THEY'RE BANKING ON SUCCESS; BANK PRESIDENTS GIVE ADVICE AT WEDNESDAY CONFERENCE

Six Cape Girardeau bank presidents will be featured in a panel discussion at the Southeast Missouri Business Conference to be held at the Show Me Center Wednesday.

"Banking on Success" is the topic of the one-day conference, which has been designed to help small and large businesses meet challenges.

Carol A. Keeler, co-anchor of KZIM radio news and host of "Talk of Cape," will serve as moderator for the open panel discussion that will feature the bank presidents.

Participating on the panel will be: Stan Thompson of AmeriFirstBank; James P. Limbaugh, Boatmen's Bank; Charles P. Daniel, Capital Bank; Larry Miller, First National Bank; Oliver J. Miller, Mercantile Bank; and John Percy Huston IV, South East Missouri Bank.

The panel discussion will be held at 10:30 a.m. following a program opening address on retail market strategy by C. Britt Beemer, chief executive officer of America's Research Group.

The keynote speaker will be Andrew Craig III, chairman, president and CEO of Boatmen's Bancshares Inc. Craig will speak following the luncheon.

The conference gets under way at 8 a.m., with the first program to start at 9 a.m. Beemer, who founded America's Research Group in 1989, will provide the initial presentation.

Beemer has gained notice for his strategic efforts for retailers in the fields of appliance, furniture, electronics, department stores, hardware and autos. He has been featured on the "Financial News Network" and the "Wall Street Journal Television Report."

Craig, of St. Louis, is noted in the St. Louis area for his dedication to cultural and service organizations, including Boy Scouts, United Way, the St. Louis Symphony, Washington University and Barnes Hospital. He also served on boards of Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc., Petrolite Corp., and the Automobile Club of Missouri. He has been honored as St. Louis' Man of the Year.

The seminar is sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's University Relations Committee and the College of Business Administration at Southeast Missouri State University.

Fees are $40 for the entire program, $25 for the luncheon and $10 for students. The seminar will provide a total of four recommended CPE hours.

Additional information is available by contacting the chamber at 335-3312.