ROBINSON RECOGNIZED FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association, has been named Missouri's Professional Economic Developer of the Year.

Robinson received the award from the Missouri Industrial Development Council Thursday night, just four days before his fourth anniversary with the Cape Girardeau recruitment association.

He was one of a number of candidates nominated from throughout the state.

The annual award, presented during the MIDC spring conference at Osage Beach, recognizes the winner as an individual who excels in services in the area, the local economic atmosphere, the state and the profession.

Since joining the area industrial association in June 1993 -- six months after the association's founding -- Robinson has worked to relocate and expand industry to the area.

RXI Plastics (Texberry Container Corp.) D&K Wholesale Drug, Unistar Inc., and Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield are new business to the area since Robinson came on the scene.

Expansions during the same span of time have been Cape Central Publishing, Lee-Rowan Co. of Jackson, and Procter & Gamble Co.

RXI Plastics in a 70,000-square-foot facility in the Nash Road Industrial Park that manufactures and distributes plastic bottles.

Lee-Rowan expanded in 1994, when the company moved its operations to Jackson. The company previously operated facilities in St. Louis and Newbern, Tenn.

When Cape Central Printing had to move because of the new Mississippi River bridge route, Robinson's group helped arrange a new site on Southern Expressway.

Unistar, a multidisciplined plastics processor, opened in Jackson in January 1995.

D&K Wholesale Drugs Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, opened its Cape Girardeau facility on Rust Avenue in December, bringing more than 100 workers to the area. Most will transfer from the Cairo, Ill., office, but the larger 60,000-square-foot center will mean about 40 new jobs.

Alliance Blue Cross Blue Shield opened its new service center on Siemers Drive in the Cape West Business Park in January. The center will employ up to 200.

P&G announced in April it will build a $350 million addition to its plant to enable an increase in production of tissues and towels. The expansion, which will be among the top-three industrial projects in Missouri over the past decade, will mean 350 more jobs.

The addition will be adjacent to the plant and will put another 20 acres under roof. P&G already has more than 30 acres under roof.

A major accomplishment of Robinson and the recruitment association is the partnerships the organization has formed with local governments, chambers of commerce, county commissions, utilities, state economic development agencies and others crucial to the area's economic development.

The Cape Girardeau Area Economic Development Network has been formed. The network, made up of more than 20 organizations involved in the economic development process, meets quarterly to discuss ongoing activity.

On the state level, Robinson works with the MIDC and has served as a director and alternate director for MIDC District 7 in Southeast Missouri. He has served as chairman of MIDC's finance committee the past three years and has been nominated to become a director at-large for the MIDC.

Robinson is a graduate of Western Kentucky University with a degree in government and economics. He has a master's degree in public administration from Indiana State University. In 1989, he received certification as a certified economic developer from the American Economic Development Council.

Before moving to Cape Girardeau, Robinson worked in economic development in Kentucky, where he served as treasurer, secretary and board of director member of the Kentucky Industrial Development Council.