Subscriber exclusive — Business Notebook: Business lessons from Spain

I had the good fortune of spending 10 days in Spain earlier this month, learning about that nation's rich history, fascinating culture and delicious food (I gained five pounds during the trip despite averaging more than 10,000 steps each day).

My wife, Kathy, and I were part of a Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association tour group that visited Madrid, Cordoba, Toledo, Seville, Granada, Valencia and Barcelona. Our thanks to Shari Elfrink and Leigh Segraves of 1st Class Travel of Cape Girardeau for organizing the tour (and to Southeast president Carlos Vargas whose bilingual abilities came in handy throughout the trip!).

Our tour stops included a number of amazing cathedrals and opulent palaces, and along the way I learned a bit about Spain's business climate (as a business writer, I find myself drawn to economic data).

Spain, I learned, is Europe's sixth-largest economy with an annual gross domestic product in 2018 of just more than $1.4 trillion, according to the International Monetary Fund. (Germany ranks first with a GDP of nearly $4 trillion followed by the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Russia.) The United States, by contrast, had a GDP of around $20.5 trillion in 2018.

Spain's key industries include manufacturing, financial services, pharmaceuticals, textiles, footwear, chemicals and a booming tourist industry, with about 82 million visitors a year, ranking it second in Europe to France which draws about 87 million tourists annually. The United States, by the way, receives about 77 million foreign tourists in a typical year.

While the unemployment rate in the U.S. is hovering around 3.5%, the jobless rate in Spain is a whopping 14.2%. Believe it or not, that's a 10-year low. Spain's current unemployment rate is more than 12 percentage points below where it was in July 2013 when it stood at 26.3%.

As for taxes, Spaniards have a top individual income tax rate of 45% and a top corporate rate of 25% with an overall tax burden equal to 33.5% of total domestic income. By comparison, the U.S. the top individual tax rate is now 37% and the top corporate tax rate is 21% and the overall tax burden in the U.S. is equal to about 26% of total domestic income.

But when it comes to the cost of living, people in Spain seem to be doing pretty well compared to the United States where overall consumer prices are reportedly 33% higher than they are in Spain.

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I received a message last week from a local real estate agent who told me deals are in the works involving a pair of properties along Broadway. "Both should be closing in the next two weeks, and both will involve food downtown," the agent said.

Stay tuned.

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Although the Missourian carried the story of the 2019 Zonta Women of Achievement award presentations in its weekend edition, I'd like to add my personal congratulations to this year's honorees.

Zonta Woman of Achievement award winner Laurel Adkisson hugs her brother, Mike Hogan of East Prairie, Missouri, just after it was announced she had won the award during the 2019 Zonta Women of Achievement luncheon Friday at the Drury Plaza Conference Center.Southeast Missourian

Kudos to Blanchard Elementary School principal Barbara Capshaw Kohlfeld, recipient of the club's Lifetime Achievement Award; Celebration Award recipient Loretta Prater, retired dean of the College of Health & Human Services at Southeast Missouri State University; and American Family Insurance agency owner Laurel Adkisson, the club's 2019 Woman of Achievement award recipient.

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You'll find more stories about several other awards and business recognitions in the rest of this week's Business Notebook ...

SoutheastHEALTH opens clinic in New Madrid

A new primary care clinic affiliated with Southeast- HEALTH recently opened in New Madrid. The clinic is staffed by board-certified nurse practitioner Sierra Holiman offers primary care services for adults and children.

Located on U.S. Highway 61 in New Madrid, the clinic includes four patient exam rooms and on-site lab services. Appointments are available and walk-ins are welcome.

According to a news release from SoutheastHEALTH, the clinic is a convenient location for First Option clients in the New Madrid area. First Option is a health plan created by SoutheastHEALTH to provide self-insured employers with an alternative health benefit solution.

In addition to New Madrid, SoutheastHEALTH operates primary care and/or pediatric clinics in a number of other Missouri communities including Cape Girardeau, Perryville, Jackson, Dexter, Bloomfield, Poplar Bluff, Sikeston, Bernie and Malden.

Saint Francis receives 'A' patient safety grade

Saint Francis Medical Center recently received its third consecutive "A" grade for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, an independent national organization that monitors hospital patient safety based on hospital performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.

The grade was for the fall 2019 rating period and according to the Leapfrog Group, Saint Francis was the only hospital in Southeast Missouri to receive an "A" grade for patient safety during the period.

"Achieving a grade 'A' is the result of challenging, intentional work from our dedicated colleagues throughout Saint Francis," said Dr. Thomas Diemer, chief medical officer at Saint Francis. "As a result, our patients and our community benefit with exceptional outcomes in quality, safety, access and value."

