NEW BUSINESS: PENNEY SALON EXPANDS

The JCPenney Styling Salon inside the JCPenney store at West Park Mall has completed its second major expansion.

The local salon, ranked No. 9 among the company's 975 styling salons nationally, offers a wide range of hair and beauty products for men and women.

The current expansion, second since the salon opened in June 1988, added more than 700 square feet to the salon -- increasing the nail and pedicure rooms, adding a skin-care room, and VIP room for clients with special needs (such as wig fitting, etc.)

The salon has a staff of 54 hair designers and nail technicians and seven receptionists.

Two estheticians will be added for the new state-of-the-art skin-care room.

The salon is the largest in the company's St. Louis Metro District, and is ranked No. 1 in the district.

Martha Dillon, styling salon manager, will be in Phoenix next month to accept the "Outstanding Performance" award for 1997.

JCPenney provides the largest chain of department store salons in the nation, with 975 salons and about 17,000 stylists.

"By updating our salons, we can continue to offer total quality service," said Dillon.

Every JCPenney salon offers cuts, styling, color treatments, re-texturing and other finishing services. Additional services -- manicures, pedicures and facials -- are available at most salons.

JCPenney salons vary in size, form eight to 48 hair styling stations, depending on store and market area. The Cape Girardeau salon is one of the largest.