Business Notebook: rustmedia business, women's magazines get revamp

The bold, dynamic new look of B Magazine is no accident -- it's part of the renaissance underway as rustmedia revamps its special publications.

Formerly handled by the Southeast Missourian's newsroom staff, special publications including Business Today and Flourish, to name two, are getting a facelift, in both design and content.

"As a media company, we want to make sure that our products and services continue to meet and surpass the demands of readers," said Lucas Presson, assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian and publisher of B Magazine.

Hence the fresh look at the best way to reach the business community in Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area, with an existing circulation of about 4,000.

Why the name change? "First, B stands for business. That's the obvious answer. But B can also represent a verb. 'Be the agent of change.' 'Be the leader.' 'Be the entrepreneur.' It's a strong verb and call to action, which gets us back to the tagline: Smart. Powerful. Business," Presson said.

Mia Pohlman, editor of Flourish magazine, poses for a portrait Tuesday in downtown Cape Girardeau.KASSI JACKSON

B Magazine will publish six issues per year, each built around a central theme, said Gary Rust II, director of rustmedia.

"B Magazine changes the dialogue around business in Southeast Missouri," to answer the "why" behind the news, Rust said.

Designers Jeff Rawson and Greg Dowdy worked on the redesign of B Magazine and Flourish, a quarterly magazine dedicated to women and their experience in Southeast Missouri, which has a circulation of about 7,000.

Editor Mia Pohlman was already a familiar face, as she'd been a columnist on the Southeast Missourian's Faith page for several years before being brought on full time with rustmedia.

She has a big vision for Flourish, and wants it to be an uplifting experience for readers.

"I want it to feel natural, like breathing," she said, "and each piece within to look and feel like art."

Pohlman said she wants Flourish to be a space where women of all backgrounds and ages can gather, "to tell our stories and learn."

The plan is for every issue to have an interactive quality, and to that end, the spring 2018 issue has a mostly-blank two-page spread for the reader to fill in however they want to -- or don't.

"We want to draw women in," Pohlman said, "letting it be our space where we can all come together."

Subscribe to the print version of Flourish by calling (573) 335-6611 or (800) 879-1210, or online at www.semissourian.com/flourish.

Subscribe to B Magazine at www.rustmedia.com/bmagazine.

Top local advertisers awarded by Tri-State group

Tri-State Advertising & Marketing Professionals (AMP) recognized the best in local advertising creativity at the annual American Advertising Awards Show on Feb. 23 in Cape Girardeau.

More than 130 print, digital and multimedia advertising projects created between Jan. 1 and Dec, 31, 2017, were considered in this year's competition. Of those entries, Tri-State AMP presented gold, silver and bronze ADDY Awards to professionals and Southeast Missouri State University students in Cape Girardeau.

Gold winners include:

• Red Letter Communications, multi-page ad, STIHL Holiday Magazine
• Creative Edge, internet commercial, "Overcoming"
• Red Letter Communications, public service online film, "Why CMS?" (Central Middle School)
• Red Letter Communications, regional/national integrated advertising campaign, STIHL lightning battery
• rustmedia, integrated branded content campaign, "We are Midwest"
• Creative Edge, video editing, "Timeless"
• Red Letter Communications, packaging campaign, Castor River Farms rice packaging -- best of show
• Red Letter Communications, microsite, STIHL lightning battery -- best of show
• White Arc Media, internet commercial campaign, Mountain View Pediatric Dentistry -- best of show

Also recognized during the evening was Chuck Voss, creative service director for KFVS12. Voss was honored with the American Advertising Federation's Silver Medal Award, which recognizes men and women who have made outstanding contributions to advertising and who have been active in furthering the industry's standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern.

River City Biologicals recognized

River City Biologicals Inc. of Cape Girardeau recently announced its sister company in Goiania, Brazil, has been recognized by the Brazilian FPA.

Owner George "Skip" Wrape was invited to the installation of Congresswoman Teresa Cristina Correa da Costa Dias as head of the Agropecuaria of Brazil, a group representing the interests of agriculture in Brazil. She represents the State of Matt Grosso do Saul in Congress.

Services merge at Saint Francis

Saint Francis Healthcare System soon will integrate its occupational medicine and immediate convenient care centers. Beginning today, both services will be housed at 1702 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

An open house is scheduled for 7 to 8 a.m. March 28 at the clinic.

Ribbon cuttings and open houses

Fresenius Kidney Care Cape Girardeau will hold an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at 150 S. Farrar Drive in Cape Girardeau to celebrate its new facility. Light refreshments will be available. The event is open to the public.

180 Healthcare will hold a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. Thursday at 24 N. Sprigg St. in Cape Girardeau to celebrate its opening.

Community Caring Council will hold a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. Friday at 937 Broadway, Suite 306, in Cape Girardeau to celebrate its recent remodel.

Business licenses

Mollie Young applied for a license to operate Mollie Paperie, a retail business, at 2121 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The opening date is listed as Jan. 1, 2017.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630