Cape County shielded from major unemployment woes

Business Today

Although many areas of the country suffered major layoffs in 2002, the Cape Girardeau area remained fairly protected, largely due to the diversity of employers in the region.

Cape Girardeau County carries one of the lowest unemployment rates in Missouri -- hovering between 3 and 5 percent unemployed. In December 2002, the county had a 3.6 percent rate, below both the national and state averages of 5.7 and 4.8 percent.

One cause for this low rate is that about 65 new businesses open each year in the county.

"The whole region hasn't suffered as much as others," said Ron Steele, economic development planner with the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission. "I think it's the diversity of the economy here."

John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, said a good variety makes for a good economic makeup.

"Insulated is not immune, but it is not the flip side of that either," Mehner said. "There is diversity in what we have, so we are not dependent on one industry. Yes, we have some major industrial employers, but we are not solely dependent on the automotive, barge or agriculture industries."

The county's retail and wholesale operations provide more than 9,900 jobs, and about 4,050 employees are government workers. The county's 16 major manufacturers employ more than 6,100 workers.

Proctor & Gamble, located north of Cape Girardeau, has a workforce of about 1,400 employees. Rubbermaid Closet Organization Products in Jackson employs about 1,500 people.

Other large employers are Thorngate Ltd., The Lutheran Home/Saxony Village, Concord Publishing/Southeast Missourian, ACF Industries, Penzel Construction Co., Dana Corp., Havco Wood Products, Horizon Music Manufacturing, Lone Star Industries and Rapco Industries.

Southeast Missouri State University employs about 1,600 people and the Cape Girardeau Public Schools System employs about 615.

Besides having centers for higher education, Cape Girardeau County is a regional leader in health care jobs. More than 3,000 people work at the county's two hospitals, Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Regional Medical Center.

The area's variety of retail and service jobs are also part of the mix. And the area offers manufacturers easy access to river, rail, interstate and air transportation.

A good work ethic is what Ken Parrett believes is key to the region's success. Parrett is executive director of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce.

"People here work steady jobs," he said. "They are not afraid to take what they may consider as 'under' employment in order to keep from being unemployed. They would prefer to do that than be without a job. Whereas in bigger cities, like St. Louis or Kansas City, they may feel it's beneath them to flip burgers in order to feed their family."

Parrett also cited career training courses offered by local high schools and Southeast Missouri State University designed to help new workers move into to the workforce.

"We have a better economy in the area and a better cost of living that keeps people here," Parrett said. "It's a good climate for employers to set up and locate. There's just an abundance of opportunity here. All people have to do is take it, and the majority have."

Major local manufacturing companies employing more than 100 workers

Product or service and number of employees

ARI

parts for railroad cars

200

BioKyowa

feed supplement: L-lysine

110

Blair Industries

specialty die cutting, video cassette albums

140

Ceramo Co.

red clay flower pots

140

Dana Corp.

axle carriers and cases

350

D.W. Tool, Wahlco Inc.

precision parts and vacuum molds

285

General Sign Co.

signs

110

Havco Wood Products

laminated oak flooring for truck trailers

300

Horizon Music Manufacturing Co.

audio cables and accessories

130

Lone Star Industries

portland cement and masonry

198

Newell Rubbermaid

closet organizer accessories

910

Nordenia USA

flexible film packaging

310

Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co.

disposable diapers, paper towels, bath tissue

1,400

RAPCO International

audio cable and harnesses

137

Spartech Plastics

extruded plastic sheets

300

Thorngate

sportswear

530

VIP/Heartland Industries

sheltered workshop: custom packaging, plastic hangers

386

--

Non-manufacturing companies employing more than 100 workers

Product or service and number of employees

Alliance BlueCross BlueShield

insurance customer service center

280

AmerenUE

utility company

114

Bank of America

bank

110

Cape Girardeau Public Schools

public schools

600

Chateau Girardeau

retirement home

180

City of Cape Girardeau

city government

632

City of Jackson

city government

106

D & K Healthcare Resources

pharmaceutical distribution

108

Dannie Gilder Inc.

trucking

150

Delta Express Inc.

trucking

180

Do-It Best Corp.

hardware, building materials

137

Fru-Con Construction

construction, engineering

190

JCPenney

retail department store

210

Jackson R-2 Schools

public schools

574

Jerry Lipps Trucking

truck transportation

127

Lowe's

home improvement center

109

Lutheran Home/Saxony Village

assisted living

450

Missouri Veterans Home

nursing care facility

150

Penzel Construction Co.

general contractor

150

Plaza Tire Service

retail and service

160

Rhodes Oil Co.

gasoline/fuel oil

130

Saint Francis Medical Center

hospital

1,469

Schnucks

food and drug

180

Sears, Roebuck & Co.

retail

110

Southeast Missouri Hospital

hospital

1,533

Southeast Missouri State University

4-year university

1,600

Southeast Missourian/Concord Publishing

newspaper and commercial printing

175

Southwestern Bell Telephone

telephone service

400

U.S. Postal Service

post office

221

Wal-Mart SuperCenter

retail

450

Wolsey Investigative Services

security, investigation

105

Area unemployment rates (March 2003)

County percentage

Cape Girardeau 3.6

Bollinger 5.7

Perry 2.9

Scott 5.2

Stoddard 6.7

Mississippi 7.9

Ste. Genevieve 4.8

Madison 8.1

New Madrid 9.9

Wayne 12.2