IT'S BEEN A GOOD YEAR; CHAMBER REACHES MANY GOALS, RECORD CITY CONSTRUCTION, COUNTY'S EMPLOYMENT STEADY

The new facility for Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield has opened on Siemers Drive.

A new "speculative shell building" is available for sale or lease at 4901 Nash Road by the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association.

It's been a good year for the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, the City of Cape Girardeau and the immediate area.

The county's employment totals reveal more than 34,000 jobs, with 96 percent of the work force working.

The city has more than 500 new jobs, and it experienced a record year in construction, passing the previous record year of 1992 ($47,996,699), with almost $50 million in new construction permits.

The chamber of commerce accomplished many of its goals during the past year.

"We feel the chamber had a great year," said John Mehner, president of the 1,100-member-plus Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. "And, overall, we feel the city and the entire area had a good year."

Mehner discussed a number of business activities during Friday's First Friday Coffee, reviewing 1996 happenings and 1997 expectations.

"We like to look at employment figures," said Mehner, "and they have been steady around the 34,000 mark throughout the year.'

The chamber worked with Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association, to help bring in two large businesses that will add as many as 300 jobs to the area.

D&K Wholesale Drugs moved into its new building in mid-December, and Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield, which will provide about 200 jobs, is still in the process of moving into its new processing center, which officially opened today.

Another 200-plus jobs were added during the final quarter of 1996 with the opening of four new retail operations. "We don't claim credit for the new retail establishments, except to help provide a good business climate," said Mehner.

The chamber board has established a number of aggressive priorities for the coming year, including working with the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Association to secure at least one new major employer or a major expansion with at least 50 new jobs.

The chamber continues to realize the importance of existing businesses and will continue its work with the Community Based Economic Development Plan, designed to address concerns of existing business and industry.

"We'll also be working with the public schools as it implements its new master plan," said Mehner.

The board will continued to work with legislators and the Missouri Department of Transportation to secure continued funding for the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, will be a partner with the SEMO Regional Industrial Training Group to ensure a skilled labor force and will work with area leaders on health care.

The chamber will also be working with area civic clubs to establish a crime hotline to help in the fight against crime and youth violence, and the chamber will continue to work with area developers in providing more affordable housing.

The chamber is in its new building, and membership has remained steady at more than 1,100. The local chamber is the largest in Missouri in its category, and third largest in the state.

Other big positives for the area include the construction of a "speculation building" in the Nash Road Industrial Park and the Greater Cape Girardeau Development Corp. purchase of 240 acres of prime industrial property in the Nash Road area.

The Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association's new "speculative shell building," a 200-x-300-foot structure at 4901 Nash Road, is ready for sale or lease. More information concerning the building is available by contacting Mitch Robinson, 334-5000.

The large acreage purchased by the development group is a half-mile from Interstate 55.

"We feel this is ideal property for development," said Mehner, secretary-treasurer of the development corporation. "It has airport, river and railroad access. Eighty acres of the site is included in the Cape Girardeau County Enterprise Zone, which provides tax benefits to businesses by promoting investment and new jobs.

Utilities and water service are available on the property, which has total highway frontage on Nash Road of 3,960 feet.

The employment situation could improve during the first quarter, with the opening of another giant retailer. Sam's Wholesale Club is expected to open in March or April in the Cape West Business Park. The new 100,000-square-foot-plus facility is between Wal-Mart and Lowe's Home Center.

The work force for Cape Girardeau County, which changes slightly from month to month, was 35,744 in November.

Of that total, 34,314 people were working, said Jack Cecil of the Cape Girardeau Missouri Job Service office that serves Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties.

That translates into 96 percent employment, leaving 1,430 people unemployed.

The percentages are even better in Perry County. Some 9,608 people have jobs in a work force of 9,915, leaving 307 without jobs, for 96.9 percent employment. In Bollinger County, 91.1 percent of the work force has jobs. Bollinger County lists a work force of 5,244. Of that number, 4,776 have jobs.

Statewide, November showed 96 percent employment, with 2,768,600 people employed.

It's still not official, but 1996 just may be the city's best year ever for construction.

More than 500 permits have been issued worth almost $50 million.

As of Dec. 27, permits had been issued by the city's inspection service for $49,585,320.

The best previous year was 1992, when $47.9 million in permits were issued. This marks the third in five years that new construction in the city topped $40 million. Totals for 1995 were $44.4 million.

More than 165 new businesses have opened in the city during 1996. Eighty-six closed for a gain of more than 80.