STRICTLY BUSINESS: `ADD WATER AND WATCH US GROW' NEW MOTTO FOR SABRELINER CORP.

"Just add water and watch us grow."

This could become the new motto for Sabreliner Corp. following the 1993 flood, when the St. Louis-based company was forced to temporarily relocate its Perryville maintenance and modification center to higher ground.

The flood, although devastating, was also something of a blessing in disguise say officials of Sabreliner, a diversified aerospace service providing aircraft parts, engine maintenance and overhaul, and aircraft modification and refurbishing services to commercial and government users.

Rather than just replace the equipment lost in the flood, Sabreliner has invested in more sophisticated state-of-the-art equipment designed to improve its ability to improve operations.

"The new equipment allows us to manufacture some parts previously provided by subcontractors," said Jackson L. Forney, vice president of operations for Sabreliner.

Forney was in Perryville when Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan visited the city's airport to announce a grant to repair the airport, damaged by last year's floods.

More than a year ago Perryville Municipal Airport was under 14 feet of water.

Sabreliner, which had moved equipment to its St. Louis facility and other areas, stepped in to completely renovate Hangar 9, which it leases at the airport.

The loan announced by Carnahan will be used to repair four additional airport hangars.

New machinery installed by Sabreliner at the Perryville facility includes a Vertical Machining Center (VMC), a computer-controlled milling machine that can manufacture airframe and engine parts to repair and modify aircraft.

A new, numerically controlled 350-ton hydropress will enable Sabreliner to manufacture frames, ribs and brackets for a number of aircraft.

Like the VMC, the hydropress makes it possible to fabricate parts on site, on demand.

Other new equipment installed includes an upgraded fuel accessory test bench, numerically controlled surface grinder, stress-relief oven and heat-treat ovens, and a vacuum-form press and hardness tester.

In the two years before the flood, an average of 400 Sabreliner employees worked at this facility.

"The employment figures have been about half that since the flood," Forney said.

Sabreliner has invested more than $11 million in equipping the facility over the years, including more than $1 million for the most recent equipment.

In addition, Sabreliner has added more capabilities to its Neosho engine overhaul and repair center.

Added were a Zeiss coordinate measuring machine, for computerized measure of convex and concave surfaces, a new welding system and an air-flow measurement machine for gauging the aerodynamic capacity of engine components such as nozzles.

The corporation has also obtained an Ivadizer, which applies a coating of pure aluminum to parts for corrosion prevention.

"This equipment gives us in-house control of more parts manufacturing, which eliminates the long lead times experienced when buying from vendors," said F. Holmes Lemoreaux, chairman and chief executive officer. "The equipment also enables us to provide specialized manufacturing and processing services for others who do not have these capabilities.

The company is in the planning or bidding stages for more than $100 million in government contracts. Following Carnahan's announcement, Forney said that Sabreliner will be able to win and to perform those contracts and once again achieve full employment.

Restaurant group expanding

DeStock Inc., which operates six restaurants in Cape Girardeau, is expanding to Terre Haute, Ind.

The new Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar is the 14th restaurant in the DeStock list of restaurants located in eight communities in four states.

Dennis Stockard, CEO of the company, opened his first restaurant, Captain D's, in Cape Girardeau. Since then, he has expanded to include El Chico, Shoney's and Applebee restaurants.

The company is based in Cape Girardeau and has offices at 214 N. Lorimier.

DeStock restaurants in Cape Girardeau include Captain D's Seafood Restaurant, 1015 N. Kingshighway; Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 202 S. Broadview; El Chico Restaurant, 202 S. Mount Auburn Road; Shoney's, 161 West St.; Royal N'Orleans, 300 Broadway; and Broussard's Cajun Cuisine, 120 N. Main.

DeStock employment in Cape Girardeau tops 450 people.

"We employ about 1,200 people throughout the group," said Kevin Silvers, DeStock vice president.

DeStock also has restaurants at Paducah and Owensboro in Kentucky, Carbondale and Springfield in Illinois, Cape Girardeau, Flat River, Farmington and Poplar Bluff in Missouri, and Terre Haute.

Grand opening, new openings

OAK RIDGE -- The Personal Touch Gift Shoppe Collectibles will hold its grand opening this weekend.

Grand opening hours will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The new business, owned by Jerry W. Burnett and Dixie J. Burnett and located at 2938 State Highway E, specializes in a number of collectibles including Precious Moments, turquoise and silver jewelry, porcelain dolls, grapevine wreaths and swags.

The store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

JACKSON -- Bizzy Bee Janitor Supply is in a new location, 510 Cedar St.

Bizzy Bee, which was founded in 1981, provides a complete line of chemicals, can liners, paper products and equipment.

Mike Seabaugh owns the business.

Services Unlimited has opened in Cape Girardeau.

The new business, founded by Cynthia Kirn, provides party planning, holiday decorating, personal shopping, housesitting and residential and commercial cleaning.

Additional information is available by calling 334-9226.

New manufacturer, new jobs

KENNETT -- ACF, a manufacturer of railroad freight and tank cars since 1899, will locate a manufacturing plant in Kennett Industrial Park.

ACF, originally known as American Car and Foundry Co., leases the rail cars to industries that use rail service, will build a 50,000-square-foot building and will initially employ 60 people.

The Kennett plant will manufacture parts of rail car assembly plants.

Production is expected to start next spring.

ACF has sales offices at Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, St. Louis and Fort Lee, N.J.