Business briefs

__CAMPGROUND OPENING UNDER NEW NAME, MANAGEMENT__

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A campground in Perryville is reopening under a new name and management. The Perryville KOA campground now is a Jellystone Park Camp-Resort and will hold an official grand opening Memorial Day weekend, according to a news release. The park has 90 sites for RV and tent camping and will have upgrades with the reopening, including improved water, sewer and electrical hookups; a remodeled park store and restrooms; landscaping; and re-graveled campsites. There also are full-service and primitive cabins and access to a 4-mile-long hiking trail around Perry County Lake. There are two other Jellystone Parks in Missouri in Forsyth and Eureka. They are part of a national chain based in Ohio. Jellystone Parks feature daily appearances by Yogi Bear, and the Perryville park also will expand its arts and crafts program, according to the release. Nathaniel Gabriel is the park manager.

__MAGAZINE LAUDS AREA RESTAURANTS, EVENT__

Rural Missouri, a monthly publication of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, named several local restaurants and an event as favorites among readers and editors in the magazine's annual Best of Rural Missouri Readers' Choice Contest. Winners were named in the April issue. Mary Jane Burgers & Brew in Perryville, Missouri, was runner-up for best burger, and Schindler's Tavern in New Hamburg, Missouri, was the editor's choice in that category. The Pie Safe Bakery and Cafe in Pocahontas was editor's choice for best dessert. Lambert's Cafe of Sikeston, Missouri, took first place in the unique dining category. The Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo was runner-up for best rodeo.

__APPRAISAL CONSULTANTS MARKS 20 YEARS__

Appraisal Consultants, a Scott City company offering professional appraisal services, recently celebrated 20 years with a ribbon cutting. The company is owned by Kathy J. Schlosser.

__CEMETERIES UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT__

Three cemeteries in the Sikeston and Morley, Missouri, areas are under new ownership and management: Sikeston Memorial Park, Sikeston Garden of Memories and Forest Hills Memorial Gardens in Morley. The cemeteries, previously owned and managed by Teresa and Dale Birk of Birk Enterprises of Missouri LLC, are now owned and managed by Mamie and Mitchell Kester of Joshua One Nine LLC in Cape Girardeau. The transaction was facilitated by Murphy Business of Cape Girardeau, a business brokerage firm serving Southeast Missouri. The Birks took over the properties in late 2007 after they were abandoned by a previous owner. They have spent the past eight years rebuilding the pre-need trust accounts so they are now fully funded.

__CHINESE RESTAURANT CUTS RIBBON__

The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting April 10 for Golden Gate Chinese Restaurant, 204 W. Washington St., Unit 3, Jackson.

__DRURY AMONG 'TOP 150 PRIVATELY HELD COMPANIES'__

With $460 million in revenue during 2014 and an overall rise in revenue of 9.3 percent, the Southeast Missouri-founded Drury Hotels Co. came in at No. 38 on the St. Louis Business Journal's list of top privately held companies, according to an article in the publication's March 27-April 2 issue. The first hotel built and operated by the Drury family was a Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau. A Drury Inn in Sikeston, Missouri, followed. Now based in St. Louis and led by president and CEO Chuck Drury, Drury Hotels Co. and the Drury family have more than 130 hotels in 20 states, according to the Business Journal article. The publication also reported the company plans expansions in 2015 by building hotels in more locations.

__ANYTIME FITNESS CUTS RIBBON__

The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting April 13 for Anytime Fitness, 2451 N. High St. in Jackson.

