Local company puts new spin on the juke box

smoyers

Juke boxes have crossed the digital divide into Cape Girardeau.

Thanks to a local amusement company, there are new juke boxes in town at several businesses that play tons of tunes but have no records or compact discs inside.

Newman Amusement branch manager Bill Keesee said the new digital juke boxes are the most significant advance in coin-operated music players since the compact disc replaced vinyl 45s 15 years ago.

"This is the newest evolution," Keesee said. "We've bought a bunch of them and most of them are around Cape. It's honestly the neatest thing I've ever seen."

Here's how they work: The music is stored on a 4.5 gigabyte computer hard drive and can be programmed to do things that once were impossible. The music is downloaded via telephone line in an overnight feed, Keesee said. That eliminates the need to purchase costly compact discs, he said.

That means if a new song becomes popular, it can be added to the menu overnight. Irish songs can be downloaded to the menu for St. Patrick's Day and Christmas carols can be added in December.

The Montreal-based TouchTunes Music Corp. began developing the technology in 1993. In the new TouchTunes jukeboxes, up to 1,700 hit records are available. The music is easily accessible on a touch-screen monitor.

These juke boxes have been placed in the VFW Post 3838, Jeremiah's, the Bel Air Grill, Town House Inn Lounge, Rude Dog Pub and Pockets in Cape Girardeau as well as Berghoff's Bar and Grill in Delta, Mo., Boondocks in Morley, Mo., Danny's Place in Sikeston, Mo., and Bullwinkle's in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

"The response from the bar owners and patrons has been phenomenal because the music selection and sound quality has improved dramatically overnight," Keesee said. "We're the first company ever to install these in this area."

Newman owns the juke boxes but splits the profits with the bar owners.

If there is one drawback, it's that the juke boxes only give you two songs for $1. But Keesee said that has become the industry standard even for juke boxes with CDs in them. That hasn't dampened interest, he said.

"It's going over great," he said. "People know that these machines are more expensive to maintain, so they say they have to have them even if it is two songs for $1."

Here's hoping that this new technology will mean that just for once I can enjoy a night out without hearing some inebriated dude's six-in-a-row selection from the Best of Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

Do people like that even know what good music is?

Arnold's Place

The former Sonic and Jay's Fried Chicken buildings at 875 and 879 N. Kingshighway have been sold to make way for a new insurance offices and two new retail stores.

The buildings -- which had been owned by the Martin family of Rolla, Mo. -- have sat empty for more than a year, but Chap Arnold of Chap Arnold Insurance closed on the property last week.

Arnold plans to demolish the former Jay's Fried Chicken building at 879 N. Kingshighway and build his first Cape Girardeau Chap Arnold Insurance office. He also has offices in Jackson, Mo., and Scott City, Mo.

"Half my clientele is in Cape Girardeau already," Arnold said. "This office will give me the opportunity to offer them better service. It's a good opportunity for us."

Arnold also likely will tear down the other building and build one or two retail buildings there. He is not sure what they will eventually be.

"Either way, it's a big improvement for the city," said Ken Inman of Century 21 Ashland Realty, who worked on the deal with Ron Berger, also of Century 21 Ashland. "Whatever he puts there will get rid of some eyesores. I'm glad it was sold to somebody who's going to clean it up."

Chap Arnold Insurance, founded in 1971 by Chap and Connie Arnold in Scott City, was established primarily for the purpose of selling personal automobile and homeowners insurance to the surrounding areas. The agency has grown over the last 30 years into one of the largest in its area.

Affluent optimistic

The nation's well-off are keen on the economy and have high hopes that the stock market will definitely be much higher a year from now. And, as a result, they're ready to start spending on big-ticket items again, the American Affluence Research Center found.

In a survey of 200 Americans whose net worth exceeds $500,000, more than 40 percent said they were ready to make the purchases they postponed after the market started falling in 2000-2001.

Ten percent plan to buy a new vacation home, while others -- one in three -- said they're ready to buy a new car. The downside is that they expect to spend less on home appliances, art and antiques and reduce their charitable giving.

Image matters

A survey finds many American workers have sought jobs at their companies because of the positive image the businesses project.

In the poll of 1,002 Americans, Maritz Research found 49 percent said their companies' brand-names and image were major factors in working for those businesses and not for competitors.

And more than half, 53 percent, said they felt strongly enough about what their companies make or do to recommend the firms to friends, family members and even colleagues at other companies.

Moreover, Maritz found "brand pride" was strongly associated with better job satisfaction and better relationships with people at work.

"These findings show that brand image plays a key role in attracting and retaining employees, and also helps to breed a team spirit," said Rick Garlick of St. Louis-based Maritz.

Quickly

A familiar face is back in real estate business in Jackson. Gerald W. McElrath has announced that he is the new owner and broker of Century 21 McElrath Realty at 2141 E. Jackson Blvd. McElrath had operated the former Heartland Realty for the past 17 years.

Scott Moyers is the business editor for the Southeast Missourian. Send your comments, business news, information or questions to Biz Buzz, 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699, e-mail smoyers@semissourian.com or call 335-6611, extension 137.