More information about the Leapfrog Group and its methodology, as well as grades of other medical facilities, can be found on the Leapfrog website, hospitalsafetygrade.org.

Jackson chamber earns award for WIN program

The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce recently received an "Award of Excellence" from a statewide chamber leadership organization in recognition of its Women's Impact Network (WIN) program.

Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce vice president Jen Berti and chamber president Brian Gerau with the chamber's award from the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Missouri.Submitted

The award was from the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Missouri (CCEM) and was presented during the CCEM fall conference at the Lake of the Ozarks Nov. 6-8.

WIN is a personal and business development group "dedicated to helping women reach their full potential," according to Jackson chamber vice president Jen Berti. WIN programs and luncheons are held on the second Thursday of every other month and focus on topics such as work/life balance, self-defense, heart health, landscaping advise, travel tips and dealing with personal and professional conflict.

The next WIN luncheon will be Dec. 12 from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Jackson Civic Center. The topic will be "Santa's Elves" with attendees assembling snack packs for Jackson R-2 students. Luncheon tickets are $20 and can be purchased through the Jackson chamber website, jacksonmochamber.org.

Firm recognized for work on veterans memorial

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Robinson Construction of Perryville has received an "Excellence in Construction Award" from the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Heart of America Chapter for the company's work on the National Veterans Memorial project in Perryville. The award was presented at the ABC Heart of America Chapter's annual banquet Nov. 7 in Kansas City.

Chris Cissell, left, Frank Robinson, center, and Susan Verseman of Robinson Construction pose for a photo with the awards presented to the construction company at the Associated Builders and Contractors banquet Nov. 7 in Kansas City.Submitted

ABC's construction excellence award program recognizes projects on the basis of complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges, completion time, workmanship, innovation, safety and cost.

In addition to the award for the National Veterans Memorial project, Robinson was also presented with its 14th Platinum Level Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) award during the banquet. The STEP program recognizes construction companies' ongoing efforts and commitment to job site safety and consistent application of a quality safety program.

Schnucks adds curbside pickup

Schnuck Markets Inc. has announced the addition of curbside grocery pickup at 59 of its stores including the Schnucks location in Cape Girardeau, 19 S. Kingshighway.

"The expansion of Schnucks curbside pickup helps simplify shopping for our customers and provides balance to their busy lifestyles since they can quickly order groceries from their tablet, smartphone or desktop and have the order delivered directly to their vehicle," said Ryan Cuba who serves as chief business development and transformation officer for Schnuck Markets, headquartered in St. Louis.

Curbside pickup customers can visit schnucksdelivers.com, select the "pickup" option and choose a time between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. After completing their purchase, customers will receive a text message with store parking instructions and a phone number to call upon arrival. Grocery orders are kept in a designated area in the store with temperature-sensitive items placed in refrigerators, freezers and "hot bags." When customers arrive for pickup, Schnucks employees deliver items to their vehicles.

More details, including information about curbside pickup processing fees, are available on the website.

People on the Move

Trey Cain

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- First State Bank & Trust Co. Inc. recently promoted Charles F. "Trey" Cain III to the position of president of the organization's south market, which encompasses the Missouri communities of Caruthersville, Portageville and Hayti. Most of his responsibilities will expand to his new territory and will include overseeing operations, outlining strategic opportunities, developing partnerships and increasing community outreach in the region.

Cain has been a member of First State Bank & Trust's Caruthersville staff since 2016, moving through the ranks of commercial loan officer, vice president and branch president. He holds an undergraduate degree in agricultural engineering technology and business with an emphasis in enterprise management from Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi. He also completed studies through the Southeastern School of Banking at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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Cheryl Mothes

Cheryl Mothes, an Edward Jones financial adviser in Jackson, recently observed her 20-year anniversary with the financial services firm.

"I've enjoyed doing business the old fashioned way, in person," Mothes said. "And our branch team looks forward to many more years serving the investment needs of our friends, neighbors and business associates."

Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, offers financial services in the U.S. as well as in Canada through an affiliated organization. Mothes is one of approximately 18,000 Edward Jones financial advisers who serve more than seven million clients and manage $1 trillion in assets.

Chamber notes

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's next Business After Hours will be from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 1049 N. Kingshighway.

Business After Hours gatherings are free of charge and are open to chamber members and their guests.

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The Cape Girardeau chamber will host a ribbon cutting at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday to mark the opening of The Greener Days vitamin and supplement store, 2112 William St.

A final note

My thanks to Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner for providing a guest column on this page last week during my vacation.

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