Business updates

Fitness facility has new owners, options

SIKESTON, Mo. — Ozark Fitness in Sikeston will soon offer a new variety of options, including a shake bar, expanded hours, and a competitive fitness program. The center was purchased in summer 2008 by Austin Tinsley, who also owns the Dexter and Poplar Bluff locations. Manager is Amy Johnson.

A made-to-order shake bar has been added near the front of the building. The center offers other merchandise, including protein bars, smoothies and supplement shots.

In addition, the Ozark Fitness Challenge will boost motivation as staff members take current photos of people, measure them, post a profile on a bulletin board and take results again after three months. The most successful member wins a free year's membership, two months tanning, three training sessions and five shakes. A "Workout of the Day" is also posted on a whiteboard near the entrance.

Johnson said Ozark Fitness is in the process of adding new equipment. Owners have also discussed future expansions, which will likely mean a new location.

Since the change in ownership, hours have been slightly expanded to 5 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday. Ozark Fitness is located at 508 N. West St. in Sikeston and the phone number is (573) 472-6185.

Buchheit Trucking adds Morehouse warehouse

MOREHOUSE, Mo. — Scott City-based Buchheit Trucking has expanded its warehousing and logistics operation with the purchase of the former Rowe Manufacturing property in Morehouse. The former property consists of industrial buildings totaling nearly 160,000 square feet located on 39 acres in the community, according to Lorimont Ltd. broker Tom Kelsey, who handled the deal.

Buchheit President Ron Gjerstad said the company had an immediate need for additional industrial storage space in addition to its other 260,000 square foot warehouse in Scott City.

he logistics services offered at the new warehouse will service its customers from Southeast Missouri and the 48-state region Buchheit serves. Services include handling and storage, inventory control, shipping and labeling.

Budget Auto Repair relocates

Budget Auto repair has relocated to the former Precision Transmission building at 1401 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Its previous location was at 50 S. Kingshighway.

Owners Stephen and Denise Worley said they moved because the new spot is more centrally located with higher visibility and easier access for their customers.

Broker David S. Glastetter and commercial sales associate Ralph Hendrickson of ERA Cape Realty, 1409-A N. Mt. Auburn Road, facilitated the lease on this transaction.

Cape Communications to relocate this spring

A Cape Girardeau communication business will move to a new location with the purchase of property at 809-811 Enterprise, according to Tom Kelsey, commercial broker with Lorimont Place, Ltd. who handled the transaction.

Cape Communications, started in 1977, has purchased a 4,900-square-foot commercial building and property formerly occupied by Sign Magic. Located off South Kingshighway, the new location will allow the company to expand its facilities. The company handles phone systems, data networking, LAN cabling, call accounting and dictation systems.

According to Kelsey, the building will be extensively remodeled to accommodate the new buyer's needs. An early spring opening is anticipated.

Cape Communications is owned by Mark Essner and Mike Bles and is currently headquartered at 615 N. Broadview in Cape Girardeau.

Goody's liquidating remaining stores

Goody's Family Clothing began liquidating its discount clothing stores Jan. 9. The move, which came less than four months after the privately held retailer emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, affects the Knoxville, Tenn.-based chain's 287 stores throughout 20 Midwestern and Southern states. Southeast Missouri locations include Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston.

It's uncertain what will happen to the company's 9,800 workers after the liquidation — being handled by a joint venture between Gordon Brothers Retail Partners LLC and Hilco Merchant Resources LLC — is completed by the end of March.Cape Girardeau Macy's not among 11 stores to close

The Macy's at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau is not among the 11 stores in nine states the Cincinnati-based department store chain is planning to close this year, said Jim Sluzewski, a company spokesman. Macy's became an anchor store at West Park Mall in September 2006 when its parent company, Federated Department Stores, purchased Famous-Barr.

"Macy's is one of our key anchors, and we don't see anything that would make us think it's closing," said Susan Godorov, spokeswoman for Centro, which owns West Park Mall.

Department-store operator Macy's Inc. said Jan. 8 it will close 11 underperforming stores in nine states — affecting 960 employees — and lowered its forecast for the fourth quarter after one of the weakest holiday seasons in years.

Among the stores slated to close is one at Crestwood Mall in St. Louis, which has 176 employees and opened in 1969. The other stores are in California, Florida, Tennessee, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Minnesota and Indiana. Macy's Inc. said the closures will cost about $65 million, most of which will be booked in the 2008 fourth quarter.

Macy's reported that its December sales at stores open at least a year, or same-store sales, fell 4 percent. Total sales for the five-week period ended Jan. 3 fell 5 percent to $4.4 billion from $4.61 billion last year.

Schaefer Electrical expands to Cape County

Schaefer's Electrical Enclosures Inc. is expanding its operations to Cape Girardeau County, 20 miles from its current location in Advance, Mo. The manufacturer of standard and custom sheet metal enclosures finalized a deal Dec. 30 on the purchase of the building at 4860 Nash Road from Moriah Logistics.

Company president Mark Diamond said the move is significant for the company, which employs 130 workers. The company currently operates in three separate buildings in Advance. The expansion will increase its operating space from 55,000 square feet to 105,000 square feet. Diamond hopes to complete renovations and move into the new building by May 1.

