STRICTLY BUSINESS; WANTED: CAR WITH MORE THAN 100,000 MILES ON IT

A '62 Chevy may be valued at next to nothing on property-tax lists, but one owner wouldn't take a couple of big bills -- $1,000 bills -- for his 1962 Chevy Impala, 282-horsepower, two-door hardtop.

During the first 100,000 miles, the vehicle required only a few plugs and points -- they still had points then -- regular changes of oil, a set of new brakes and gasoline.

By the time the classic turned 200,000 miles, it had some m major surgery -- a new air-conditioning condenser, a motor overhaul and a few other little things.

The car was driven every day for a few years before being relegated to the garage for an occasional Sunday afternoon drive.

How about your favorite car? Has the odometer rolled to 100,000, 250,000 miles, or more.

Let us know.

Give us a description and history of the vehicle, along with mileage. Do you still have it? Do you still drive it?

We hope to compile a list of notable high-mileage vehicles, ranging from sports cars to luxury vehicles and classics to clunkers, and their performances.

Send to B. Ray Owen, Southeast Missourian, 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701.

Small business help

The U.S. Small Business Administration's primary lending programs hit record levels in Fiscal Year 1996, $10.2 billion in loan guarantees, according to a report from U.S. Rep. Jim Talent R-Missouri. In addition, said Talent, chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business, another $1.7 billion in financing and bonds to small businesses was made possible through other SBA programs.

The SBA helps new and growing businesses meet financial needs, counsels small companies with problems and helps small businesses to acquire government contracts.

Last year, the SBA provided management and technical assistant to about 850,000 small businesses through its 950 Small Business Development Centers and 13,000 Service Corps of Retired Executives volunteers.

One day each month the area Small Business Development Center conducts counseling sessions in four areas in Southeast Missouri -- Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Perryville and Malden.

Small businesses employ more than 50 percent of the private workforce and are the principal sources of new jobs, creating more than 90 percent of them.

"Small businesses are the backbone of communities," said Talent recently. "You see small business leaders on school boards, in civic clubs and manning charitable organizations."

Missouri is well-represented in the Small Business Administration. U.S. Sen. Christopher S. "Kit" Bond is chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business. U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson is a member of the House Committee.

211 loans, 1,065 jobs

During the first six months of FY 1997 -- October through March -- the SBA District office at St. Louis approved 211 loans, totaling $34,236,101 in Eastern Missouri, creating 1,065 new jobs in 54 counties, said District SBA Director Bob Andrews of the St. Louis office, which serves the Eastern Half of Missouri.

Seven of the loans were approved in Cape Girardeau County, representing $460,201, resulting in 13 new jobs and the retention of 43 existing jobs.

Other SBA loan activity in Southeast Missouri includes one in Bollinger County, $193,000, creating 15 new jobs; one in Dunklin County, $90,000, retaining four jobs; two in Pemiscot County, $250,000, retaining 45 jobs, creating 25 new jobs; two in Scott County, $416,000, retaining 18 jobs, creating one new job; two in Ste. Genevieve County, $110,000, retaining three jobs, creating one new job; and two in Stoddard County, $292,000, retained 26 jobs.

St. Louis City and County was the largest recipient of SBA loans during the first half of the fiscal year, with a total of 99 loans, for $16, 776,650, creating 743 new jobs.

One of the popular SBA loans is the 504 loan, which calls for a 10 percent equity by the small business. The banks will loan up to 50 percent of the amount needed, and the SBA will sell debentures for the other 40 percent.

The SBA also provides loans to disaster victims for resident and personal property losses. SBA offers loans of up to $200,000 to repair disaster-damaged residences, and up to $40,000 to replace personal property such as furniture and clothing.

During FY 1996, a total of 38,000 loans, totaling $987 million, went to disaster victims. This year, SBA disaster loans were available to people in Massac and Alexander counties in Southern Illinois.

On the Internet

In response to the small-business community's demand for easier access to business information, the SBA is on the Internet. Its home page may be accessed at http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov.

SBA was created in 1953.

Top 10 SBA lenders for 1996:

Boatmen's National Bank of St. Louis (now NationsBank Corp.) headed the Small Business Administration list of top 10 lending partners in the number of SBA guaranteed loan approvals to small businesses in the St. Louis Eastern Missouri District during the 1996 fiscal year, ending Sept. 30.

The top 10 lending partners account for more than 36 percent, or $26.9 million in 210 transactions, of all the loan guarantees extended by SBA during 1996 in the 54-county area.

Boatmen's National Bank of St. Louis has loaned more than $4.4 million in 65 SBA transactions.

Other banks and amounts of SBA loans: Mercantile Bank, $2.3 million in 25 transactions; First Bank, $1.8 million, 25 transactions; Commerce Bank, $3.9 million, 23 transactions; Magna Bank, $3.9 million, 15 transactions; Allegiant Bank, $2.3 million, 13 transactions; Boatmen's Bank of Mid-Missouri, $2 million, 12 transactions; The Money Store Investment Corp., $3 million, 12 transactions; Union Planters Bank-Columbia, $2.3 million, 10 transactions; and The Central Trust Bank-Jefferson City, $1.6 million, 10 transactions.

24-year jobless low

The nation's unemployment rate sank to a 24-year low of 4.9 percent in April.

The stunning drop was reported by the Labor Department late last week from 5.2 percent a month earlier.

The rate was the lowest national rate since December 1973, years before workers now in their 20s and 30s obtained their first full-time jobs.

Among demographic groups, the unemployment rate fell from 4.4 percent to 4.2 percent for adult men; from 4.7 percent to 4.4 percent for adult women; from 4.5 percent to 4.2 percent for whites; from 10.7 percent to 9.8 percent for blacks; from 8.8 percent to 8.1 percent for Hispanics, and from 16.4 percent to 15.4 percent for teen-agers of both sexes and all races.

The April unemployment for Missouri was not immediately available going into the weekend, but the Show-Me state's unemployment was well under the national rate in March, at 4.4 percent.

The total number of employed Missourians was estimated at 2.7 million in March.

Local jobless rates

The Cape Girardeau rate dropped from the February reading of 4.5 percent of 4.2 percent in March.

Perry County registered the lowest unemployment rate in Southeast Missouri at 3.6 percent, down from the 4.1 of February.

Elsewhere, Scott County was at 6.2 percent unemployment, Stoddard County was at 9.6; Bollinger, 9.5; Mississippi, 8.8, New Madrid, 9.2; Pemiscot, 12.5; Dunklin, 7.8; and Butler, 6.2.

Massac County continued to post the best rate in Southern Illinois at 5.2 unemployment. Alexander County reported 9.8 percent; Pulaski, 8.8; Union, 11.4; Johnson, 11.2; Williamson, 9.5; and Jackson, 6.0.

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