1999 BUSY FOR BUSINESS COMMUNITY

1. CompreHealth Medical Center of Southeast Missouri, has opened at 1435 N. Mount Auburn Road. The clinic, which also offers walk-in urgent care services, is jointly owned by CompreHealth Medical Centers Inc. of Addison, Texas, and PRN Systems, a division of Physicians Regional Network of Cape Girardeau. Dr. Michael B. Tentori, who recently moved to Cape Girardeau, from the Kansas City area, serves as the clinic's on-site, board-certified physician.

1. UniSoccer, a sports specialty store, has opened in West Park Mall. UniSoccer, a division of The Doudox Co., a private family-owned enterprise, opened in Carbondale, Ill., in 1995, and relocated to the University Mall there in 1996.

3. Aircraft manufacturer Zenair of Canada Ltd. and Independent Manufacturing and Development Co. might start assembling planes in Cape Girardeau within 60 days. Independent Manufacturing president Mathieu Heintz says he hopes to get started before 60 days. The company has agreed to produce the FAA-type certified CH2000/CH2T aircraft at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. The company will start assembling the new CH2000 in a 6,000-square-foot hangar owned by Jerry Lipps.

8. Heuer Sons Implement Co. Inc., 533 Morgan Oak St., is adding the new Massey Ferguson line of lawn and garden equipment including riding mowers and lawn tractors. Heurer Sons, a farm implement dealer, also provides a full line of Massey Ferguson farm equipment.

8. A pair of commercial remodeling and expansion projects, and family housing jump-started the construction industry in Cape Girardeau during January. On the "short list" of permits issued in January were: Alterations, remodeling and equipping of the former Venture Store at West Park Mall for the ShopKo Stores Inc. debut, $680,000; and Aquamsi Bluff Townhouses, a four-family condo complex in the 200 block of South Spanish, $708,000. The two projects account for two of only 14 permits issued by Cape Girardeau Inspections Services in January. They also accounted for the lion's share of the $1.6 million on permits issued.

12. Questions concerning shopping in downtown Cape Girardeau are included on a Downtown Cape Girardeau Consumer Survey, one of two being conducted by the Downtown Revitalization Committee of the Cape Girardeau Community Pride Coalition. The other one is a Business Needs Survey for businesses within the Downtown, Upper Broadway and Haarig-Midtown areas. The surveys are sort of a prerequisite in the Community Pride Coalition's quest for a Main Street designation for Downtown Cape Girardeau. Main Street Cape Girardeau, which has been discussed in past years, has never advanced beyond the discussion stage. The coalition hopes the program can proceed to fruition this time around.

15. Rapco International, 3581 Larch Laine, Jackson, will expand its manufacturing facility. A new 100,000-square-foot addition will house the sales, purchasing and accounting departments. Space vacated by these departments in the existing facility will be used to expand Rapco's manufacturing capabilities and warehouse capacity. The new, two-level addition, constructed by Atlas Building Systems, is expected to be completed by July. Rapco manufactures audio and video cables and related products for professional touring companies and music retail outlets. The company supplies products to major recording artists.

15. The new Buchheit store in Perryville held its grand opening last week. The new Buchheit's operation in the 64,000 square feet former Wal-Mart building at 1011 S. Highway 51, is the fifth store for the family-owned business. Other stores are at Biehle, Herculaneum, Sparta, Ill., and Jacksonville, Ind. A sixth store is planned at Jackson.

26. International business and its impact on the local economy will be discussed during a rededication of the Southeast Missouri State University World Trade Center Satellite Office next month. The trade center, established at the Small Business Development Center at the university, has been busy since it opened in 1995 as a satellite of the St. Louis World Trade Center. The rededication and international business discussion is a special event in the celebration of International Week and the university's 125th anniversary.

28. Children's Apparel Service, producer of childrenswear catalogs for specialty stores, has chosen Children's Bazaar to host its Fall '99 Back to School catalog shoot in May. The catalog company is looking for fresh faces to be photographed by a Dallas, Texas, photo team on location in Cape Girardeau.