__BEEF 'O' BRADY'S OPENS IN PERRYVILLE__

Owners of the franchised Beef 'O' Brady's restaurant in Cape Girardeau opened another Beef 'O'Brady's on May 4 at 1418 W. St. Joseph St. in Perryville, Missouri. Lee Hillman, Robert McGillivray and Steve Tilley own the restaurants. Their new location is an empty suite in a strip mall near the city's soccer complex and park. More than 200 Beef 'O' Brady's restaurants in 23 states make up a chain of franchised, family-oriented sports pubs, which are also recognized for community involvement through a variety of fundraising activities. Hillman, a native of Kelso, Missouri, and McGillivray, from Sikeston, Missouri, opened the Cape Girardeau location at 1812 Carondalet Ave. in 2008. The Perryville restaurant has more than 20 big-screen televisions and is completely nonsmoking. Hillman said he anticipates it will employ 40 to 50 full- and part-time employees, which is about the same number on the payroll in Cape Girardeau.

__HAMPTON INN CUTS RIBBON__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting April 16 for Hampton Inn, 2420 Crestwood Blvd. in Poplar Bluff. The hotel is owned by Ken McVey and Ken Maddox and managed by Midas Hospitality LLC, with Tiffani Timbrook as general manager.

__ORGILL TO EXPAND SIKESTON FACILITY__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Company executives from Orgill Inc., the world's largest independent distributor of home improvement products, were joined by local leaders and Gov. Jay Nixon April 10 to announce plans to expand its Sikeston facility by more than 250,000 square feet, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. The expansion is expected to create more than 70 new jobs, Nixon said in a news release. The $10.2 million expansion, which will be added to the west side of the existing building, will bring the square footage of Orgill's Sikeston facility to "well over a million square feet," said Ed Dust, director of the Sikeston Department of Economic Development.

__THREE RIVERS LITERARY MAGAZINE RECEIVES HONORS__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- "Confluence," the annual literary journal of Three Rivers College, received three awards from the American Scholastic Press Association for its 2014 issue. The journal, which is put together by the college's languages department, contains poetry, short fiction and essays written by students, faculty and staff at Three Rivers. "Confluence" was one of five university, community college and high school literary magazines to receive First Place with Merit. The award is given for excellence in design, layout, content and editing. The journal also received the Outstanding Theme award for its "Doctor Who" theme, as well as the Most Outstanding College Literary Magazine award. Content for "Confluence" is drawn from poetry, short stories, and essays submitted by the college's students, faculty and staff, which are selected for publication by a peer review committee. The journal is then designed and laid out by Mark Sanders, chair of the languages department, in keeping with that year's theme.

__JEWELRY BUSINESS PITCHES TO VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS__

Sloan + Themis, a Cape Girardeau jewelry business owned by Claire Bruce, participated in the recent New Orleans Entrepreneur Week as a member of the Delta Regional Authority's Delta Entrepreneurship Network. Sloan + Themis "pitched its idea of handcrafted, luxurious jewelry inspired by the traditions of the South directly to investors from across the region and country as part of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, with the hopes of obtaining seed capital and future funding," according to a news release from the Delta Regional Authority. To participate in the network, Bruce won a local pitch competition, which was held in February.

__CHARTER OPENS NEW SIKESTON STORE__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Charter Communications opened a newly constructed retail store at 249 N. Main St. in Sikeston, featuring hands-on demonstrations of the company's product suite. The store model, which offers interactive displays and has representatives on hand to help customers navigate the technology Charter offers, has proved successful in other markets, according to a news release, and is the first of its kind in Missouri. At the store, customers may sign up for new services, ask questions, pay their bills and pick up and drop off equipment, according to the release. Shiela Tuschhoff is the local store supervisor.

__BOLLINGER CHAMBER PRESENTS HONORS__

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Elderland Meats, formerly Zalma Frozen Foods, was named Veteran Business of the First Quarter by the Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce. Zalma Frozen Foods opened in the early 1980s. Pam and Jerry Elder bought the business in 2007 and changed the name to Elderland Meats. The couple also own Elderland Restaurant in Bloomfield and a farm in Stoddard and Bollinger counties. Additionally, the chamber honored Hellebusch Mercantile as Rising Star Business of the First Quarter. Kimberly and John Hellebusch opened the store in 2013; it is five miles south of Patton, Missouri.

