July development news

March Unemployment Down Slightly Here In Ste. Genevieve county

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. — Ste. Genevieve County saw unemployment fall in March compared to the prior month, however compared to March 2007 the percentage unemployed was higher.

According to the report released last week by the Missouri Department of Economic Development, unemployment was at 6.1 percent here in March. That figure was down by two-tenths from the February report. But in March 2007 county unemployment stood at just 4.8 percent .

The March 2008 rate in this county is the highest for the month in the last 18 years. Over the last two decades, the only years in which the March rate exceeded this year's were 1994, when the rate hit 6.8%, and 1995, when it was at 6.2%. Unemployment for the month was lowest in 1999, when the rate was 3.1%.

The local March jobless rate was exactly equal to the statewide rate, which was up 1 percent from February. Both state and local rates were higher by almost a full percentage point than the U.S. rate, which stood at 5.2 percent in March (the same rate as that reported in February). The March national rate was up from the 4.8 percent reported for March 2007.

Locally, the jobless rate represents 610 people out of work. The 2007 rate represented 463 seeking employment.

At the same time, the county saw an increase in labor force participation, which stood at 9,921 this year, up from 9,704 in March 2007.

Both state and national jobless figures were worse this March when compared to the same month last year. The 2007 rate for the month statewide was 4.8 percent; the national rate was 4.5 percent.

Total U.S. labor force participation increased to over 153 million this year, compared to 152 million in March 2007. In Missouri, labor force participation declined, however, from 3.022 million last year to 3.014 million this year.

Nearby Perry County had a March 2008 unemployment rate of 4.9 percent, up from 4.8 percent in February and 3.7 percent in March 2007.

The labor force in Perry County grew from 9,992 in March 2007 to 10,437 in the same month this year.

Poplar Bluff looks ahead

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo — As Poplar Bluff grows over the next 20 to 25 years, city officials will follow the future land use plan and map included in the final chapter of the proposed comprehensive city plan.

"It is projected Poplar Bluff's population will grow to approximately 20,000 by 2020," said Mark Felton of the URS Corporation in St. Louis, who served as the project manager for the comprehensive plan.

"The future land use plan serves as a guide for the planned and orderly growth of the city. Zoning changes, subdivisions, new development or redevelopment should be reviewed for compliance with the future land use plan during the planning and zoning process," Felton said.

He emphasized the future land use recommendations will not become reality unless the daily decisions and implementation activities in Poplar Bluff support the proposed plan.

"The decision to locate new uses and activities in the city should be based upon factors such as impact on existing development, capacity of adjacent streets, planning and design principles and the need for compatibility between the built and natural environment," said Felton, while reminding everyone the plan's recommendations should be used with "a sense of flexibility."

He identified the biggest challenge facing the city in the area of future land use is the ability to balance its resources by protecting and preserving the built community while investing in infrastructure to expand into new areas.

"The future land use plan includes strategies for both revitalizing the city's inner core and the designation of vast areas outside the present city limits to accommodate future growth," Felton said.

Colored areas on the future land use map include all land within the city plus areas identified by the community as desirable for annexation. The future land use categories include: low-density residential; multi-family residential; nodal commercial; regional commercial; general commercial; downtown/mixed use; and industrial.

Nodal commercial areas are located at intersections of major roads as shown by circles on the future land use map. Business owners tend to prefer locating at intersections or nodes due to their ease of access and high visibility. Compact, mixed-use development is the preferred land use in the designated nodal development areas, according to Felton.

He also said the plan recommends making Highway PP the city's "premier" commercial corridor and a regional destination for shopping, entertainment and hospitality.

"The city's downtown should serve as a focal point for economic development and revitalization efforts," Felton said. "It houses the city's historic structures that front brick streets and tell the story of Poplar Bluff's past."

Aircraft company now for sale

Commander Premier Aircraft Corp., which made its headquarters in Cape Girardeau with hopes of manufacturing airplanes here, has failed to find the financing needed to begin production and is now for sale, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association news service. The company needed $5 million to $10 million.

