Calif. parent company will keep local D&K open

The 115 workers at D&K Healthcare Resources facility in Cape Girardeau got news Thursday that made some cry tears of joy and others want to party.

They weren't losing their jobs.

In July, D&K -- a pharmaceuticals wholesale distribution warehouse at 1823 Rust Ave. -- was acquired by McKesson Corp. of San Francisco. Over the last couple of months, the parent company had been considering consolidating the facility with operations in St. Louis and Memphis, according to local manager Terry McKinley.

McKinley said if the company had opted for consolidation, the 115 local jobs would have been gone. But on Thursday, the word came down that the parent company had opted to keep open the local operation, which ships pharmaceuticals to pharmacies and hospitals.

"I think 80 percent of the folks thought that we'd get consolidated," McKinley said. "When I announced the news, there was some shouting. Some people broke down and started crying. We feel like we're having a party."

McKinley said the company cited three reasons for keeping the facility open -- an extraordinary employee base, accuracy rating in filling orders and customer service.