Plant expansions

As the U.S. economy slowly recovers, three Southeast Missouri industries have provided some bright spots in recent days.

* The biggest announcement, in terms of new jobs, came from Sabreliner Corp. of St. Louis, which has facilities in Perryville, Mo., Ste. Genevieve, Mo., and near St. Mary, Mo. Sabreliner is adding a 27,000-square-foot hangar at the Perryville Municipal Airport. Over the next five years the $6.7 million project is expected to add 400 jobs.

* Spartech Plastics in Cape Girardeau plans to build a 6,000-square-foot extension to is facility adjacent to Arena Park, and about a dozen new employees are expected to be added.

* Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp. has announced a $38 million expansion of its aluminum smelter in New Madrid, Mo. This investment will have a tremendous community effect with the purchase of construction materials and the use of local contractors.

The Sabreliner and Noranda projects are being helped by incentives from Missouri, and Gov. Jay Nixon was on hand at both plants for the expansion announcements.

Private enterprise continues to find ways to develop and meet customer demand for products. These latest announcements are a sign of Southeast Missouri's economic strength and potential -- and great news for job seekers.