In January, displaying confidence that the time was nearing when production would start, the company reorganized. Joel Hartstone and Claudia Horn had put together the group that purchased the assets of the bankrupt Commander Aircraft Co. in 2005. Their roles of president/chief executive and treasurer/chief financial officer, respectively, were taken over by Gregory Walker and Roger Tippens. Hartstone and Horn were kept on as directors to put together a financing package.

The company moved to Cape Girardeau in December 2005 with plans to build up to 30 airplanes a year with 40 to 60 employees. The company has only a handful of workers, making parts for and doing maintenance on Commander aircraft built before 2002.

"While CPAC has always been open to being acquired, it has concentrated its own efforts on raising production financing and continuing to ramp up as an independent company," a statement issued by the company and quoted by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association news service said. "However, prompted by recent purchase inquiries, and acknowledging the general paralysis of the financing market, CPAC's Board of Directors approved CPAC announcing that it would consider responsible offers for the purchase of all, or a controlling interest in CPAC."

Purcell Tire's acquisition of D&D Tire expands customer access

POTOSI, Mo. — The Purcell Tire & Rubber Company announced that it has signed a definitive agreement and closed on its acquisition of D&D Tire, Inc, Fernley, Nev., a leading independent tire dealer with 10 tire service centers located across Nevada and Southern Idaho, mine servicing sites in eight states (including Alaska), an off-the-road (OTR) repair facility in Nevada and a retreading plant in Idaho.

The acquisition of D&D Tire is a key step in Purcell's strategic business plan to drive growth and market share and provide best-in-class total customer solutions. With sales in excess of $300 million, the combined company will have significantly expanded operations and purchasing power, providing customers with access to more products, more brands and more services in more locations.

"The acquisition is a win-win for our companies and our customers," said Keith Butcher, executive president of Purcell Tire. "D&D Tire shares our commitment to driving growth and market share for our vendors and providing our customers with quality products and services." Butcher points out that the acquisition will double the size of Purcell's mining division and its commitment to that industry.

The acquisition also expands access to D&D Tire's proprietary Elite Tire Management System (ETMS) and strengthens Purcell Tire's ability to assist fleet managers in improving the performance of products. "The ETMS program is designed to enable fleet and mine account managers and equipment managers to utilize the tire to its fullest capacity," explained Britt Johnson, executive vice president of D&D Tire and director of ETMS. "ETMS provides a 'holistic' approach to tire management resulting in the best possible operating costs for the customer."

Plans for quarry scuttled

There's not enough good quality rock under a farm on County Road 319 to make it worth building a quarry there, J.W. Strack said to explain his decision to stop the controversial project.

The appearance of drilling rigs hired by Strack to test the rock stirred protests from neighbors along the lane off Route K west of Cape Girardeau. They enlisted nearby businesses and schools as well as politicians in their effort to block Strack.

But Strack said from the start that those actions were premature. And he said the results of the tests mean he won't be purchasing the 111-acre property or applying for permits needed to dig there.

"Those people didn't faze me a bit," said Strack, who operates Strack Stone on Highway 74 between Interstate 55 and Dutchtown. "Like I told them when they asked me to start with, I needed to see if the rock was any good."

Strack sent word of his decision to one of the leaders of the Community Protective Society through the property's real estate agent, Ken Cantrell, owner of Cantrell Crossroads Real Estate Co. and Cantrell Auction Services.

Cantrell called Susan Koerber to deliver the news and she quickly spread the word to others who had supported the effort. The group was gaining strength and drew 130 people to an organizational meeting at Notre Dame Regional High School. The rally was one of several that went into planning a campaign of opposition that would have switched into high gear as soon as an application for a mining permit was filed.

The call was a pleasant surprise, Koerber said. "I was shocked. I was surprised to receive the phone call, but I was really glad."

While he had said he was also considering the site for a possible subdivision development, Strack said he's not going to pursue that idea. "I am not interested in it," he said.

The property will now be placed back on the market, Cantrell said.

Strack had some cautionary words to the people who took him on. They said their concerns included the traffic, noise and dust that would accompany a quarry as well as the potential impact on groundwater, he noted. With no planning and zoning rules in the county, any developer could put in a dense collection of apartments, duplexes or homes, he said.

"If they are worried about what someone is going to do with it, they better buy it," he said.