STRICTLY BUSINESS: GROWTH IN EMPLOYMENT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE

Employment growth has not been an overnight thing.

Economic experts say employment in manufacturing, sales and marketing, health care and other fields has been increasing since mid-1992 and the hiring surge is expected to continue into the first half of this year.

In Missouri, Illinois and the nation, the economy ended the year in good condition.

Check the unemployment levels:

Missouri: For the year, employment growth remained strong. Most industries grew during the year, especially services -- up 32,900 jobs. Increases were noted in retail trade, local government, construction and manufacturing. December payrolls were up 67,000 more jobs than December 1993. The statewide unemployment rate was 4.3 in December, down 2 percent from the 6.3 rate at the same time a year ago.

Illinois: Counties throughout the state experienced significantly less unemployment at the end of 1994 compared to December 1993. The current unemployment rate in Illinois is 4.2 percent, compared to 5.8 percent a year ago.

U.S.: Nationally, the year-end unemployment rate was at 5.1 percent, compared to the 6 percent of a year ago.

Healthy hiring intentions for 1995 have been expressed in a number of surveys, by manufacturing executives and others.

A national survey conducted by Sales Consultants International, a division of Management Recruiters International Inc., the nation's largest search and recruitment organization, projects a 43 percent increased in the sales and marketing field.

"Not since the first half of 1985 have so many companies been planning to add to their sales and marketing staffs," said Alan R. Schonberg, president of Sales Consultants. "This is a sure sign of confidence in the economy. Business is good, companies want to increase their market share and, therefore, continue to add sales and marketing staff for the future.

Of the more than 800 executives responsible for hiring who participated in the survey, 43.2 percent indicated plans to increase their sales and marketing staff. Another 46.3 percent plan to maintain their current staff sizes.

Sales Consultants also asked the question: "How do you think our economy will perform in 1995 as compared to 1994?

Further growth expected

Less than 8 percent expected the economy to falter. Sixty percent anticipate even greater improvement than 1994.

A survey by Manpower Inc., a temporary help firm, is also optimistic. Manpower conducts an "Employment Outlook Survey" on a quarterly basis. The survey is based on telephone interviews with more than 15,000 public and private employers in 469 U.S. cities.

"Nationally, employers plan staff additions at a faster rate during the first quarter of 1995," said Barbara Larkins, manager of the Manpower office at Cape Girardeau. "A total of 22 percent will increase hiring and 63 percent will remain at present levels."

Those figures are also reflected for the immediate Southeast Missouri area.

"Higher staffing levels are anticipated for the first quarter by 24 percent of area businesses polled," Larkins said. Sixty-nine percent of employers polled plan to make no adjustments and only 7 percent are considering cutbacks.

The Manpower survey includes employers in all fields, including manufacturing, transportation, public utilities, wholesale, construction and retail.

"We could use 100 new workers for our local area," Larkins said. Manpower nationally provides employment to 1.5 million people through its more than 2,000 offices.

A number of manufacturers are in the market for employees throughout the Southeast Missouri area and the state.

The number of Missouri manufacturing plants increased by 12.3 percent during the past year, gaining 1,438 plants and losing 357 to mergers, movement out of state and closings, realizing a net gain of 1,081 plants, bringing the number of manufacturing facilities to 9,813.

Two Cape Girardeau County cities shared in the good news revealed in the 1995 edition of the Missouri Manufacturers Register.

Cape Girardeau ranked 12th in number of manufacturing facilities in the state and 13th in number of manufacturing jobs. The city has 95 facilities in the publication, up 10 from last year. The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce profile publication lists more than 5,600 manufacturing jobs.

Jackson, ranked 25th in manufacturing jobs, more than doubling its manufacturing employment over the past year, from 1,328 in 1994 to 3,234 in 1995.

Small manufacturing plants with fewer workers are supporting Missouri manufacturing and keeping it healthy, said Howard S. Dubin, president of Manufacturers' News Inc. at Evanston, Ill., which publishes the Missouri edition.

