Andrew Jackson bridal shop under new ownership

The Andrew Jackson bridal shop in Jackson is now owned by Justin and Athena Albright of Cape Girardeau.

The bridal shop, previously owned by Gina Jansen, was founded in the 1970s and was owned by Jansen since 1992.

The business offers wedding gowns, tuxedos, prom and party dresses and more.

The transaction was facilitated by Murphy Business of Cape Girardeau, a business brokerage firm serving Southeast Missouri.

Athena Albright, whose background is in wedding and special- event planning, will run day-to-day operations of the shop. She will integrate her wedding planning and event rental services to help brides and others in the community make the most of their special events.

"It's a dream come true for me. Planning the picture-perfect wedding is my passion. We added party rentals to our offerings a few years ago, and now we can house all these services under one roof."

Jansen will remain with the bridal shop during the next few months to ensure a smooth transition. All prior commitments for dresses, alterations and rentals. will be honored by the new owners.

* The University of Missouri Extension Cape Girardeau County Small Business Technology & Development Center of Jackson will host a class entitled "How to Buy a Business" at 6 p.m. Jan. 10. It will be held at the center, 684 West Jackson Trail in Jackson.

Jennifer Hendrickson of Murphy Business of Cape Girardeau will be the facilitator for the class. She has 15 years of experience in corporate banking, is president of Hendrickson Business Advisors and owner of the local Murphy Business franchise.

Topics that will be covered include the following: The role of a business broker, buying an independent business vs. a franchise, industry analysis, factors that drive the value of a business, evaluating potential opportunities, the buying process and financing options. To register for the class, call the MU Extension office at 573-243-3581.

* I want to let readers know this is my last column as business editor at The Southeast Missourian. I'll soon be starting a new job as a senior communications specialist in the public relations department at Nestle-Purina's St. Louis headquarters. Throughout my career, I've bounced back and forth from newspapers to public relations and then back to newspapers.

Now, it's time to go back to PR, but both are about having a passion for telling compelling stories. For nearly three years I worked to keep readers up to date on local business developments. I have truly enjoyed all the local business leaders I've come to know through countless interviews on a variety of topics, from real estate to health care to agriculture, during my time in this position. The diversity of Cape Girardeau's economy has helped sustain it in tough economic times and I look forward to watching this community continue to develop. I'll just be doing it at a distance. I grew up reading the pages of the Southeast Missourian, and Cape Girardeau County will always be home to me. Thank you all so much for reading.