NEW BUSINESSES AND EXPANSIONS CREATE MANY NEW JOBS IN 1990; MORE THAN 125 NEW START-UPS ARE REPORTED IN CAPE COUNTY

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- 1990 may not have been a great year. Neither was it a bad year for seven regional counties which make up the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission, headquartered at Perryville.

The area, which includes Cape County, reported the start up of 217 new businesses during the year, and the expansion of 29 existing businesses.

There was some bits of bad news with the good. A total of at least 22 businesses closed, leaving a net gain of 195 new businesses, which compares favorable with the 205 new businesses gained in 1989.

A total of 1,505 estimated new jobs were created through the start-up, or expansions of businesses and industries in the seven-county region. Nine new industries were announced in the region, and eight industries announced expansions.

These figures have been compiled by the SEMO Regional Planning Commission, based on reports published in area newspapers and statewide periodicals which provide reports of new, expanding and closing businesses in the area.

"We realize that information gathered in this manner obviously cannot be considered comprehensive," said Ron Steele, a commission spokesman. "But newspaper reports of openings, closings and expansions provide a generally good overall barometer of the economic health of the region, and probably represent the best and most up-to-date information available.

"Planning Commission members are also urged to help improve the data collection by contacting the RPC staff when openings, closings, or expansions occur," said Steele.

Despite signs of a slowdown during the final quarter of the year, 51 new businesses of all kinds gifts and novelties, food sales, antiques, auto and truck parts, jewelry sales, service stations, and others were reported to have opened in the regional during the final quarter.

"There were only four closings reported during that time," said Steele. "That leaves a net gain of 46 new businesses during the final quarter. And, as it has throughout the year, Cape County led the region in the final quarter with 31 new businesses."

The service and retail industries continued to show the greatest grown with 36 new service businesses, and 22 new retail establishments reported region-wide for the quarter.

The 31 new businesses in Cape County provided employment to as few as two people, and up to 15, ranging from part-time to full-time, totaling about 165 new jobs for the quarter.

For the year, a total of 126 new businesses were reported from Cape County. Second on the list was St. Francois County, with 38 new businesses.

Some more new jobs will be coming to the Cape Girardeau area this year, with the addition of a large super market.

When the new Shop 'N Save market opens its retail operation here in August, more than a 150 new jobs will be originated.

"Staffing plans have not been finalized for the supermarket operation," says Mark S. Wetterau, Shop 'N Save chairman and executive officer and president of Wetterau's Corporate Retail and Industries Group. "But other Shop 'N Save stores this size typically employ about 150 full and part-time employees."

"This size" is about 60,000 square feet.

"That's the size store we're looking at for Cape Girardeau," said Wetterau. "The new store, located on a nine-acre tract on Silver Springs Road, will be the 27th in the Shop 'N Save chain."

The chain has about a 10 percent share of the grocery market in the metropolitan St. Louis area, and Wetterau hopes to make a dent in the grocery market here, with its warehouse-like format, where shoppers bag their own groceries.

The company will be facing the same competition here that they buck in St. Louis Schnucks, which is the St. Louis share leader with 36 percent, and National Supermarkets, with a 24 percent share.

Schnucks also is a grocery leader here, along with National. Also claiming a good chunk of the grocery market here are two Food Giant supermarkets, and two Save-A-Lot stores.

Shop 'N Save, one of five charges in Wetterau's retail group, accounts for about 30 percent of the group's sales, which were about $5.3 billion in fiscal 1990, according to Wetterau.

"Cape Girardeau consumers will be able to shop a full range of specialty departments, including fresh produce, the finest cuts of meat, an oven-fresh bakery, and custom deli and fresh seafood," said Wetterau, who added that the store would also include a florist, pharmacy, family video center and more.

A private label line has been introduced for the Shop 'N Save chain.

"The new line called Always Right will include 250 items, to be sold only by the Shop 'N Save stores.

"This will allow the chain to compete with other grocers like National, which has its own line called President's Choice and Price Chopper," said Wetterau.

Shop 'N Save will also carry brand names, like Del Monte and Ragu.

"The products will not be shelved item-by-item, but will be left in boxes on the shelves," said Wetterau. "But the products will be attractively placed on the shelves."

All the new stores will be designed like the newest store, at Kirkwood, which opened in May of 1990. That store features neon signs, more services and a cleaner look than older stores.

The Cape Girardeau store will be open 24 hours a day, with 15 checkout lines.

In 1989, the average Shop 'N Save store generated $21 million in sales.

1990 BUSINESS ACTIVITY

Following are counties which comprise the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission, listing, in order, new businesses, expanding businesses and closing businesses for 1990.

Bollinger: 9, 0, 1

Cape Girardeau: 126, 17, 9

Iron: 5, 1, 3

Madison: 8, 0 1

Perry: 13, 4, 2

St. Francis: 38, 5, 4

St. Genevieve: 18, 2, 2

Totals: 217, 29, 22