Manufacturers over the state are opening small plants that require smaller, more specialized work forces, Dubin said. These plants are flexible and can shift products and schedules quickly. They have fewer layers of management and can hire better quality workers because their size lets them be more selective.

St. Louis is the state's largest industrial city with 2,141 plants. Kansas City, with 915 plants, is second on the list and Springfield, with 392 plants is third.

Rounding out the top five manufacturing cities are Fenton, with 166 plants, Joplin, at 161 plants.

Printing and publishing firms make up the largest industrial group in Missouri, according to the 1995 register, with 1,702 such businesses statewide, or 15.1 percent of the state total. Industrial machinery and equipment ranks second, with 1,253 plants, accounting for 11.3 percent of all manufacturers. Completing the top five are metal fabricating, with 945 plants; the food industry, with 707 plants; and lumber and wood products plants, with 672 plants.

New on the business scene

The Clubhouse, a family grill and pub, has opened in Plaza Galleria, 2001 Independence, in Cape Girardeau.

Dave Freese, a St. Louis restaurateur who operates a Steak-N-Shake Restaurant and a half-dozen Taco Bell restaurants in various places, is one of four owners in the new operation, in the 10,000-square-foot space that previously housed Rutherford's Tavern.

Other owners are Ron Verner, Lorie Verner and Lynn Shoemake.

The new business will be open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to midnight.

The restaurant, which can seat 286, offers half-pound burgers, soups, salads and sandwiches, and a children's menu. Also available will be a number of appetizers.

A dinner menu will be added in the future.

The grill-bar includes a number of games -- eight pool tables, six dart machines, video games and "lots of sports memorabilia," Ron Verner said.

Roller skating, a popular pastime in this area more than a decade ago, will be the featured entertainment in a complex planned for Cape Girardeau this year.

Cape Family Entertainment Inc. recently announced plans for a facility, which will include a 12,000-square-foot roller skating floor (80 feet by 160 feet), a miniature golf course and batting cages.

"Our first emphasis is the skating rink," said Greg Crow, president of Cape Family Entertainment. "Other entertainment facilities, including mini-golf and batting cages, will be added after we open the rink."

Crow is familiar with the roller rink business.

"I've been in the skating business more than 20 years," said Crow, whose family owned a roller rink in St. Louis County.

Crow worked in the family business and later worked at a former skating rink in Cape Girardeau while he attended Southeast Missouri State University.

Greg Crow & Associates of St. Louis operates three roller rinks in the St. Louis area.

Construction is well under way on the 20,000-square-foot local building that will house "Cape Skate." A summer opening is anticipated.

The new rink is on a site in the 600 block of Commercial Street.

Cape Girardeau has been without a skating rink since Kingsway Skateland closed on South Kingshighway more than a decade ago.

"The Skateland rink was too small," Crow said. "We feel there is plenty of skating interest in the area."

Crow added that an indoor roller hockey program will be available.

Also included in the building will be a snack bar, video game area and pro shop.

Klaus & Associates, a company that provides landscape architecture, has opened in Cape Girardeau.

Paul Klaus, a registered landscape architect, licensed in Missouri, offers services for commercial and residential projects.

Klaus, a Perryville native currently living in Cape Girardeau, is a graduate of the University of Missouri, with a bachelor's degree in forestry and Kansas State University, with a master's degree in landscape architecture.

Klaus offers clients an analysis of a proposed project, design drawings, help in obtaining bids from contractors and other services.

Klaus has worked with land reclamation projects, bay station designs and master planning for recreation areas, parks, campus planning and subdivisions.

He worked a year at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station with a U.S. Antarctic research program for the National Science Foundation.

He worked in the St. Louis area before moving to Cape Girardeau. Klaus may be reached by calling (314)-651-9128 Monday through Friday.

Croxton's Antiques Mall, in search of more room, has moved from 612 Broadway to 111 N. Sprigg St.

The new quarters offer three floors of space for antiques, collectibles, crafts and furniture.

The business is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

Geraldine Croxton opened an antique shop more than five years ago at 109 Independence.

She expanded her shop into an antique mall in 1993, moving to the Broadway site.

Croxton is planning a "grand opening" for the new site from Feb. 12 to 18.