WHAT'S NEW?: NEW OPERATIONS CREATE LIVELY BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT HERE

Toys R Us is looking at Cape Girardeau.

A Cracker Barrel restaurant is expected to open here this year.

Lane Bryant will be moving into West Park Mall.

Two new retail operations are looking at sites in Town Plaza shopping area.

Three new businesses My Daddy's Cheesecake, Diana Rae's, and Jay's Beauty Salon have opened in downtown Cape Girardeau during the first quarter of 1992.

Two other new businesses Lady's Foot Locker and Jay Riggings have opened in West Park Mall.

Wal-Mart has opened in a new store in Cape Girardeau, expanding space and adding employees, and Lee-Rowan this week dedicated a 90,000-square-foot building at Jackson, giving that St. Louis-based firm more than 550,000 square feet under roof.

Missouri unemployment dipped under the 6 percent mark, to 5.6, in March, and Cape Girardeau and Perry counties dropped below 4 percent, to 3.8, ranking among the top five counties in terms of employment in the state.

The business scene in the Cape Girardeau area is a busy one, and that's a great economic indicator, said a regional planning and development specialist.

Business starts and expansion during the first quarter of 1992 were down, but economic growth is continuing in a seven-county Southeast Missouri area.

"1991 was a great year for new businesses," said Ron Steele, regional economic development planner for the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission at Perryville. "End-of-the-year tabulations of new, expanding and closing businesses demonstrated economic stability despite the national recession.

"Growth is continuing, although at a slower pace than during the same quarter of 1991," said Steele, who keeps tabs on business openings and closings in the counties of Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Iron, Madison, Perry, St. Francois and Ste. Genevieve.

Regionwide, a total of 232 business startups were reported in 1991. Another 40 businesses reported expansions either in personnel or building projects. Business starts and expansions resulted in a total of 1,662 jobs for the year, while business failures accounted for the loss of an estimated 517 jobs.

"That averages about 65 new businesses each quarter of the year," said Steele. "The January-to-March totals for 1992 are well under that total, with 31 new-business openings and two closings. Another nine businesses reported expansions. A total of 42 new businesses were reported during the first quarter of 1991.

Cape Girardeau County, which has averaged more than 100 new businesses each of the past two years, was the first-quarter leader in 1992, with 14 new businesses. It was followed by St. Francois County, with eight new businesses.

"All of the new-business starts reported in the region were in the retail and service industries," said Steele.

"Although there were few business starts the first three months, the region experienced an overall increase of 211 jobs during the quarter," said Steele. "More than 125 new jobs were created by new business and 154 new jobs came as a result of expansions."

Steele said that 63 jobs were lost as a result of business closings.

The largest expansion reported was that of Wal-Mart, which opened a new "Supercenter" in Cape Girardeau, resulting in the employment of 100 additional employees.

Mr. B's Pancakes and Steaks was counted as an expansion. The operation, which opened at Cape Girardeau, was the third for Basil Barnes, who has two other restaurant operations. The new facility resulted in 15 new employees.

Other new Cape Girardeau County businesses include Diana Rae's, a craft supplies and gift store; Broadway Amoco service station; Contractor Supply; The Dutchtown Outlet, clothing and antiques; J. Riggings, men's clothing; Lady Foot Locker, women's athletic footwear; Eggimann Feed and Seed (had been closed); Vision One Video Productions; Hairworks II at Oak Ridge; Thrifty Shopper; Jackson Dental; Big Al's Nightclub; Broadway Theater, which had been closed since 1984; and Stroder Country, a live entertainment center at Jackson.

Other new businesses and expansions throughout the area included The Captain's Gallery, food sales, at Marble Hill; the Ironton Arcade, recreation center; Henschel Manufacturing Co., expansion at Fredericktown resulting in 20 new jobs; and Filtration Systems Products expansion at Fredericktown, resulting in 12 new jobs.

Perry County Memorial Hospital has added a new Adult Day Care Center and Sabreliner at Perryville is adding two office buildings.

Several businesses have been added in St. Francois County, including Acetylene Gas Co.; Sugar-N-Spice, bakery goods, at Farmington; and Jack's Tire Center at Bonne Terre. First State Bank of Farmington also added a drive-in facility.

Four new businesses have been added in Ste. Genevieve County: Ozora Nursery and Tri-Star Nursery, Ozora; Whitetail Archery, archery supplies, Ste. Genevieve; and Brawley's Video and Game Room video rentals at Ste. Geneveive.