Schaefer's will share the facility with Silgan Plastics Corp. and BioKyowa Inc., which will lease space from the company. The Advance location will be used for warehousing operations, though it will no longer have employees working there once the move is complete.

Malden Plaza Tire relocates

MALDEN, Mo. — Plaza Tire Service has temporarily relocated its Malden store to 2772 N. Douglas while its permanent facility at 1208 N. Douglas is repaired from a Jan. 4 fire. Service at the new location began Monday, Jan. 12. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The phone number, (573) 276-6001, remains the same. Damages at the store were too expensive to repair, so the structure will be demolished and rebuilt as soon as possible.

Jackson Bakery closes

The Jackson Bakery closed its doors in early January. Building owner Chad Hartle said the owners, who moved in May, "couldn't make a go of it." Hartle said the baking equipment is still in the building near China John's on East Jackson Boulevard and he hopes another bakery can rent the space. Hartle can be contacted at (573) 576-5433.

"A lot of people are saddened that Jackson is losing its bakery," Hartle said. "But I'm trying my best to get another one in here because I realize how important a bakery is to the people in Jackson."

Global Cafe reopens

The eclectic Global Cafe temporarily shut down when Southeast Missouri State University dismissed classes for winter break, and resumed business Jan. 19, the same week that classes began at the university. Global Cafe co-owner is Belen Lichtenegger. The restaurant serves a buffet from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. everyday and dinner from 5-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The phone number is (573) 334-7955.

Insurance agency relocates

Nick Hogan State Farm Insurance has relocated from 1353 N. Mount Auburn Road to a newly remodeled office space at 1409 N. Mount Auburn Road, Suite D, in Cape Girardeau. Broker David S. Glastetter and broker and commercial sales associate Ralph Hendrickson with ERA Cape Realty facilitated the lease. Nick Hogan has been an agent with State Farm since 2005.

Basic Fuel closes all locations

Basic Fuel has closed its gas stations in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Perryville, Mo., and Sikeston, Mo. Tom Kelsey, a broker with Lorimont Place Ltd. in Cape Girardeau, said he received a call from owner Dave Lemmon that all locations would be closing, but no further details were given.

Kelsey has been actively marketing the Jackson location at 2927 E. Jackson Blvd. The property is listed for sale on Kelsey's website, www.lorimont.com, for $419,900.

Pear Tree Inn, Ruby Tuesday close in Poplar Bluff

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Pear Tree Inn of Poplar Bluff closed its doors Jan. 19. The location had been open since 1974. Drury Hotel spokesperson Jennifer Kornblum cited the decreasing popularity of external entrance hotels as one reason for the closing. She could not say how many people were employed at the Poplar Bluff location. Some may move to other locations, she said, and the company hopes others may be re-employed when the new Drury Inn and Suites opens in Sikeston this March. The Cape Girardeau-based company has not decided what to do with the Poplar Bluff property.

Additionally, Poplar Bluff's Ruby Tuesday restaurant closed Jan. 11. It had been open since 2001.

"During these difficult economic times, sales at that location declined to a level to make it impossible to continue to operate," said Sandi Stablein, director of communications at Ruby Tuesday. Qualified employees were offered the opportunity to transfer to another location. Ruby Tuesday owns the Poplar Bluff property and has not decided what to do with the location.

The corporation has said it will shut down 40 locations early this year; at least 29 have already been closed. It expects to close another 30 restaurants in the next several years.

Two Cape restaurants for sale

The owners of Jimmi's Restaurant and Bar and Stevie's Steakburger in Cape Girardeau have put their restaurants up for sale.

Terry Bozzay, owner of Jimmi's, opened the business in late 2007 and has since retooled his business approach to adapt to the recession. The restaurant at 2406 William St. has eliminated lunch to cut costs and rented out space for private parties to increase its profits.

"The economy isn't treating our industry well," Bozzay said. "It's had its ups and downs. But we are losing less money than in the past." He placed the building for sale with an asking price of $1.4 million.

Steve Majeed, owner of Stevie's Steakburger, also listed his eatery for sale. He said the decision was based on a family matter and not the recession. The family will return to Pakistan in May, and Majeed will either lease or sell the restaurant, located at the corner of Broadway and Frederick Street. Stevie's closed for the winter in late November 2008 and plans to reopen April 1. The asking price for Stevie's is $199,000.

Broker Cynthia Austin of Realty Executives of Cape County is handling future transactions of both properties. Majeed will also sell SEMO Gas at 40 N. Sprigg St.

Mississippi River cruises shut down

The Majestic America Line's flagship sternwheel riverboats, the American Queen and the Mississippi Queen, will not cruise the big rivers of the central United States this year. The Majestic America Line's main competitor, RiverBarge Excursions, has also called it quits, ending the cruises of its River Explorer. Both companies cited the poor economy, with a combination of rising costs and low numbers of tourists, for the shutdowns.

High water cut the number of times the cruise ships docked at Cape Girardeau in 2008. Majestic America had already lost the ability to operate the Delta Queen, due to a federal law that bans overnight excursion boats with wooden superstructures. The Delta Queen operated for years with an exemption to that law, but Congress was unwilling to extend it.

