FRENCHMAN STAKES CLAIM IN JACKSON

From left, Pascal Dunod, French developer; Cyntia Austin, listing agent; Stanley and LeDonia Beggs, Pioneer Orchard owners; Brenda Bunch, United National Real Estate broker and sharon Hopkins, sales agent and interpreter, discuss the deal that will keep the Pioneer Orchard operational and bring move development to Jackson.

From left, LaDonia Beggs, Pascal Dunod, Brenda Bunch, Sharon Hopkins, Cynthia Austin and Stanley Beggs walk through Pioneer Orchard on Wednesday.

This is an example of the hand crafted tiles that Pascal Dunod plans to import from Salernes, France, and incorprate into the homes he will build.

It was a deal that the owners of Pioneer Orchard needed and a deal that Pascal Dunod of Grimaud, France, near Cannes and St. Tropez, had been waiting for since he first came to Missouri.

Dunod and his wife Danielle purchased 109 acres from Stanley and LaDonia Beggs, owners of Pioneer Orchard.

The land was purchased for $1,050,000. The 109 acres is about one-third of the Beggs' farm.

But the story of how Dunod and the Beggs got together began in 1995 when Sharon Hopkins, sales agent for United National Real Estate, answered an ad that was looking for a horse trainer.

Hopkins went to France and trained the Dunod's two Appaloosa horses. She stayed there for three months.

The horses fared well at the European Championships and Hopkins returned home to Missouri.

She invited Dunod to Missouri in 1996. Dunod visited for two weeks. While he was here, he was struck by the French heritage when he visited Ste. Genevieve and Cape Girardeau.

The area also reminded him of where he grew up in France. Dunod was touched by the sincerity and genuiness of the people here and it reminded him of the people in rural France.

He was also heartened by the fact that Missouri's flag has the same colors as the flag of France.

Before he returned to France last year he asked Hopkins to find him some land in Missouri to buy.

On that trip Dunod and Hopkins drove past the orchard on Highway 72 and he thought that the land there would be perfect.

The Beggs brothers had been introduced to the orchard business by their father who consequently was introduced to the orchard business by his father.

In 1972, Sam, Bill and Stanley Beggs created three separate businesses. Sam got into the retail business with the Pioneer Market, Bill concentrated on the peach orchard and Stanley and LaDonia focused on the apple orchard business.

The Pioneer Orchard grew from a roadside supply business to a commercial orchard.

They increased the size of the orchard to 300 acres of apples. They grew for the most part the big three: Jonathan, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious.

They got into the pick your own business in the late seventies, which is their only venture into retail with the orchard. The pick your own business has been well received by the community and will not be affected by this deal.

The orchard's primary purpose is as a commercial supplier to major supermarket chains such as Schnucks and Super Valu. The orchard supplies grocers in a 600- mile radius from the farm in Jackson, according to the Beggs.

The Beggs needed to do something to keep the operation running and that's when they started looking for help.

They had known Cynthia Austin for 13 years. She was involved in business with Austin Acquisitions and Aleda Phillips, LaDonia's hairdresser, referred LaDonia Beggs to Austin on Feb. 16.

They discussed the situation and Austin, listing agent on the deal, later told Hopkins and Brenda Bunch, broker of the deal at United National Real Estate of Marble Hill, about the Beggs' situation. From there the three went to work.

"It was a happy moment from day one," Stanley said.

There were other investors interested in the land, but the type of interest didn't set well with the Beggs who didn't want out of the orchard business.

But Hopkins remembered her friend Dunod in France was wanting land in Missouri. In fact, he had already purchased 120 acres for resale in Bollinger County, part of which has already been sold.

So United National was in a unique position for the deal by representing both parties.

"Pascal, the Beggs, Sharon and Cynthia have been wonderful to work with," Bunch said.

Dunod's plans for the land seemed to fit perfectly with what the Beggs had been hoping.

"We had desired to do this for sometime. Pascal was the first person to be concerned with our wishes as well as his own," Stanley said.

Through his interpreter, Hopkins, Dunod said that the land has always been a part of Jackson and he plans on developing the land with that in mind. He is not out to completely change the land.

He even plans to use some of the apple trees in the residential development plan.

"It is important to me to incorporate some of the trees in each lot because I was brought up as a farmer's grandson and I was taught to plant trees not to destroy them," Dunod said through his interpreter.

"He's the most sincere person I've ever met," Hopkins said of Dunod.

Dunod plans to develop the land for residential living. Primarily the homes will be single-family dwellings.

He also plans to build a French bakery between the Beggs home and the Pioneer Market.

Dunod is looking in France for a chief baker, but he assured that the bakery would employ people from Jackson as well.

After the initial development is completed Dunod plans to build a French restaurant on the hill south of Highway 72 in the middle of the Pioneer Orchard.

Dunod plans to build contemporary American homes with a personal touch from France.

He will be importing hand made tiles from Salernes, France, for the kitchens and bathrooms and he also plans to incorporate an enameled lava counter top from France that is virtually indestructible and it looks good as well.

The homes will be priced in the mid to upper level.

Dunod said he would also like to start an antique business but that will be later.

Dunod, 50, currently lives in Grimaud, France, with his wife and three children. He and his wife plan to move to the area soon.

Dunod speaks some English but for now uses Hopkins as an interpreter. He said he hopes that when he does move to the area he will not be thought of as a stranger. He wants to be thought of as a friend.

"A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet," Dunod added.

Dunod has been a developer in France and worked for Shell Oil in French Gabon in Africa developing in villages there.

Stanley Beggs said that there are no foreseeable changes with the operation in regard to the public, the apples and the employees.

The normal activities at the orchard will continue.

Dunod could begin work as soon as this fall.