STRICTLY BUSINESS: STATE GRANT TO HELP JACKSON BUSINESS EXPANSION

A state grant will aid the city of Jackson in making public infrastructure improvements that will make possible a sterilization company's plan to expand its operations here.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) has approved a $149,125 industrial infrastructure grant through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The city will use state and local funds to make road improvements necessary for the expansion of Midwest Sterilization Corp. The company will make a significant private investment in this project and create 15 new full-time jobs within two years.

The street currently serving the facility is not adequate to handle the increased number of shipments that will result from Midwest Sterilization's expansion.

The infrastructure improvement will consist of the realignment of Dogwood Avenue, which will provide access to the company by trucks and emergency vehicles, said Jim Roach, city administrator.

Midwest Sterilization predominantly contracts with major medical device manufacturing companies to sterilize pre-assembled and packaged medical kits. The company also contracts with food production companies to sterilize dairy cartons and spice containers. After sterilization, the packages are shipped to distribution centers, which ship them to the appropriate customers. The company continues to see strong annual sales growth and must expand its operations to meet the increased business demand.

Funds will be released to Jackson as certain requirements set forth by the CDBG program are met. The program provides economic development grants and loans to cities with a population under 50,000 and counties with population under 200,000 to assist in the location of new industry and the expansion or retention of existing businesses.

Missouri labor force passes 3 million mark

The state's labor force passed the 3 million mark for the first time in Missouri history in June. The labor force grew by more than 50,000 people between May and June.

The bad news is that the number of employed Missourians grew by only 30,000, resulting in an increase in state's unemployment percentage, to 4.3, the highest rate since July 1998.

Part of this jump is the usual seasonal increase that occurs in June, as some students and others entering the labor force for the summer don't immediately find jobs. However, this June's increase is larger than that typical for the month.

Total employment in Missouri was 2.89 million.

Unemployment also increased in most Southeast Missouri counties. Only one county in the region -- Bollinger -- reported a decline in unemployment, from 5.5 to 5.3 percent, in June.

The Cape Girardeau County workforce increased by 68 workers from May to June, from 37,119 to 37,187. Meanwhile, jobs decreased, from 35,843 to 35,671, resulting in a 4.1 unemployment percentage, the first time the county has been under the 4 percent mark since 1996.

Perry County, traditionally the lowest in unemployment in Southeast Missouri, jumped from 2.8 to 3.5 percent. Twelve of the 15 southeast counties recorded increases in unemployment.

Dim outlook for goose industry this fall

Goose hunting is big business in Southern Illinois, but the outlook for Canada goose hunting this fall could be dim if preliminary spring survey results for the Mississippi Valley populations hold up.

Brent Manning of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources says the number of birds were down drastically from last year's totals.

The populations estimates from the northlands reveal about 468,000 birds, down more than half from the count of a year ago. A fall flight forecast is 697,142 geese, down 46 percent from the 2000 forecast, and the lowest forecast during the past 13 years -- second only to 1998.

If these numbers hold, Illinois could face a goose season even more restrictive than 1998. Illinois' statewide quota for Canada geese in 1998 was 40,8000, compared to last year's 127,000.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will determine season dates and bag limits later this month, following recommendation of waterfowl hunting advisory committees.

The goose-hunting industry generally funnels as much as $10 million to the area's annual economy.

Alexander, Williamson, Union and Jackson counties make up the four-county "quota zone" of Southern Illinois, which includes clubs in the zone area offering goose-hunting facilities that range from primitive, with just a bench, to the plush, with heated pits, telephones and guides up to 70 days each year.

Horseshoe Lake in Alexander County, has long been acclaimed as the "Goose Hunting Capital of the World," and the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in Williamson County is a major wintering ground for large populations of Canada geese. Both areas provide some of the state's best goose hunting.

The flight forecast for Canada geese last year was about 1.3 million geese.

Every goose is worth $10 to the economy, according to the Williamson County Tourism Bureau, which keeps track of the economics of goose hunting in the four-county area.

Tourism surveys show that goose hunters bring more money into an area than any other type of hunter. The Williamson Tourism Bureau survey uses a hunter-day system. During a recent year, the survey found that more than 80,800 hunters sought out the Canada geese, with about 75 percent of them coming as "visitor hunters." This tabulates into about $9.4 million annually. Throw in the expenses of 25 percent of local hunters and the total exceeds $10 million in the four counties.

Cut that goose count in half and the numbers go down.

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