A new equipment rental business has opened in Cape Girardeau.

Fabick Rents, a division of Fabick CAT, opened a branch facility earlier this month at 2050 Southern Expressway.

Fabick has 36 locations and 1,200 employees in four states. The heavy-equipment dealer has had a new- and used-equipment sales and service location at 2022 Nash Road for several years, which is unaffected by the addition of the rental business.

The rental facility handles a variety of CAT equipment, including skid steer loaders, excavators, dozers, compactors, wheel loaders and telehandlers, as well as a full line of aerial lifts, generators, trailers and so forth.

The location on Southern Expressway was the former home of Blue Line Rental, which has relocated to the East Interstate 55 Outer Road, across from the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

Tom Kelsey, broker with Lorimont Commercial Real Estate, handled the Fabick real-estate transaction.

Business workshops scheduled at SEMO

The next round of Small Business Development Center workshops, sponsored by the Economic and Business Engagement Center at Southeast Missouri State University with support from Regions Bank, will take place next month in a virtual format on the Zoom digital meeting platform.

All of the one-hour workshops are free of charge, although advanced registration is required

The workshops are as follows:

• Get To Know Your Credit Score — 10 a.m., Sept. 9. Learn what a credit score is and how its used, how to obtain your credit score and credit history, how your credit score is calculated, and how to raise your credit score. Register and obtain a workshop link at www.missouri.ecenterdirect.com/events/22223.
• Financial Tips for Your Small Business — 10 a.m., Sept. 16. Learn how to finance your business, budget for future success, and take control of your cash flow. Register and obtain a workshop link at www.missouri.ecenterdirect.com/events/22224.
• Strategic Growth — 11 a.m., Sept. 22. Explore how your company can strategically assess and prioritize focus areas for growth. Register and obtain a workshop link at www.missouri.ecenterdirect.com/events/22244.
• Creating Your Brand Experience — 11 a.m. Sept. 29. Find out how to create and implement a powerful brand. Register and obtain a workshop link at www.missouri.ecenterdirect.com/events/22245.

Codefi expanding into Kentucky

James Stapleton, co-founder of Codefi in Cape Girardeau, spoke Thursday at the McCracken County Public Library in Paducah, Kentucky, to announce the expansion of Codefi into Western Kentucky.Submitted

Codefi, Cape Girardeau's digital ecosystem focused on training digital workers, building and attracting software-based companies and creating community spaces to expand the digital economy, announced plans last week to expand into Western Kentucky.

Officials from Codefi were in Paducah, Kentucky, on Thursday to unveil their new collaboration with Sprocket, a not-for-profit innovation lab in Paducah. The announcement was made during an event hosted by Codefi, Sprocket and local government representatives at the McCracken County Public Library.

Codefi and Sprocket plan to launch economic development programs aimed at growing the digital economy, training digital workers, providing capital to early-stage tech businesses, and attracting and providing support to those businesses.

The collaboration is being supported by the McCracken County Public Library, the City of Paducah and the McCracken County Fiscal Court.

"When we launched Codefi several years ago in Cape Girardeau, we had the same ambitions as the group of leaders here in Paducah — to eliminate the skills and opportunity gaps preventing our workers and entrepreneurs from participating in the digital economy," according to James Stapleton, Codefi's co-founder.

"We went to work putting to use the decades of experience we had as entrepreneurs and drawing from the best practices across the country to develop, deliver and support the programs and structures that work together as a comprehensive system," he said.

That system, Stapleton said, has helped support 50 new companies that have created nearly 200 jobs and attracted more than $20 million in equity capital.

Monica Bilak, the former chairwoman of the Sprocket Board of Directors and now the regional director of GroWest, said it has taken "years of work" to develop the partnership with Codefi.

"I became aware of the amazing work Codefi was doing in Cape about three years ago," she said. "I reached out and we realized something similar could work in Paducah."

Through the new partnership, Codefi plans to introduce many of its existing programs in Paducah, including the 1ST50K competition, a program which this month attracted four new tech companies to Cape Girardeau.

"There is really no better time to focus on growing the tech-based economy," said John Truitt, chairman of the Sprocket board and co-founder of Kalleo, a company in downtown Paducah that provides network management solutions, cloud-based services and outsourced network monitoring and help-desk support to companies throughout the nation.

