Business news

White Castle coming to Cape

White Castle has confirmed that it will be bringing its signature mini-burgers -- known as Slyders or belly bombers -- to Cape Girardeau early this year. Kim Bartley, spokeswoman for the Ohio-based burger chain, said the company has signed a lease with Drury Development to move into the building currently occupied by Lion's Choice at 102 Siemers Drive near Interstate 55. Bartley predicted an opening sometime in late March.

Andy's Frozen Custard coming to Cape

The new Andy's Frozen Custard site at 829 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau is one of seven new franchise locations that will soon open up in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas. The company started in Osage Beach, Mo., but is now based in Springfield, Mo., where it runs three locations.

Andy's offers custard with a variety of toppings, sundaes, shakes and malts. Company head Andy Kuntz said construction on the new building at should begin very soon with an opening date targeted for late spring.

Regional Primary Care relocates

Regional Primary Care, one of the largest physician groups in the area, has relocated from Doctor's Park to the fourth floor of the Saint Francis Health and Wellness Center in Cape Girardeau. Patients are now being seen at the new office.

The group offers family practice, internal medicine and occupational health services for its patients. The move allows the doctors more space and offers them room for future expansion. The Saint Francis Health and Wellness Center opened in September.

Training offered for timber producers

Area timber producers can learn about three new tools available to them through a series of seminars offered by Missouri Enterprise.

Technical reports that offer tips on how to increase productivity and profits will be presented along with Lean Enterprise principles during a seminar Jan. 26 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Poplar Bluff. The seminar is specifically offered for sawmill operations.

Lean Enterprise is a system of eliminating waste that doesn't add value in a business operation. There is no charge for the seminar, but registration is required. For information, call (800) 956-2862 or visit www.peopleware.net/2893.

New medical facility opens in Scott City

SCOTT CITY -- High Pointe Healthcare P.C. opened Jan. 3 as one of the newest businesses in Scott City. The clinic at 100 East Outer Road, provides family medicine, immunizations, school and sports physicals, disability determinations and work physicals. The facility also serves as a satellite lab through Southeast Missouri Hospital.

The owner and one of the medial providers for the clinic,

Judy Hodits, a family nurse practitioner is owner and medical provider. The clinic supervisor is Brenda Moyers and Kathy Duncan serves a business manager.

Business development center offers counseling

The Small Business Development Center of Southeast Missouri State University will be conducting counseling sessions for area small business owners and people planning business ventures. Counselor Gil Degenhardt will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, 1267 N. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau. Call 335-3312 for an appointment. The one-hour counseling sessions are free.

Plaza Conference Center staying in Cape

Though construction of a new Holiday Inn Express and restaurants could easily have crowded out the Plaza Conference Center, its operators say the space will stay -- at least through December 2006.

John Echimovich, corporate sales and marketing director for MidAmerica, announced that the Plaza Conference Center will continue to serve convention groups and banquets through December 2006. Echimovich said the center is crucial in Cape Girardeau's efforts to attract meeting planners and large functions to the community. The center will continue to work directly with the adjacent Victorian Inn and Suites and the new Holiday Inn Express for at least two more years.

Plans delayed for new Drury Inn & Suites

Construction of two new hotels -- one in Alabama and another in Ohio -- have taken precedence over a project that would have added a new Drury Inn & Suites at the southeast corner of Interstate 55 and Highway 74 in Cape Girardeau.

In October 2003, the St. Louis-based hotel chain unveiled plans for a new 180-room hotel to be built in Cape Girardeau. The building was to open in summer 2005 but plans have been postponed indefinitely.

"The plan is to still do it," said Eric Strand, vice president of sales and marketing for Drury Hotels. "We will just be a little longer in getting to it."

He said the company's primary goal in Cape Girardeau is the ongoing exterior renovation of the Drury Lodge near the William Street intersection with Interstate 55. Along with Drury Lodge, the company owns Drury Suites and Pear Tree Inn in Cape Girardeau and Drury Inn & Suites in Fruitland.

Element 74 sells networking aspect of business

Chris Edmonds, owner of Element 74 in Cape Girardeau, has sold the networking portion of his firm to Technology And Networking in Scott City.

Edmonds will continue to focus on building Web sites.

Technology And Networking will work with information technology aspects of business. The firm is a federal contractor and

The owner of Element 74 in Cape Girardeau, Chris Edmonds, has sold the networking portion of his company to Technology And Networking in Scott City. Edmonds will continue to focus on Web sites.

Shawn and Jason Eftink started Technology And Networking in 1997 and focus on information technology. The firm is a federal contractor and partners with Cisco, Microsoft and Hubbell.

Charter Communications to add locations

Charter Communications will add a second location in Cape Girardeau and move its offices from North Kingshighway.

The firm will move to a building in the Nash Road Industrial Park, which offers more warehouse space. The building will house the company's technical and support staff.

A second location will open in the Shawnee Center at Highway 74 and Silver Springs Road. This office will be the retail operations and regional payment center.

As part of the Charter Communications relocation, Rhodes 101 Convenience Stores will move from its location in the Nash Road Industrial Park to North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

Sikeston bank gets new look

Montgomery Bank in Sikeston recently received a new look at the facility which serves as its corporate headquarters. New signs were installed to depict a new name and logo. The bank had formerly been known as The First National Bank.

Montgomery Bank announced its name change earlier this year to honor the founder of the bank, Joel Montgomery Sr., and to establish a unique market name in the areas it serves. Montgomery Bank will continue the sign change-out in its 10 other locations over the next few weeks.

Nursing facility earns gold status

Hunter Acres Caring Center in Sikeston, Mo., was designated gold status in the Primaris Quality Partner program. Only 38 Missouri nursing homes, less than 7 percent of all facilities in the state, were named a gold partner.

The distinction is the highest level of recognition given in the program and is awarded to health care organizations that participate in the Nursing Home Quality Initiative sponsored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.