Business Notebook: The fair is here; medical marijuana applications climb; keeping an eye on several empty properties

This is Day Three of the 2019 SEMO District Fair's eight-day run in Arena Park.

When it was established 164 years ago, the primary purpose of the SEMO District Fair was to focus on the region's agricultural economy. Over the years, there's been less emphasis on crops and livestock at the fair, but fair officials say that's changing.

"The fair kind of got away from agriculture education," fair board member Pete Poe told me last week. "We got caught up in bright lights and carnival rides, but we've made a concerted effort the last few years to make sure to add more emphasis on our agriculture roots."

A new addition to the fair this year is the Cow Town Heritage Museum and Petting Corral, a free feature on the south end of the fairgrounds near the livestock tents offering farming exhibits, demonstrations and free shows.

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Speaking of crops, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported the other day 554 applications had been received by mid-August from parties interested in establishing medical marijuana cultivation facilities in the state. DHSS has also received 1,163 applications for dispensaries, 415 applications for medical marijuana manufacturing facilities, 17 applications for testing operations and 14 medical marijuana transportation facilities.

DHSS plans to release additional application information, including applicant names and potential facility locations, "in the coming weeks."

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Ken's Cape Cleaners announced on social media last week its dry-cleaning business will move to a new building at 2591 West Drive just off Independence Street by the end of this month. According to its Facebook page, Ken's location at 1704 Broadway will close at the end of September.

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I expect to hear something soon about a new tenant for the former location of The Last Call bar, 632 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The building has reportedly been sold but the new owner has not been made public.

As for other commercial property of interest, there's been no disclosures about the future of the former Ruby Tuesday and O'Charley's properties at the intersection of William Street and Mount Auburn Road, nor has there been any new development regarding a new tenant or tenants for the Sears Grand building on Siemers Drive, which is scheduled to close sometime in October. There has also been no word about when Orscheln Farm & Home and Bargain Hunt will move into the old Kmart building, 11 S. Kingshighway. It was announced earlier this year the two retail operations would occupy the building by sometime this fall, but building renovations have apparently been delayed.

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The cause of an early morning fire Friday at the Domino's on East Main Street in Jackson is under investigation. Fire crews from Jackson and Cape Girardeau were called to the scene about 4:40 a.m. and contained the fire to the rear of the Domino's building.

No word on when the business will reopen.

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Now on to the rest of this week's Business Notebook ...

Nestle Purina adding jobs, expanding plant

The Nestle Purina plant in Bloomfield, Missouri, which makes Tidy Cats brand cat litter, is undergoing a $115 million expansion.

The company is adding a 110,000-square-foot processing and packaging facility to its Bloomfield operation to meet what it says is a growing demand from cat owners.

The plant has about 340 employees and plans to add another 30 workers by the middle of next year.

Food bank CEO named to Feed America group

Joey Keys

Joey Keys, CEO of the Southeast Missouri Food Bank, has been chosen to participate in a new Feeding America advisory committee to help encourage food bank clients to participate in voter engagement activities.

Keys has several years of experience in voter engagement and political work, having served as the director of elections for Cape Girardeau County.

"Our goal is to make it easier for our clients to register to vote and understand their voices are important on Election Day," Keys said.

Members of the committee, in partnership with Feeding America's national staff, will work to increase subject matter expertise on voter engagement and registration throughout the United States for the 2020 election year. The Southeast Missouri Food Bank and Feeding America will kick off their voter engagement efforts with activities on National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 24.

Perryville hospital adds clinical training program

Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville, Missouri, recently introduced a new competency training program required for all nursing staff.

Nearly 50 staff members were trained over a two-day period last month to kick off the program's first series of training modules. The mandatory training, coupled with the hospital's annual general compliance training, is augmenting the clinical staff's overall skills and positively impact the hospital's overall quality of care, according to a news release from the hospital.

"The main purpose of implementing competency training is to direct and maintain safe and clinically competent nursing practice," said Carla Barber, the hospital's training program project manager. "These standards are important to our profession because they promote and guide our clinical practice."

Interactive training modules along with customer service and patient-centered simulators are part of the training.

Metro Business College building up for lease

The Metro Business College building on North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau will be available for lease once the college ceases operations later this fall.

Tom Kelsey, broker with Lorimont Commercial Real Estate, says Lorimont has been authorized to seek a new tenant or tenants for the 9,480 square-foot building at 1734 N. Kingshighway. According to a Lorimont website about the building, the entire building can be leased for $2,000 a month or it can be subdivided into multiple offices of 2,000 square-feet and above.

The Missourian reported in June the college would close by the end of this year because of declining enrollment and increased operating costs.

More information about the property is available by contacting Lorimont Commercial Real Estate.

Rite Group technician completes HP training

Riley Webb

Riley Webb, The Rite Group's 33-year veteran field service technician, recently completed multifunction printer and copier field service training at Hewlett-Packard's Boise, Idaho, corporate campus.

Webb's training qualifies him as an expert technician for HP laser and inkjet multifunction printers and copiers, including all older legacy HP laser multifunction devices served by The Rite Group.

The Rite Group offers a complete line of HP products, maintenance services and supplies, as well as Kyocera CopyStar, OKI Data, KIP America and Xerox office technologies.

Awards and recognitions

Kelly Darby

Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial has recognized a pair of its financial advisers in Jackson -- Kelly Darby and Kandra Gregory -- as the company's district adviser of the month and its life application leader in the Missouri East Region for the month of August, respectively.

Darby has been with Modern Woodmen since 2010 while Gregory joined the company in 2016.

Kandra Gregory

Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial is a fraternal life insurance society headquartered in Rock Island, Illinois, providing life insurance, annuity and security products to approximately 770,000 members nationwide.

Chamber happenings

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its 2019 Small Business of the Year award.

Criteria for the annual recognition is the business must be at least 51% locally owned, in business for at least five years and employ no more than 50 people. Nominations will be based on business history and growth, financial soundness and profitability, customer satisfaction and reputation, employee relations, civic and business leadership and the business's product(s) or service.

The nomination deadline is this Friday. The Small Business of the Year recipient will be announced at the chamber's annual dinner Nov. 21.

For more information, or to nominate a business, contact the Cape chamber at (573) 335-3312.

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The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce's next Business After Hours gathering will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Premier Physical Therapy, 2480 E. Main St., Suite B. The event is open to Jackson chamber members and guests.

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The Cape chamber's next Women's Network lunch program is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Cape Girardeau Career & Technology Center. The program will be a community update panel discussion featuring Cape Girardeau deputy city manager Molly Mehner, chamber president and CEO John Mehner and Cape Girardeau County Commissioner Charlie Herbst. A $15 registration fee includes a buffet lunch prepared by CTC culinary students. Online registration is available through the chamber website.

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The Scott City Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its next monthly meeting at 7:15 a.m. Thursday at The Front Porch, 1408 Main St. in Scott City. A light breakfast will be provided.

Business license applications

Michael Liley of Marble Hill, Missouri, filed a business license application last week to operate Liley Family Enterprises Inc., doing business as Cape County Crematory, at 566 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. The business will offer cremation arrangement services. According to the business license application, it is scheduled to open next week.

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Tony Curtis of Jackson has filed a business license application to open The Tattoo Spot at 421 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The location was formerly occupied by Sun-n-Tan. According to the business license application, the move will take place Sept. 25.

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Robert Lorenz of DeSoto, Illinois, has filed a business license application to open Riverside Pottery LLC at 121 S. Main St. in Cape Girardeau. The business, described as a pottery studio and gallery, will offer pottery classes and artwork for purchase. According to the application, the business is scheduled to open Nov. 1.

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