Subscriber exclusive — Business Notebook: Missouri in 'middle of the pack' for philanthropy; new eatery celebrates soft opening in Cape

The numbers are impressive.

There are 748 registered not-for-profit organizations in Cape Girardeau County.

Who knew?

That was one of the statistics shared Friday at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee by Jessica Hill, executive director of the local Safe House for Women and the current president of SECOP, the Southeast Council on Philanthropy.

SECOP was established in 1998 with a mission of raising awareness of the area's not-for-profit entities in the area.

Nationally, Hill said there are approximately 1.4 million 501(c)(3) not-for-profit businesses and organizations employing an estimated 14.4 million Americans. They generate about $2.2 trillion in revenue annually and have assets worth an estimated $5.2 trillion.

In Missouri, there are just more than 32,000 not-for-profit agencies (32,007 at last report) that employ a quarter million Missourians and pay nearly $11 billion in wages each year.

In her comments to the chamber, Hill also noted that, in terms of charitable giving, people in Utah are the most generous, giving on average about 6.6% of their income to charities, ranging from churches and foundations to food banks and United Ways. Arkansas ranks second at 5.6% followed by Alabama at 5.1% and Tennessee and Mississippi tied at 4.9%.

Missouri, she said, is in the middle of the pack at 3.3%.

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Erwin Haitzmann

As I reported in last Wednesday's Southeast Missourian, representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency gave an update to the Jackson Board of Aldermen last week regarding the status of ethylene oxide emissions at Midwest Sterilization. According to the EPA, the company has lowered its emissions by about 87% and is well below maximum allowable emission levels.

A reader asked what the specific emission levels are so I posed that question to Ben Washburn, public affairs specialist with the regional EPA office near Kansas City. Here is Ben's response:

"Midwest Sterilization's reported emissions are often much lower than maximum potential emissions permitted by the state. Under the previous limit, the potential to emit ethylene oxide was 8.76 tons (17,520 pounds) per year while the facility reported emissions of less than four tons per year. With Midwest's newly-installed control systems, EPA estimates the facility's current emissions of ethylene oxide to be about 1,200 pounds a year. Midwest has committed to installing additional controls, which EPA expects will reduce emissions of ethylene oxide to around 300 pounds per year."

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Bon Bon's of Cape Girardeau as seen in mid-November on Water Street.Jay Wolz

Downtown Cape Girardeau's newest eatery had a "soft" opening last week.

Bon Bon's of Cape Girardeau Bakery & Cafe has opened in a historic, remodeled building at 125 Water St. across from the floodwall in downtown Cape Girardeau.

For more information, visit Bon Bon's Facebook page or the bakery's website, www.bonbonsofcape.com.

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Congratulations to Janet Miller, an administrative assistant at the Cape Girardeau law firm of Cook, Barkett, Ponder & Wolz. Janet is retiring this month after 43 years with the firm, proving it's possible for someone to stay with one employer her entire working career.

Janet has been with the firm since 1976 when it was generally known as the Thomasson law firm.

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Now on to the rest of this week's Business Notebook ...

Health foundation awards grant to SEMO Food Bank

The Missouri Foundation for Health has awarded a $15,000 grant to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank to implement programs aimed at achieving a more accurate 2020 Census count. The food bank's "Count Me In" program will provide outreach, education and assistance in census registration to population segments that are typically undercounted.

According to a news release from the food bank, Missouri loses $1,300 in federal dollars every year for every adult and every child who is not counted in the census.

An accurate census count, according to the release, is critical to ensure needed federal funding for schools, highways, bridges, hospitals and services to vulnerable populations.

Prosthetics company coming to Cape

St. Louis-based Ortheco Prosthetics is expanding its operations to Cape Girardeau.

Tom Kelsey of Lorimont Commercial Real Estate confirmed last week the company has leased office space at 2907 Independence St., formerly the location of A-1 Medical Supply.

The company, owned by Romel Bhanti, provides patients with state-of-the-art prosthetic care, including prosthetic sockets to HiTech Microprocessor knees and ankles.

Kelsey said he expects Ortheco Prosthetics to begin seeing clients at its Cape Girardeau location later this month.

Open house scheduled for primary care office

An open house is scheduled for noon until 2 p.m. Tuesday at Southeast Primary Care, 2600 E. Main St. in Jackson. Tours of the facility will be available and staff will be on hand to answer questions about the new primary care medical office. Complimentary refreshments will also be available.

People on the Move

Jessica Maxwell

The Jackson School District Board of Education last week approved the appointment of Jessica Maxwell to be the district's new associate superintendent of elementary education and student services, effective July 1.

She has served as principal of the district's East Elementary School since 2015, and from 2011 until 2015, she was principal of South Elementary in Jackson where she began her teaching career in 2006.

Maxwell received her master's and specialist's degrees from Southeast Missouri State University and earned a doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

District superintendent John Link said "Jessica is a leader who truly cares about students and will work to make decisions based upon what is best for kids."

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Willie Redmond

Willie Redmond, director of International Business Programs and professor of economics at Southeast Missouri State University, has been named recipient of the university's 2019 Provost's Research, Instruction and Development for Education Award.

He was chosen by the university's Council of Deans from among nominations from each of the university's colleges.

According to a news release from the university, the Provost's Research, Instruction and Development for Excellence Award recognizes a faculty member who has designated excellence as a teacher, an extraordinary level of scholarship and service, and whose overall accomplishments are especially noteworthy.

Redmond joined Southeast in 1999. His primary teaching responsibilities include graduate and undergraduate capstone business administration courses in strategic management. As director of International Business Programs at Southeast, he has mentored students on numerous international study tours and international business competitions. In addition, he has served as team coach and adviser to a Southeast team of students competing in the Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) Worldwide Case Competition and has served as lead faculty member and project coordinator for the university's annual Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) seminars in Washington, D.C.

Chamber Notes ...

The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce will conduct a ribbon cutting at noon Tuesday at Southeast Primary Care, 2600 E. Main St., marking the opening of the medical office.

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The Jackson chamber's December Business After Hours gathering will be from 5 until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kimbeland Country Club in Jackson. Business After Hours events are free and open to chamber members and guests.

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The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce will host a 30-minute "Chamber 101" program at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the chamber office, 220 N. Fountain St. The free program is an opportunity to brief members, regardless of how long they've been affiliated with the organization, about chamber programs, events and opportunities.

Business license applications

Antonio Johnson of Cape Girardeau has submitted a business license application to operate A+ Kutz, a salon and barber shop at 38 N. Spanish St. in Cape Girardeau.

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