__FACILITY OPENS IN MINER FOR BASEBALL, SOFTBALL TRAINING__

MINER, Mo. -- Double Play, a 4,500-square-foot indoor facility with batting cages and pitching machines, is open at 4 N. Interstate Drive in Miner, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. The facility is managed through Health Facilities Rehab, according to Scott Nichols, director of outpatient therapy at Health Facilities. The business also has an on-site trainer available to give lessons.

__CASH SAVER TO CLOSE JUNE 15__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Town & Country Grocers of Fredericktown, Missouri, will remodel the Country Mart store on Highway 53 this summer, but on June 15 will close the Cash Saver supermarket in the Poplar Bluff Square Shopping Center, the Daily American Republic reported. Jim Hamblin, vice president and director of operations for Town & Country Grocers, said the Country Mart model will take three months to complete and also will include parking lot improvements. Twenty to 25 Cash Saver employees were given a 60-day notice on April 14 of the store's closure. Those employees will be offered jobs at Country Mart or stores in other area communities, Hamblin said.

__COMMERCE BANK COMBINES P.B. OPERATIONS__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- As of May 15, Commerce Bank has discontinued service at the Poplar Bluff North Banking Center on North Westwood Boulevard and combined its local banking operations with the Poplar Bluff Main Banking Center at 1100 West Pine St., the Daily American Republic reported.

__STE. GENEVIEVE HOSTS ANNUAL GALA__

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- The Ste. Genevieve Chamber of Commerce presented awards at its annual gala on April 17, the Ste. Genevieve Herald reported. Awards went to the late Leo "Chipper" Basler, coroner and owner of Basler Funeral Home, Lifetime Achievement Award; Gregory "Mick" Schwent, a longtime member of the city's fire department, Community Service Award; Station 2 Cafe, Small Business of the Year; and Jason, Sarah and Braden Schott, Presidential Award.

__SIKESTON CHAMBER PRESENTS AWARDS__

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Sikeston Regional Chamber of Commerce honored local citizens at its 65th annual awards banquet April 23, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. Awards went to Scott Matthews, Lifetime Achievement Award; Gloria Houston, Educator of the Year; John Blakely, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year; Ryan Merideth, Jaycee Distinguished Service Award; Michelle Reynolds, Member of the Year; Personal Expressions, Small Business of the Year; Three Rivers College, Business of the Year; Kyla Evans, Civic Individual of the Year; and Jerry Pullen, Citizen of the Year.

__BLOOMFIELD CHAMBER HONORS INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS__

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce hosted a dinner April 23 to present awards to community groups and individuals, the Dexter Daily Statesman reported. Awards went to the United Methodist Women, Organization of the Year; Fran Hendley, Teacher of the Year; Kyle Jones, Farmer of the Year; SEMO Electric, Business of the Year; Pam Elder, Woman of the Year; Tim Tweedy, Man of the Year; and Donna Deardorf, Lifetime Achievement Award.

__PET BUSINESS OPENS IN LEADINGTON__

LEADINGTON, Mo. -- The Park Hills-Leadington Chamber of Commerce and the Desloge Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting in April for UltiMUTT Cuts LLC, 504 E. Woodlawn in Leadington. Jenna Tracy owns the business, which offers spalike services with high-end products for dogs and cats.

__OLD TOWN CAPE GETS MAIN STREET ACCREDITATION__

Old Town Cape has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, according to a news release. Each year, the National Main Street Center and its partners announce the list of accredited Main Street programs in recognition of their commitment to historic preservation and community revitalization through the Main Street Four Point Approach.

__WEDDING BUSINESS OPENS IN POPLAR BLUFF__

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting May 1 for Divine Designs Wedding & Special Events, 502 Vine St. in Poplar Bluff. The business, owned by Stephanie McAnulty and Rebecca Woodrum, is available for decorating, sales and rentals.