STRICTLY BUSINESS: CANDIDATES SOUGHT FOR AREA `TOP FIRMS' LISTS

The Southeast Missourian's "Top 60" industries, based on the number of employees, started as a "Top 25," five years ago, but due to growth, expansions and new industry, the list went to "Top 40 in 1995 and "Top 60" last year.

The 1997 list has been redesigned. This year, we'll be presenting three lists -- a "Top 50" Southeast Missouri list on manufacturing, industry and product-related companies; a "Top 25" Cape Girardeau County list including all employers -- manufacturing, retail, medical, education and others; and a "Top 10" list of largest employers in Southern Illinois.

Companies eligible for any of the lists are urged to submit company name, type of product or business, and total employment to:

B. Ray Owen, Strictly Business, Southeast Missourian, 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701.

More casinos for Illinois?

Illinois state lawmakers may push to expand the number of riverboat casinos in the state this spring.

The Riverboat Gambling Act of 1990 provided for 10 riverboat gaming licenses, with up to 1,200 gaming positions for each riverboat and each licensee eligible to operate two boats from a single docksite.

The first riverboat gambling operation opened in September 1991 at Alton, Ill.

Now, there are 10, and Rep. Lou Lagne of Skokie says he will propose a new gambling package that would include "more riverboats and help for Illinois boats on the Mississippi River struggling against competition from dockside Iowa casino boats."

Unlike Iowa and Missouri gambling riverboats, Illinois casinos still must cruise.

Gambling operators would like to see dockside operation with patrons permitted to "come and go" at will, instead of established boarding times.

Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar has made it clear he is not in favor of a "massive expansion of gambling," but has remained open to helping struggling boats or to allow waterways wagering in Cook County.

The state's last riverboat operation to open was in October 1994, at Elgin.

Before Illinois lawmakers legalized waterway wagering, experts had estimated the state would earn $3 million to $15 million annually in floating casino revenue.

The state is receiving about $15 million a month now.

In December, the state's share of revenue from gambling was $14.8 million. The 10 local communities received a combined total of $6.2 million, with $463,000 going to the Southern Illinois city of Metropolis, home of Players International Riverboat Casino, on the Ohio River there.

Harrah-Players next

Missouri's latest casino complex opened at Kansas City in mid-January.

The $255 million casino and hotel complex includes two almost identical casinos built on barges, accounting for more than 140,000 square feet of casino space.

Missouri now has nine casino operations, with the 10th to open next month at Maryland Heights in the St. Louis area, where a combined Harrah's-Players International project will provide four new riverboat casinos.

The Harrah's-Players complex could be the last in Missouri for a long while. However, the Missouri Gaming Commission has license applications from a number of groups, including some seeking sites outside the metropolitan Kansas City and St. Louis area. Two of those sites are in Central Missouri, in Howard County and the Booneville areas. Another is north of St. Louis, near Louisiana, and a third is in the Scott City area in Southeast Missouri.

The commission may discuss new sites during this month's meeting.

Meanwhile, the Missouri Riverboat Gaming Association expects a new bill will be introduced into the Missouri Legislature that would repeal the state's $500-per-cruise loss limit and let gamblers wager any amount they wanted aboard Missouri riverboat casinos.

A year ago, a similar Senate bill was introduced, which would also allow gamblers to board permanently docked gambling boats at any time, rather than waiting every two hours to go aboard. The 1995 bill "died in the legislature," said a MRGA official.

Busy year for BBB

The Better Business Bureau responded to more than 330,000 calls last year, including inquiries and complaints.

"There were marked increases in both the number of complaints processed and the number of inquiries," said Michelle L. Corey president of the St. Louis BBB, which served Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. "We responded to 331,800 calls last year, an average of 1,300 call per working day.

The BBB answered 207,505 requests for information regarding businesses in the area, an increase of 16 percent from 1995. Heading the list of most inquiries were home remodeling contractors with 11,464 inquiries, followed by roofing contractors, with 7,225 inquiries.

An inquiry is described by the BBB as a consumer request for information about a company's customer-experience record. A complaint is recorded when a customer seeks restitution for an alleged wrongdoing by a company.

Among other industries that received a large number of inquiries were franchised auto dealers, auto repair shops, work-at-home companies, waterproofing companies, heating and air conditioning companies, floor covering stores, used auto dealers and moving-and-storage companies.

Increase in complaints

A sharp increase was also noted in the number of complaints processed -- 13,230, an increase of 12.6 percent from 1995.

Part of the increase is attributed to a new computerized process for handling inquiries and complaints, said Corey.

Franchised auto dealers and used auto dealers headed the list of complaints at 778 and 536. Other industries in the top 10 included home remodeling contractors, home furnishing stores, dry cleaning and laundry companies, mail order product sales, and new home builders and roofing contractors.

In addition to complaint and inquiry services, the BBB provided pre-purchase, industry-related information through its Tel-Tips to 3,082 callers and consumer alerts to 10,102 companies. Some 61 arbitrations were conducted, and six new warnings were issued.

Through its "Customer Connection" program, the Bureau conducted seminars for area firms on hiring, managing and training for service excellence.

The BBB is a non-profit organization with the stated mission of helping to make the entire region a better place to live, work and do business by encouraging positive business practices.

B. Ray Owen is business editor for the Southeast Missourian.