STRICTLY BUSINESS: PEOPLE ON THE MOVE FROM STATE TO STATE

More than 4,000 people moved out of Missouri last year.

The up side to this statistic is that 3,999 people moved into the state.

Results of a newly released study, based on 180,000 household goods shipments in all 50 states by United Van Lines, reveals that 4,244 people moved out of the state. That tabulates into only 245 persons lost by moves in 1993.

That is better than most.

The state of California, for years a leading destination for families and individuals, recorded more outbound moves in 1993 than any other state except New York, according to United's annual migration study.

"With the start of the 1990s, we began to see a major shift in relocation patterns on the West Coast," said James L. Wilson, executive vice president of United Van Lines.

California annually experienced a majority of inbound moves through 1989, but in 1990 the state's outbound moves surpassed the inbound for the first time. In 1993, more than 60 percent of the California moves were outbound. Of 25,671 moves recorded by United Van Lines, 16,363 of them were for moves out of the state.

The totals were lower, but the percentages were about the same for Illinois, with 6,409 of 9,156 moves out of state.

The migration study indicated that Northwestern states were the most popular moving destinations.

Nevada was the leading inbound state in the 1993 study, shifting from neighboring Idaho in 1992 and Oregon in 1991. Nevada was also a big destination reported by a self-moving trucking concern, Ryder Truck Rentals Inc. The Ryder Report, based on trucks rented for personal moves, revealed that Las Vegas had 126 moves in for every 100 moves out.

Other big inbound states, according to the two reports, were Tennessee and North Carolina.

Tennessee, which continued its two-year high inbound trend, reached its highest inbound level at 60.7 percent in United's study. Nashville, Tenn., was third on the destination list in the Ryder report. Charlotte, N.C., was high on the Ryder inbound list, and ranked among top destination states in the United report.

New York, the high out-migration leader in United's 1993 study, saw 61.2 percent of the van line's 15,894 shipments leaving the state. New York has been on the "high out" side every year since United's first study in 1977. Other high outbound states in 1993 included North Dakota, 59.7 percent, New Jersey, 58.2 percent, and Indiana, 57.6 percent.

Kentucky gained a few people by United moves, with 1,957 inbound moves compared to 1,777 outbound moves.

Paducah, Ky., also figured in national statistics compiled by Ryder.

The Ryder Report revealed a number of Paducah residents are heading for the metropolitan area of St. Louis. The Ohio River city sent the third largest number of people to St. Louis, behind Chicago and Kansas City, in 1993. At the same time, Paducah was fourth as a destination of outbound St. Louisans.

The city of Jackson could figure high on that latter list for 1994.

Lee-Rowan Co., headquartered in St. Louis, will be moving its manufacturing facilities to Jackson by September. More than 300 workers at St. Louis will be given an opportunity to stay with the company and join the 1,200 Lee-Rowan workers at Jackson.

More than 60 officials of the Spicer Axle Division of Dana Corp., representing 11 countries, will be in Cape Girardeau today to view operations at the local Dana facility.

"Dana officials will be making two field trips this week, to Cape Girardeau and Columbia," said David Blanchard, manager of the Cape Girardeau plant.

The visit to the local plant will include special presentations, lunch, a tour of the plant and a question-and-answer session.

"This a fact-sharing mission," noted Blanchard. "People will be here from India, Asia, South America, Canada, Europe and Mexico."

Dana Corp. is a leading worldwide supplier of original equipment components for the vehicular, industrial and mobile off-highway markets and their related markets.

The company, headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, engineers, manufactures and distributes drive-train components, engine and chassis parts, structural components, fluid power systems and industrial power transmission products.

Dana, which incorporated in 1905, operates facilities in 27 countries and employs more than 36,000 people. Its sales top the $5 billion mark annually.

The 140,000-square-foot plant, which opened here in March 1990, employs more than 220 people. The local company manufactures axle carriers and cases along with gears and steering knuckles for light-duty truck and all-wheel drive vehicles.

The local Dana operation was named "Industry of the Year" in 1993 by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Jonesboro, Ark., city officials have nixed a proposal for a metal building to house Sam's Club.

The officials say there is no opposition to a Sam's Club coming to town, but they want the wholesaler to arrive in higher style.

Sam's received site approval for one of its clubs in an up-scale shopping area at Caraway Road and Race Street, but along the way, the proposed building design went from a masonry to a metal structure.

The switch came about because Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which owns Sam's, took bids on the masonry structure and decided the construction costs were too high. A metal building was proposed, but the city's planning committee rejected the new proposal because it wouldn't blend with the predominantly brick structures in the shopping center.

A new retail office supply business will open at 214 Silver Springs Road in the near future.

Remodeling of space between Toys R Us Inc. and Heilig-Meyers Furniture in the former Wal-Mart building is already under way.

The name of the retail business hasn't been announced.

Living Water Books and Gifts, 1416 N. Kingsway in Cape Girardeau, has expanded its store and inventory.

The store covers 1,700 square feet, and features books, music, greeting cards, T-shirts and other gifts. It was founded about 10 years ago by Cindy Adams and Jane Glaab.