According to information supplied by Codefi, the company is working with federal, state and local partners to expand across Southern Missouri and Western Kentucky.

Accounting firm rolls out new brand, website

The Midwest accounting, consulting and advisory firm of Kerber, Eck & Braeckel LLP, which has an office at 3266 Lexington Ave. in Cape Girardeau, has rebranded itself as KEB and has introduced a new logo and website to go along with the new branding.

According to a statement from the company, the new "abbreviated" name of the firm reflects the company's long-held acronym, although it will also continue to do business as "Kerber, Eck & Braeckel."

The statement also says the company's redesigned website, www.kebcpa.com, reflects the firm's efforts to be "active, approachable and connected." Meanwhile, the new logo is a visual expression of the accounting firm's new tagline, "Guiding Success."

Founded in 1931, KEB has 27 partners/principals and more than 190 professionals in five office groups in three states.

KEB has served the Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois regions since the early 1970s, according to Nancy LeGrand, KEB's partner in charge of the Cape Girardeau branch office.

In addition to its Cape Girardeau location, KEB has locations in St. Louis, Milwaukee and six offices in Illinois (Springfield, Litchfield, Columbia, Harrisburg, O'Fallon and Marion).

Schnucks now offering paperless 'e-receipts'

Schnuck Markets Inc. announced last week it is introducing "e-receipts" for customers who use the Schnucks Rewards program. Customers who choose to use this option may have receipts emailed to them or they can access them through their Schnucks Rewards app.

"Our customers and teammates continue to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic," said Chace MacMullan, Schnucks' digital-experience director. "As with many other precautions customer see at our stores, e-receipts are another option we would ask them to consider to reduce touch points for customers and teammates."

The Schnucks Rewards app for smartphones may be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Customers who don't use smartphones may visit www.schnucks.com/rewards and use their phone number to create an account and then request e-receipts.

Schnucks, headquartered in St. Louis, operates 112 stores in four states, including the Schnucks outlet at 19 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

Deadline approaching for nursing programs

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — The application deadline for the one-year practical nurse certificate program at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff and Sikeston is Oct. 1. Program classes will begin in January.

The first class of the TRC-Sikeston practical nurse program will graduate in December. The program prepares students to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) practical nurse exam. Licensed practical nurses typically work under the supervision of registered nurses, physicians and/or dentists and provide basic nursing care for patients experiencing common, well-defined health problems.

Meanwhile, the deadline to apply for TRC's LPN to RN bridge program in Poplar Bluff and Sikeston is Nov. 2.

Application forms and other information about these programs may be found at www.trcc.edu/admissions/application. Additional information is also available by calling Staci Foster at (573) 840-9672.

Awards and Recognitions

SoutheastHEALTH announced last week it has again received the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines Heart Failure Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Award.

This is the second year Southeast has earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart-failure patients. Those measures include evaluation and proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 6.5 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure.

More information about SoutheastHEALTH's program for heart failure patients may be found at www.sehealth.org/heart.

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Saint Francis Healthcare System announced Friday it's heart hospital has received the American College of Cardiology's NCDR Chester Pain-MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2020, marking the ninth straight year Saint Francis has been recognized.

Saint Francis Medical Center is one of only 140 hospitals nationwide to receive the award, which was presented on the basis of achieving performance standards set by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates nearly 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year.

For more information, visit the American College of Cardiology's website, www.acc.org.

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Barb Lamb

Barb Lamb, a staff member at Busch Pet Products in Cape Girardeau, has completed both the pet food nutrition specialist and raw dog food nutrition specialist courses offered by Dogs Naturally University.

Dogs Naturally University is part of Dogs Naturally Magazine, which, according to Busch Pet Products owner Stacy Busch-Heisserer, is considered the "bible" of natural health for pets. Dogs Naturally uses a team of veterinarians, nutritionists and specialists as instructors and editors as they focus on holistic health as a way of life for pets.

Lamb is continuing her pet nutrition education with an acute canine herbalist specialist course.

People on the Move

Mark Croarkin

SIKESTON, Mo. — Mark Croarkin has been named district engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation's Southeast District. The district, based in Sikeston, serves 15 counties and is geographically the largest MoDOT district in Missouri.

A licensed professional engineer, Croarkin has spent 22 years in the field of transportation. Croarkin, a Southeast Missouri native, studied at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, before finishing his degree in civil engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science and Technology).

