STRICTLY BUSINESS: RETURN TO THE MIDWEST

Sondra Coughlin feels at home in Cape Girardeau.

Coughlin, who has settled in as administrator of Chateau Girardeau, a retirement community in Cape Girardeau, is a Midwest native.

Coughlin has spent the past 10 years in the Anaheim, Calif., area, lived in Savannah, Ill., a small northern Illinois community along the banks of the Mississippi River, for more than 25 years.

While in the Savannah area, Coughlin operated a Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog store and later founded a homebuilding service.

She also ran a nursing home in Savannah for three years.

"I'm happy to be in Cape Girardeau," Coughlin said. "I liked California, but it's great to be back in an area that has four seasons during the year. In California, it was basically one season year-round."

Coughlin was administrator of a Lutheran retirement center in Anaheim.

The operation there was similar to Chateau here, said Coughlin. Like Chateau Girardeau, the California center near Disneyland, offered several options, including independent living and assisted living.

Chateau Girardeau has 300 residents in a continuum of care, from individual two-bedroom homes and independent living apartments, to assisted living and skilled nursing care. The center at Independence and Mount Auburn, has 165 staff members.

"I love what I do," said Coughlin. "Seniors are important to me. I'm really looking forward to my new position at Chateau.

Plans are in the works for some new projects at Chateau, including the possibility of an activity and wellness center. The new plans call for a building with personal exercise equipment, a swimming pool and an auditorium.

"We're also looking to being more involved in the community," said Coughlin.

Coughlin, a licensed home administrator, has a degree in business administration.

Barbara Calvin, who served as administrator since 1984 before announcing her retirement recently, was complimentary of the retirement center's third administrator:

"She has a wonderful background and experience. She was born and raised in the Midwest and wanted to come back."

Catching up

New downtown business

B&M Collectibles has opened at 109 Independence and features a number of items, including toy die-cast cars -- Hot Wheels and Matchbox -- pedal cars, sports cards and other collectibles.

Brad Bollinger and Joe Markhart, both of Scott City, are owners of the new business.

Store hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Merger completed

Dana Corp. has completed the merger of a subsidiary with Echlin Inc., an Ohio-based auto parts maker serving the global aftermarket, creating one of the world's largest independent companies supplying components to both automotive original equipment manufacturers for the aftermarket.

The transaction, valued at about $3.9 billion, is the largest in the history of the automotive components industry. Dana now manufactures products used in more than 95 percent of the world's motor vehicles.

The merger adds brakes and fluid-building systems to Dana's existing core product lineup of axles, driveshafts, structural products, engine products and industrial products.

Dana, founded in 1904 and based in Toledo, Ohio, operates facilities in 33 countries and employs more than 79,000 people.

Dana employs 401 people at its Spicer Axle Division plant, manufacturing components for automobile axles, at 2075 Corporate Circle.

New Goody's

Goody's Family Clothing will open store 232 this month at Sikeston.

Goody's opened its first store in Missouri in a 27,500-square-foot facility in May 1997 in Cape West Business Park.

Joyce Lambert will be manager of the Sikeston Store in the Southpoint Shopping Center.

Missouri is the 15th state for Goody's, a fast-growing retailer headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn.

Goody's was founded in 1953 when M.D. Goodfriend and a partner began the Athens Outlet Store in Athens, Tenn.

In 1972, Goodfriend's son Bob joined the operation, and the format switched to first-quality, name-brand merchandise under the new name of Goody's Family Clothing.

Goody's features moderately priced clothing for the entire family.

Goody's stores usually provide about 30 jobs.

Kennett stations sold

William Pollack, a Cape Girardeau native, has purchased Kennett radio stations KTMO/KBOA-AM/FM, pending FCC regulatory approval.

Pollack is president of the Pollack Broadcast Co. of Memphis.

Pollack Broadcasting owns stations in Memphis, Tenn., West Memphis, Ark., Eureka, Calif., and Alexandria, Ala. The company has filed for FCC permission to acquire two stations in Crescent City, Calif.

Pres Semar will remain as general manager of the Kennett stations.

Banking acquisition

First State Community Bank, a subsidiary of First State Bancshares Inc. of Farmington, has signed an agreement to purchase three branches of Mercantile Bank of Southeast Missouri -- at Malden, Portageville and Hayti.

First State Community has banks at Farmington, Bonne Terre, St. Mary, Perryville, Park Hills and De Soto. First State Bank also operates Iron County Security Bank at Ironton.

"This is an ideal opportunity to expand our presence in Southeast Missouri," said Greg Allen, the bank's president and chief executive officer.

The purchase, subject to approval of all appropriate regulatory authorities, includes deposits, loan relationships and the branch building. The transactions were expected to be completed in the fourth quarter.

An interesting statistic

A Labor Department survey shows Americans change jobs an average of nine times, with most of the job switches happening before age 27.

The study, released last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, found Americans in their 30s in 1995, held an average of nine different job between age 18 and 32.

Other statistics revealed:

-- Increases in hourly earnings for college graduates noticeably outpaced the increases for those with high school degrees and for dropouts.

-- High school dropouts were twice as likely as college graduates to have been without a job at some points.

-- Real hourly earnings grew fastest between the age of 18 and 22.

-- Forty percent of workers in their 30s were unemployed at least once between 1991 and 1995.

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