NEW ON THE BUSINESS SCENE

"The Stalls," a marketplace for indoor and outdoor vendors, will open in downtown Cape Girardeau Saturday.

The Stalls, 221 Independence, will be open each Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"This type of marketplace does good business throughout the world," said Evelyn Boardman. John and Evelyn Boardman will conduct the weekly markets. "We are trying to provide an `arty' experience in creating a blend of artists, antique dealers, artisans, growers of flowers and produce and collectibles."

Vendors will be responsible for selling their own products.

"We're just renting the space," Boardman said.

Indoor spaces are available in sizes of 10-by-7 feet. Outdoor spaces are 10-by-10 feet.

Additional information is available by calling John or Evelyn, 334-5723 or 229-1907.

A new Southeast Missouri Hospital employee parking lot opened last week at the corner of Broadway and West End Boulevard.

The 193-vehicle lot brings to 1,146 the number of parking spaces available at the hospital.

Another parking lot, under construction along Broadway, will provide more than 30 spaces for the hospital's school of nursing, at Broadway and Sunset.

Meanwhile, hospital officials report a shuttle service to patient and visitors parking lots continues to be well received.

The shuttle service, a canopied, six-passenger, vehicle, makes regular runs through visitor and patient parking facilities, opened in November. During its first month, it carried 2,625 passengers. In April, it carried 7,722 passengers.

HAYTI -- Construction is under way on a new Holiday Inn Express hotel near the Hayti exit of Interstate 55.

The two-story, 46-room hotel is expected to open in about six months.

The Balaji Group, consisting of Sam Patel, Nick Patel, Amish Patel and Mike Vagheli, will be owners of the new hotel, which will employ 10 people. Managers will be Nick Patel and his wife, Smita.

MARION, Ill. -- Plans have been revealed for a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing plant at Marion, designed to produce polyethylene terephthalate bottles.

The plant, which will employ 200 people in its 24-hour a day operation, is owned by Pepsi Cola Bottling Co., which will be the biggest customer for the new bottle-making plant on Skyline Drive.

But, the plastic bottles will also be available for sale to other bottling companies.