Horst Pharmacy growing to custom-make medications

Horst Pharmacy in Jackson is expanding its compounding lab facility from 75 square feet to 900 square feet to offer more custom-made medications to its customers. Upgraded lab equipment and safety equipment also will be installed. Back in the 1930s, the majority of medications dispensed by pharmacists were compounded individually for patients, but as medicines became more mass produced pharmacists got away from this practice, according to Steve Horst, pharmacist and owner of Horst Pharmacy.

From pain gels to custom-blended hormone replacement therapy, a wide variety of medications can be created in Horst's new compounding lab. This process also allows pharmacists to dispense a medication that might typically be found in pill form as a liquid, lozenge or even a topical cream, Horst said. Varying dosages also can be created that meet a patient's specific needs, he said.

An open house for local physicians to view the new compounding facility is planned from 5 to 7 p.m.Aug. 19. A Bioidentical Hormone Replacement seminar is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. August 26. Horst Pharmacy is at 2705 E. Jackson Blvd.

* CWI offers cardboard recycling: CWI of Missouri recently started a corrugated cardboard recycling program for businesses in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson areas. Customers are provided with a separate bin for cardboard to place next to their traditional dumpster for weekly pick up, said Jeff Fishbaugh, division sales manager for CWI Missouri. Rebates helping to reduce the cost of commercial trash pickup are offered to customers based on the value of the cardboard they recycle. Recycled cardboard is selling for about $100 per ton, Fishbaugh said. There are about a dozen customers currently on CWI Missouri's recycling route. For more information on the cardboard recycling program, call 800-844-3151.

* New Plaza Tire to open next month: Construction is rapidly progressing on a new Plaza Tire Service location on North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

Construction is expected to be complete in mid-August on the new facility to replace the store at 1634 N. Kingshighway, just a few yards away. The new store's address will be 1638 N. Kingshighway.

Following construction, the current store will be demolished. Plaza Tire Service was started in 1995 in the pre-existing building.

The new store will have expanded showroom and service areas. It will replace the current four-bay facility with 10 bays to accommodate residential and business growth on the north end of Cape Girardeau.

The new store will keep the same hours; 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Appointments are not required. Plaza Tire Service carries a variety of brands including Bridgestone, Yokohama, Firestone, Dayton, Michelin, Continental, Pirelli, Dick Cepek off-road tires, Falken and environmentally-friendly Nokian Tyres along with Ultra and Enkei custom wheels. All Plaza Tire Service stores also employ skilled technicians that provide brake, battery, shock, strut, oil change, state inspection, tire rotation and balance and wheel alignment services.

Plaza Tire Service was established in 1963 by Vernon "Pee Wee" Rhodes. Its first location opened at 2149 William St. as Plaza Car Wash, a hand-operated car wash, and a store continues to operate there today. Today, Plaza Tire Service has 49 tire stores and was listed as the 26th largest independently owned tire retailer in North America by Tire Business magazine.

* Big River partners with Cedar Point Communications: Big River Telephone of Cape Girardeau is now delivering wholesale communication services using Cedar Point Communications voice-over-IP switching technologies.

"This partnership allows our organization opportunities to grow into new markets that have not been served by us before," said Kevin Cantwell, president of Big River Telephone. "This means more business for Big River and more jobs for the region."

Ten to 15 jobs will be added to support the partnership. Cedar Point Communication is based in Derry, N.H., with its European headquarters in Meersburg, Germany.

* New online store specializes in Southeast apparel: A new online clothing store specializing in Southeast Missouri State University logo athletic apparel just launched this week.

SpriggStreet.com offers customized children's, women's and men's clothing with the Southeast Redhawk logo.

Since this is licensed logo apparel, a royalty fee is paid to the Southeast athletic department to help support its programs, said SpriggStreet.com developer T. Robin Cole of The Rite Group in Cape Girardeau.

"There is a tremendous depth of colors of sizes and the site offers the ability to personalize the item so you can identify with your favorite team," Cole said.

Buyers can choose from multiple logo styles and placements and add their own custom embroidery wording to each item.

* Horizon Screen getting green: Horizon Screen Printing and Promotional Products is participating in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership.

Horizon Screen Printing is purchasing more than 20,000 kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which is enough green power to meet 15 percent of the organization's electricity use. Horizon Screen Printing is participating in Ameren's Pure Power program. This demonstrates a proactive choice to switch away from traditional sources of electricity generation and support cleaner renewable energy alternatives right here in Missouri through the purchase of renewable energy credits.

"Purchasing green power helps our organization become more sustainable, while also sending a message to others across the U.S. that supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and an important choice in reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources," said Dru Reeves, general manager.

Green power includes electricity generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. Those resources generate electricity with a net zero increase in carbon dioxide emissions, while offering a superior environmental profile compared to traditional power generation sources. Green power purchases also support the development of new renewable energy generation sources nationwide.

More information about this program can be found at www.mypurepower.com or by contacting Jill Wicks, Pure Power Outreach coordinator; jwicks@3degreesinc.com.

According to the U.S. EPA, Horizon Screen Printing's green power purchase of more than 20,000 kwh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of three passenger vehicles per year or the carbon dioxide emissions from the annual electricity use of two average American homes.

* New photography service: Mark Mahnke of Fruitland has turned his part-time photography work into a new business, M&M Photography. He specializes in natural-style photography including family and child portraits. He also does engagement and wedding photos as well as photography for corporate events and sports teams. He has been published twice in Photographer's Forum Magazine's "Best of Photography Annual."

For more information, people may call 579-2888 or visit mandmphoto.zenfolio.com.

* New DJ service moves to Cape: Affordable DJ Services LLC recently relocated to Cape Girardeau from Muskegon, Mich., according to owner Dave Ross. The company has three-quarters of a million digital songs to choose from. Affordable DJ Services serves Southeast Missouri and the St. Louis area, western Kentucky, Southern Illinois and Memphis, Tenn. Ross offers music, lighting system, wireless microphones and more. For more information, call 573-587-1702 or visit www.affordabledjs.net.

Southeast Missourian business reporter Melissa Miller may be contacted at 388-3646 or mmiller@semissourian.com.