SCARY FACTS: SLOW JOB GROWTH FORECAST

National employment surveys say more people -- about two million more -- will be employed by the end of 1994, but many larger companies will be giving out pink slips, with as many as 13 percent of companies laying off employees.

And, many of the new jobs being created are temporary jobs without benefits or job security.

Slow growth, however, is better than no growth, and the fact is that more companies hired new workers in 1993 than fired them.

Those are the findings of a mid-1993 survey by Fortune magazine, which predicted that the trend was likely to continue through 1994.

Fortune is not alone in its forecast of slow employment growth.

Manpower, Inc., a worldwide temporary employment agency that issues employment outlooks four times a year, said in its fourth quarter report that 22 percent of businesses surveyed expected to add workers while another 22 percent expected to reduce staff.

The National Federation of Independent Business also confirms that growth could be slow and that many employers may be forced to lay off workers because of the potential mandated costs for health care and other benefits.

A Dun & Bradstreet study predicted about 2.2 million new jobs in 1994, with almost four out of five of the new jobs coming from small businesses that currently employ under 100 workers.

In fact, the D&B survey indicated that half of the new jobs would be with companies that employ less than 20 people.

These facts and others are brought out in a new career book that has been published by Bob Adams, Inc., the "Adams Job Almanac 1994." The book provides tips to give readers everything they need to know to start, or keep, bringing home a paycheck.

The new publication tells what companies are hiring, gives handy facts about those companies and offers ideas to gear resumes for specific positions.

The best jobs will go to the best job hunters, says Bob Adams, president of the company and publisher of the new, 915-page jobs almanac.

The almanac provides company profiles, contact names, telephone numbers and typical positions for more than 10,000 employers nationwide.

"Adams Jobs Almanac 1994" is not a first for Adams, who started his career track by publishing "The Boston Jobbank" in 1981, while a student at Harvard Business School. The Jobbank series now covers 20 metropolitan areas throughout the United States.

Adams said it is time to cover the rest of the country.

"People living outside major cities tend to have even more difficulty finding a job, especially in this economy," said Adams.

Even if you're not looking, the Adams Almanac makes for interesting reading, with its industry forecasts and list of each state's "best employment bets."

A building permit has been issued for the addition of eight loft apartments in the former Montgomery Ward building in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Don Lowe of Sikeston, owner of the building, announced earlier that the loft apartments would be added on the second floor of the building, with five of them providing a river view.

Each apartment also will have approximately 1,000 to 1,200 square feet of space and will have entrances off Main Street and the river side (Water Street), along with a freight elevator for moving furniture.

The apartments, designed for singles and couples, will have one large bedroom, full kitchen, large living room and bath.

Lowe said the ground level of the building -- about 10,000 square feet -- would also be occupied in early 1994.

"We have a possible tenant for the lower level," said Lowe. "But if it doesn't work out, we'll occupy the ground floor with a retail operation featuring new and used office furniture."

Lowe is president of OFMCO, one of the nation's largest buyers and sellers of new and used office furniture.

Commercial building permits for January totaled more than $1.3 million in Cape Girardeau.

Besides the apartment project in the old Montgomery Ward building, located at 18-20 N. Main, a $345,000 permit was issued for an eight-unit apartment building in the 2700 block of Independence Street; a $420,000 permit was issued for a new building in the 500 block of S. Kingshighway for an auto dealership; and a $217,000 permit was issued for church construction on Broadway.

A number of smaller permits were issued for remodeling and alteration work on several other buildings.

Official construction totals are also in for the year. More than 500 permits were issued in 1993, totaling $33,169,258 -- the second largest construction year in the history of the city, topped only by the record $47.9 million of 1992.

By category, 103 single-family residence permits were issued, at a cost of $11,603,800; 31 commercial building permits were issued, at $9,647,461; four permits were issued for public buildings, at $5.6 million; 84 permits were issued for additions to commercial buildings, at $3 million; and 17 permits were issued for duplexes and apartments, at $2.2 million.

New construction in Jackson for 1993 was almost double 1992 totals.

A total of 539 permits were issued in Jackson last year, surpassing the 339 of 1992.

Single family homes, apartment units, commercial buildings, a new school building and remodeling of homes and businesses, totaled $17.6 million, compared to $7.7 million in 1992.

More than $7.2 million went for one-family homes, with 86 permits, an average of $84,580. Another $2.6 million went for apartment buildings, with 35 new units in five buildings, a dozen duplexes (24 units), and 12 units in condominiums.

Stark Truss Co., Inc., which specializes in roof and floor trusses for the construction industry, will locate a facility on a 12-acre tract north of Perryville.

The firm, headquartered in Canton, Ohio, will employ 8-10 persons when it opens in mid-April or early May, with expectations of 50 to 60 employees within four years.

The site of the new business is just off Interstate 55, a mile south of the Brewer exit.

Plans call for an 8,000- to 10,000-square-foot building, designed for expansion.

Steve Stroder, a Cape Girardeau native, will be manager of the new facility.

Stark Truss was founded in 1963 as a family business.

Abner Yoder is president of the firm, and his wife, Esther Yoder, is treasurer. A son, Javan L. Yoder, is executive vice president and another son, Steve Yoder, is vice president of finance. Two daughters, Janice Yoder and Wendy Jo Yoder, are on the board.

When William Cartwright shows up at party, he usually stands out.

Cartwright is the Dinosaur Man and is a favorite at children's parties and other events, dressed in his purple dinosaur costume.

"We've appeared at birthday parties, day-care centers, and other events," said Cartwright of Scott City, who spends much of his spare time as the Dinosaur Man.

The Dinosaur Man started his part-time business three months ago.

"We have a specially designed dinosaur game, and we play special music at the parties," said Cartwright.

Additional details are available by calling 264-3418.

Noranda Aluminum, Inc., has announced that it will reduce the output of primary aluminum at its New Madrid facility.

Noranda said last week that it will reduce production by about 10 percent. The plant had been producing about 220,000 metric tons a year.

A bicycle-manufacturing company will produce more than a million bikes a year at a new facility to open at Farmington later this year.

Huffy Corp., the leading U.S. bike maker, will move into an existing 200,000-square-foot building that was vacated about a month ago by FMA Corp., which made electric wiring harnesses for General Motors Corp. Huffy will add about 100,000 square feet in additional warehouses.

Huffy, founded in 1928 and headquartered at Miamisburg, Ohio, will become one of Farmington's largest employers with more than 500 employees. Workers will earn from $6 to $7 an hour.

Missouri and private interests will contribute about $6.7 million in low interest loans and grants to the $20 million project.

Huffy has about 30 percent of the domestic bicycle market. The company also makes lawn and garden tools and the Gerry line of child-care products.

UPDATES

The new facility for Tractor Supply Company will open Wednesday.

The new facility, with 18,750 square feet, is located at 501 S. Kingshighway, just down the road from its current store.

TSC, headquartered at Nashville, Tenn., provides a wide variety of farm and home products, including tractor parts, fencing, specialty feeds, animal products, pumps, plumbing, tools, lawn and garden equipment and work clothing.

Everything is on schedule for the early March opening of Lowe's Superstore, 3440 Lowe's Drive, just south of the Route K/Interstate 55 intersection.

"We're looking at an early March opening," said a spokesman from Lowe's Nashville, Tenn., headquarters.

Lowe's, which operates more than 300 stores in 20 states, offers a large assortment of home improvement products -- 40,000 different items.

The Cape Girardeau store includes 150,000-plus square feet of retail space.