He started his MoDOT career in 1995 as a summer intern and joined the department full time in 1997 as a construction inspector in Van Buren, Missouri. He moved up through the ranks and has worked in six of MoDOT's seven districts. For the last 10 years, he was the assistant district engineer over operations in the department's St. Louis District.

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Kathy Harper

Kathy Harper has been named director of university communications at Southeast Missouri State University, succeeding Ann Hayes, who retired from the position earlier this summer.

Harper comes to Southeast with more than 10 years of higher education experience, most recently as a marketing and communication consultant for the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Division of Continuing Studies during the 2019-2020 school year.

She also worked at the University of Florida, where she was involved in initiatives helping to generate tuition revenue and increase enrollment, facilitated communications with students through natural disasters, assisted in the execution of university events, handled media inquiries, established internal and external partnerships, supported legislative and other university-related initiatives, supervised staffs and managed budgets.

Harper holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida, where she is also pursuing a doctorate in mass communications. In addition, she received a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University.

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Colin Dame

Colin Dame and Bryce Willi have joined Rooted Web, a full-service website design and digital marketing agency in Cape Girardeau. Willi has joined the company as a UI/UX designer, while Dame has been named to a sales specialist position.

Bryce Willi

A native of Chaffee, Missouri, Dame earned a bachelor's degree in general studies from Southeast Missouri State University. Before joining Rooted Web, he was a sales consultant with Canedy Signs & Graphics. In his new role, he will work closely with local businesses and organizations to identify custom digital marketing or website solutions.

Originally from Du Quoin, Illinois, Willi is also a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, where he studied computer graphics/multimedia graphics. He previously worked as a streaming graphics coordinator for Ultimate Gaming Championship, an e-sports events company. In his new role with Rooted Web, Willi is responsible for creating unique and engaging website designs and marketing materials.

Rooted Web's offices are in the Marquette Tower on Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

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Dr. Tyler Ptacek, a physician at Regional Brain & Spine LLC in Cape Girardeau, has announced he will be leaving the practice as of Oct. 1 and relocating out-of-state to be closer to his family.

According to a statement from Ptacek's office, patients may continue to receive pain-management care from Dr. Christopher Reis and staff specialists Kristi Skinner, Stephanie Riley and Debra Alexander.

Medical records for Ptacek's patients will be kept at the practice to ensure continuity of care. However, they may be released with written patient authorization.

More information is available by calling (573) 332-7746.

Chamber notes

The Cape Girardeau and Jackson chambers of commerce will participate in a groundbreaking at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the site of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri's new facility at 180 Weston St. in Cape Girardeau. Anyone attending is asked to park at 2536 Boutin Drive.

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The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry will host a three-hour online workshop designed to help employers assess their drug-free workplace programs and identify areas for potential improvement.

The program, set for 9 a.m. until noon Sept. 1, has been preapproved for three PDC credits and is pending approval for Missouri CLE credits.

To register or for more information, go to www.mochamber.com/drug-free-workplace-chambers-only.

Commercial building permit

A commercial building permit was issued last week to Orscheln Property Management of Moberly, Missouri, for the interior remodel of the former Kmart building at 11 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, the future location of an Orscheln Farm & Home store. Cost of the remodeling project will be $2.5 million, according to the building permit.

Business license applications

Justin Miller of Cape Girardeau has filed a business license application with the City of Cape Girardeau to operate Spartan Truck Lines LLC, with offices at 2094 Southern Expressway, Suite 1101, in Cape Girardeau. Miller shares ownership of the general freight trucking firm with Xristos Sakarelos of Dyersburg, Tennessee.

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Licensed massage therapist Crystal Masterson of Jackson has filed a business license application to operate Massage Central, a massage therapy business at 819 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, with an opening date of Sept. 1.

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Keyerra Ny'Shelle Shelby of Sikeston, Missouri, applied for a business license earlier this month to open KeyBoo Doll House, a women's clothing boutique, at 417 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. According to the license application, the business will open Sept. 21.

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Jose Gonzalez of Sikeston, Missouri, has filed a business license application to operate a mobile food trailer in the Cape Girardeau area featuring Mexican food. Tacos Don Manuel has operated in several other Southeast Missouri communities, including Jackson, Sikeston, Charleston and New Madrid. According to the license application, the business plans to be operating in Cape Girardeau by Oct. 23.

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