According to Chuck Martin of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the organization will spend more on advertising Cape Girardeau to nearby cities and less on a wider regional market.

Plaza Conference Center closes

Plaza Conference Center of Cape Girardeau closed in early January. John Echimovich, director of operations of the hotel division at Midamerica Hotels Corporation based in Cape Girardeau, said the closure was based on a combination of factors.

"The closure is a result of the economy, current business climate and high operational costs," Echimovich said. "Demand for a facility of this size and scope has decreased over the last five years."

Midamerica will continue to host meetings and events at the adjacent Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites and the Victorian Inn & Suites. Echimovich said the corporation will focus its efforts on smaller groups of five to 40 people that require meeting space along with sleeping rooms.

Cozmo's closes in Cape

Cozmo's Cafe and Cream closed Jan. 31, but owner Dr. Michael Jessup said the move was not because of the economy.

"We've done what we needed to do with it here," said Jessup, who also operates a medical practice in Cape Girardeau. "I wanted to get it ready for a particular point and then move on." He added, "I've always wanted to get it ready to be franchised and move it on to a larger metro area. That was my plan from day one."

Jessup said future locations include St. Louis, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Branson, Mo. He expects to have at least one of the new stores open by the summer. The stores will have the same logo and menu as the Cape Girardeau location, which had been open since June 2006.

Jessup plans to lease the building at 1929 Independence St., but he will move the equipment and furnishings inside the structure to one or more of the franchised stores.

Buffalo Wild Wings renews lease

Bill Zellmer, owner of five Buffalo Wild Wings franchises, said he has agreed in principle to extend his current lease with Greater Missouri Builders to 2017. Zellmer opened the Cape Girardeau location at 2136 William St. at the Town Plaza Shopping Center in August 2002.

Kaman Industrial relocates to Jackson

Kaman Industrial Technologies moved Jan. 27 to 2360 N. High St., Suite 12, in Jackson. The business was formerly located at 807 Enterprise St. in Cape Girardeau.

The Jackson facility employs five people, though the corporation has 1,400 employees nationwide. Kaman's business is power transmission, electrical and fluid power and accessories. Operations manager Lindy Roth said the move is an upgrade to Kaman's facilities. Roth said the company hopes for "easier access to their customer base and to generate public awareness of Kaman's capabilities."

Recreation complex accepts outside membership

The Cove Family Recreation Complex has opened membership to those who live outside the subdivision of Whispering Oaks in Cape Girardeau.

Among its amenities are a banquet center that can hold up to 80 people, Wi-Fi connectivity, a fitness center, a soccer field and tennis courts. Its heated pool will be open May through November. Soccer camps for children as well as tennis camps and leagues will be offered soon, according to business development manager Donna Asendorf.

The complex is off Cape LaCroix Road and County Road 620 in the subdivision. The phone number is (573) 270-7020.

Dorena Ferry to resume this spring

DORENA, Mo. — The Dorena-Hickman Ferry will be back in operation this spring.

"With the budget now set up for the Tennessee and Kentucky departments of transportation, it's determined that the ferry will commence operation March 1 on a 12-hour, seven-day-a-week schedule," said Swayne Byrd, chairman of the Mississippi County Port Authority Board. Plans are for the ferry to run during daylight hours, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Operations of the ferry, which runs between Dorena in Mississippi County and Hickman, Ky., were suspended in March due to high water on the Mississippi River from spring flooding. Mechanical problems then prevented the ferry from resuming operations. MoDOT and the Kentucky DOT each chipped in $20,000 to rebuild both engines.

The ferry was previously operated by S.T.A.M. Marine Enterprises and piloted by Capt. Stephen P.J. Stanionis who resigned in November. The new contract operator and pilot is Edward Floyd of Hickman.

Port Authority officials have also decided to relocate both of the ferry's landings to levees located near the current landings. A date for moving the landings will be set once this year's funding from Missouri is appropriated.

Tipperary's moves to The Factory

FARMINGTON, Mo. — Tipperary's (formerly Tipperary Tea) has moved from the back of Jennie Annie's Gift Boutique to The Factory, located at 200 W. First St. in Farmington. The new location is four times bigger than the previous space in downtown Farmington. Allanah Blackwell owns the Irish-themed restaurant, which officially re-opened on Jan. 5.

Specialties include bread pudding, tea, potato and fresh herb soup. Blackwell is also working on a breakfast menu, which currently includes muffins, scones and sausage rolls. She sells a few Irish products like tea, mustards, jams, candies and scarves.

Tipperary's hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call (573) 760-1005.

Park Hills florists merge

PARK HILLS, Mo. — Parkland Gardens Florist & Gifts and The Flower Girl have merged. The combined business is now called the Parkland Flower Girl. A ribbon cutting was held Jan. 13 to celebrate the merger. Co-owners are Leann Kelly and Linda Rawson. The new Parkland Flower Girl is located at 2 N. Coffman St. in Park Hills. Phone numbers are (573) 431-1640 or (573) 518-1414.