Business Briefs

VOELKER DEPARTS CHAMBER

Kim Voelker, vice president of Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, left her post in mid-August after nearly 10 years with the chamber. Voelker will assume a sales role with United Rentals of Scott City.

COMEDY CLUB TAKES A BREAK

Cape Girardeau’s Laughing Gas Comedy Club staged its last show of summer on Aug. 6, canceling future bookings and implementing refunds, according to owner Jeff Johnson. Johnson said it’s been tough to retain staff, further noting summertime is the most difficult time to attract crowds in the industry. The club first opened in May 2019. Johnson did not rule out a return of the venue, also known as N2O Lounge. N2O is the symbol for nitrous oxide, colloquially known as “laughing gas.”

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI REALTORS 2023 LEADERSHIP

Keasha Drury of Worth Clark Realty has been elected president of the local Realtor association for next year. According to SMR treasurer Mike Seabaugh, the association’s membership as of June 30 stood at 373 Realtors, 19 secondary Realtors and 44 affiliate firms comprised of 104 individual members.

CODEFI AWARDS GRANTS IN

ANNUAL COMPETITION

Cape Girardeau-based technology incubator Codefi announced three winners for its $50,000 1ST50K Startup Competition. Startups Sequel, Sizze and Transition were selected out of nine finalists for the grants. The competition, now in its seventh year. will also award two grants to startups relocating to Paducah, Kentucky.

RED CROSS SEEKS NEW LEADER

Red Cross of Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas (SEMO NARS) is seeking a new executive director following the departure of Jennifer Sokolowski.

LOCAL CHIROPRACTOR WINS STATE AWARD

Dr. Seth Hudson of Cape Girardeau won Chiropractor of the Year from Missouri Chiropractic Physicians Association during a meeting in late July in Osage Beach, Missouri.

Dr. Hudson is a graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School, Murray State University and Logan College of Chiropractic.

LONGTIME JACKSON

PHARMACIST RETIRES

Steve Horst, a Jackson pharmacist, retired in early August and Horst Pharmacy prescriptions have been transferred to Medicenter Pharmacy, 465 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau.

Dr. Horst, who spent 40 years operating his pharmacy on East Jackson Boulevard, announced via Facebook he will work at Medicenter for several months to ensure his patients a smooth transition.

AREA CLINIC WINS

ACCREDITATION

Morning Star Behavioral Associates, which is planning to open a new clinic at 1 Main St. in Cape Girardeau, has announced it received a three-year accreditation from Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) on its first attempt.

Founded in 2016, Morning Star currently has a hybrid clinic serving the Missouri Bootheel, plus another in Kirkwood, Missouri.

VENERABLE TEMPLE

FOR SALE IN CAPE

Cape Girardeau’s Masonic Temple, a fixture at 2307 Broadway near Kingshighway for more than half a century, has been listed for sale at $1.25 million.

The two-story, 19,840-square-foot fraternal organization’s facility sits on approximately two acres.

Originally built for $256,000, the temple was dedicated in November 1969 on the site of the former Doggett Park.

FIRM BRINGS JOBS

TO SCOTT COUNTY

EnviCor Enterprises LLC, a North Carolina-based privately held manufacturer of rotationally molded plastic parts, announced last week it will expand to Sikeston, Missouri, investing $1.4 million and creating 25 new jobs.

Missouri Department of Economic Development said EnviCor’s new Scott County production facility will deliver custom-molded products for the agriculture, furniture, recreation, petroleum, industrial and water industries.

FAMILY BUSINESS RELOCATES PEST CONTROL FIRM IN CAPE

Advanced Pest Control relocated July 11 from its longtime home at 821 Progress St. in Cape Girardeau to a new leased 9,000-square-foot location across town at 530 County Road 317, just off Route K.

APC, a second-generation family business, launched in September 1980.

SPECIALTY STORE COMING TO RIVER & RAILS BUILDING

Hot Sauce Werks, a specialty outlet featuring 350 to 400 hot sauces for sale, is expected to open in the River & Rails building in the 100 block of William Street in Cape Girardeau.

NEW PERRYVILLE FOOD

STORE OPENS

Save A Lot grocery, 609 N. Kingshighway in Perryville, Missouri, held its grand opening event July 15. Brad Juliette and Eddie Wakefield are the owners; Clint Price is district manager.

NOTED CAPE CARDIOLOGIST RETIRES

Clifford R. “Tim” Talbert Jr. MD, retired June 30 from Cape Cardiology Group, a Saint Francis Healthcare System Medical Partner, after 57 years of practicing medicine. Dr. Talbert is a Kennett, Missouri, native.

SEMO’S LEE TO RETIRE

Dr. Trudy Lee, vice president for Advancement and executive director of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation since March 2018, will retire Aug. 31. Dr. Lee joined SEMO as director of Planned Giving in November 2001, a role she had held previously at the University of New Mexico.

FORD & SONS EXPANDS TO BOLLINGER COUNTY

Cape Girardeau-headquartered Ford and Sons acquired Liley Funeral Home locations at 410 Union St. in Marble Hill, Missouri, and at the junction of Highways 51 and 72 in Patton, Missouri, this summer.

Those venues will be known as Ford and Liley as will Liley Countertops and Memorials locations in Cape Girardeau and Marble Hill. Ford and Sons, launched in November 1949 and in its fourth generation of family leadership, also owns two funeral homes in Cape Girardeau, one each in Jackson and Benton, plus Ford and Young Funeral Homes in Perryville and Altenburg, Missouri. The company also operates Cape County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger County Memorial Park in Marble Hill.