NEW ON THE BUSINESS SCENE: NEW DOLLAR GENERAL STORE OPENS HERE

A new Dollar General Store will open in Cape Girardeau Thursday.

The store will be the third for the Nashville-based chain in Cape Girardeau.

Dollar stores currently operate at 20 N. Spanish in downtown Cape Girardeau and at 64 Plaza Way Shopping Center.

The newest store, at 1142 N. Kingshighway, will consist of 5,782 square feet and employ from five to eight people.

"Our stores are plain," said Cal Turner Jr., chairman and CEO of Dollar General Corp. "We don't have a lot of chrome or glass fixtures or expensive signs. But, our customers can save money."

Dollar General was founded in 1939 by Cal Turner Sr., with a single store in Scottsville, Ky.

Today, more than a half-century later, the company has 2,300 stores in 24 states, and opens about 30 new stores a year. For fiscal 1994, the company posted sales of $1.4 billion.

The new store here will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 Sunday.