STRICTLY BUSINESS: SEARCH OFFERS NATIONAL TV EXPOSURE

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Every employee at the New Madrid Power Plant will receive a "safety day off."

Employees at the Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI) plant have worked one full year without a "lost-time" accident.

The AECI awarded the special day off in recognition of this significant safety achievement.

Somebody asked:

No, Storey's Food Giant Super Markets Inc. has not purchased the former "Shop 'n Save" grocery supermarket building.

Yes, the American Super Store is closing operations in Cape Girardeau.

"We're still looking at plans for a new supermarket in Cape Girardeau," said Kenneth Storey last week. Plans call for the new supermarket in the vicinity of the 1900 block of North Kingshighway, just north of the Mount Auburn/Lexington/North Kingshighway intersection, where groundwork has been ongoing since early last year.

"We're looking at a 48,000- to 54,000-square-foot market," said Storey, who added that the new market would be a "price-impact" type of store featuring "high volume and low prices."

The opening is planned some time this year.

The Storey supermarket chain has reached the 116 mark, following the recent acquisition of a 14-store chain in Georgia recently.

The giant American Super Store, headquartered in Poplar Bluff, opened at 201 S. Broadview in Cape Girardeau in 1993.

The store will close its local operation here Jan. 18.

Want a product on QVC?

So you want a product shown on the QVC network.

It can happen.

A year ago, a Jackson manufacturing company was selected during a QVC Inc., "Quest for America's Best -- 50 in 50 Tour" to present a product on the QVC network.

The product, a magnetic-base emergency car lamp which plugs into the cigarette lighter of vehicles, is produced by Transelectric Inc., of Jackson and was shown for national sales during a prime-time television broadcast by QVC in May of last year.

The lamp was one of 20 Missouri products featured.

The QVC's search for American-made products will be held again this year.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) recently announced the latest QVC "Quest for America's Best."

The QVC program offers Missouri an opportunity to showcase the state's entrepreneurial spirit, said Joe Driskill, director of the DED. "This promotion gives all of America the opportunity to see and purchase the unique and innovative products Missouri has to offer."

QVC buyers will select 20 products from hundreds of Missouri entrepreneurs during a trade show in Columbia Jan. 28-29.

Vendors interested in attending the January show, to be held at the Columbia Holiday Inn Executive Center, may receive a registration packet by calling 1-800-523-1434, extension 5.

Last year's 20 Missouri selections were chosen from more than 300 small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs who displayed products during trade shows in February in St. Louis and Kansas City.

QVC qualifications

QVC's 50-state tour features events from each state. QVC Electronic Retailing, a division of QVC Inc., is the world's largest electronic retailer, using television to market a variety of consumer products.

To be eligible for consideration by QVC, products must be made in Missouri, not be distributed nationally, have a retail value of at least $12.95, and be UPS shippable. QVC does not sell junior apparel, jewelry containing Cubic Zirconium, furs, guns, subscriptions, personalized items, 900 telephone services or service products.

Selected entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to sell their products to QVC's audience of 57 million households during QVC's broadcasts throughout 1997.

To date, products discovered in the inaugural year of the 50-states-in-50 weeks tour have generated more than $98 million in sales on QVC. The 20 Missouri businesses featured on QVC's 1995 tour have earned almost $2 million in sales.

This year's search will be bigger and better than before, say QVC officials. Entrepreneurs everywhere have awakened to the opportunities this competition can provide. One national televised appearance can "jump-start" any local business and help it become a national enterprise.

Business construction record?

Final figures are still a few weeks away, but early indications are that Missouri established a new business construction record in 1996.

New and expanding businesses in Missouri spent more than $1.16 billion in new construction during the year, eclipsing last year's $1.15 billion.

Once final figures are in, within a few weeks, they may exceed the high of $1.24 billion in 1986, according to a report issued last week by the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED).

Some of the large-scale projects last year -- Union Pacific in St. Louis, Harley Davidson in Kansas City and First Card in Springfield -- indicate that Missouri has become an important center for commerce, said Joseph L. Driskill, DED director. "These three projects were big success stories and I think we'll be hearing some more great news of the same magnitude during the weeks and months of 1997."

DED specifically targets the creation of jobs in manufacturing and certain service sector industries. Those industries are targeted because they provide higher wage rates for Missouri workers. Specifically, the firms tracked by the DED include manufacturing, mining, distributions centers, transportation, financial service,s health care service and telecommunications, said Driskill.

DED's "Economic Forecast"

According to the "1997 Economic Forecast for Missouri," a report issued annually by DED, solid increases were seen in employment, income, and gross state product in 1996. In addition, inflation remained low and exports form the state grew significantly.

Among the report's findings:

-- The state's average unemployment rate for 1996 was 4 percent, compared to 4.8 in 1995.

-- The state gained a total of 44,000 jobs during 1996.

-- Personal income grew 4.6 percent, from $117.3 billion to $122.5 billion.

-- Estimated export growth was 8.5 percent, from $6.1 billion to $6.6 billion.

Preliminary estimates show that 208 companies tracked by DED announced either new locations or expansions in Missouri in 1996. This is down from 230 in 1995, but the 1996 job creation total from these projects -- 15,800 -- is far ahead of the 11,800 creates in 1995. DED provided some degree of assistance in 60 percent of those projects.

George Rafael, DED staff economist, forecasts moderate growth of employment this year, with retail trade and service sectors leading the way. Growth in Missouri's gross state product will be slow but sustained, said Rafael. And personal income should grow at a faster rate in 1997, as businesses compete for workers in a tight labor market.

Rafael said the coming year will bring some challenges. With the passage of welfare reform, many current welfare recipients will be required to become employed, which will require that jobs are available for them.

And, while Missouri is doing well as a whole, there are some regions in the state that are lagging in economic performances.

"But overall," said Rafael, "the upcoming year looks like another good one for Missouri, its businesses and its residents."

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