Briefs

ANDERSON AND GREEN IS AGENT OF THE MONTH

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Anderson and Green Insurance Agency of Sikeston received the Agent of the Month Award from the Stroud National Agency. Anderson and Green produced the most new farm insurance premiums in October in competition with more than 700 independent agencies that produce farm insurance policies for Stroud.

INSURANCE GROUP OPENS SECOND OFFICE

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting to open First Community Insurance Group's second location at 234 Broadway.

ASIAN RESTAURANT TO OPEN ON KINGSHIGHWAY

The former Ponderosa location in Cape Girardeau will soon be home to an Asian restaurant. The owners of Great Wall Buffet in Cape Girardeau and Carbondale, Ill., purchased the Ponderosa building at 45 S. Kingshighway, according to David Donley of Commercial Real Estate Specialists, who handled the sale. The owners plan to open a Japanese restaurant inside the 6,040 square-foot building, he said. It has been vacant since Ponderosa, owned by Adco Partnership of Paducah, Ky., closed in December 2010.

CAPE TALBOTS TO CLOSE

Talbots, 201 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau, will close in early January. The retailer of women's apparel, shoes and accessories opened in Cape Girardeau in 2006. According to its second quarter financial statements, the company's loss from continuing operations was $37.4 million, or $0.54 per share, compared to last year's income from continuing operations of $500,000 or $0.01 per share.

PATTERSON, DEXTER FIRMS GET GRANTS

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Two area businesses received grants to assist in converting agriculture commodities and byproducts into more valuable end products, reported the Daily American Republic. Scaggs Rock-N-Lime Inc. of Patterson, Mo., received $39,600 to develop a marketing strategy to assess retail bagged red lime. The Southeast Missouri Pellet Plant Project of Dexter, Mo., received $68,000 to conduct a feasibility study to assess a farmer-owned biomass pellet plant. The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority grants had a maximum amount of $200,000, and recipients are required to provide a 10 percent cash match toward the eligible expenses.

RECYCLING CENTER OPENS IN MALDEN

MALDEN, Mo. -- W.W. Recycling opened a new facility at 23294 Route D in Malden, Mo. Paul and Wanda Williams own business, and Ted Thurman is the manager. A grand opening was held Oct. 27. W.W. Recycling has additional locations in Kennett, Mo., and Marmaduke, Ark.

SCHULTZ AND SUMMERS IN INC. MAGAZINE

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Inc. magazine ranked Schultz and Summers Engineering of Poplar Bluff No. 1613 on its fifth annual Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The company was No. 3832 last year, Schultz and Summers owner Bob Summers told the Prospect-News. The business has gone from a small company with a handful of employees to a growing operation providing engineering services in seven states throughout the Midwest. Schultz and Summers has offices in Poplar Bluff, Branson, Lake Ozark and New Orleans. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database, are at www.inc.com/5000.

TATTOO PARLOR RELOCATES

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Drop of Ink Tattoo & Body Piercing moved to 3033 S. Westwood Blvd. in Poplar Bluff.

BIG RIVER LAUNCHES FREE WI-FI SPOTS

Big River Broadband is launching free Wi-Fi hot spots in seven Southeast Missouri cities: Farmington, Ste. Genevieve, Perryville, Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Fredericktown and Marble Hill. Big River's hot spot Internet service will allow people to access the Internet on their laptop, smartphone, tablet or other portable Internet device free of charge. The downtown Wi-Fi hot spots are the first stage of a larger broadband project to provide wireless Internet and phone service to seven Southeast Missouri counties. Big River received $24 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's broadband initiative for the $33 million project.

JOHNSTONE SUPPLY ADDS BRANCH

Johnstone Supply purchased a 14,000-square-foot building at 2043 Rust Ave. in Cape Girardeau, where the company plans to open a branch facility, said Tom Kelsey, commercial broker with Lorimont Place Ltd. who handled the real estate transaction. Johnstone is a national wholesale distributor of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration parts and equipment. The company has distribution centers in Portland, Ore., Memphis, Tenn., Allentown, Pa., Jacksonville, Fla., and Las Vegas. It has more than 350 independently owned stores throughout the United States and beyond, totaling over a billion dollars in annual sales.

ESTATE SALE BUSINESS OPENS

Tammy Sellers and Debbie Childers launched the Open Door Estate Sales and Liquidations website at www.opendoorestatesalesandliquidations.com Their new business, based in Cape Girardeau, provides clients the service of estate sales and liquidations due to deaths, divorces, relocations or downsizing. They will research to provide the best prices, and will handle all work before, during and after the estate or liquidation sale. Open Door also prices and displays items to maximize potential values.

FITNESS CENTER OPENS IN APPLE CREEK

Lifestyle Fitness opened at 4148 County Road 520, Suite B, in Apple Creek. The facility is open 24/7 and contains weight machines, free weights and cardio equipment. It was opened by Carol Moore and Mike Harvell, who live in Old Appleton and manage two other businesses headquartered there. The couple also co-own Life-Style Design, a design-build firm that combines interior design and construction, and the former Old Appleton Mercantile, an antiques and salvage store.

BOLLINGER county CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Nov. 17 for Bill Peters Hardware at 313 First St. in Marble Hill, which has opened a new guns and ammunition section. The chamber held a ribbon cutting Dec. 5 for Jay's Bar-B-Q at 105 Conrad St. in Marble Hill. The restaurant has opened a new drive-thru window.

DOLLAR GENERAL OPENS IN SIKESTON

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Dollar General opened a new store at 1355 E. Malone Ave. The store will employ six to 10 people, reported the Sikeston Standard Democrat.

WEHRENBERG GOES DIGITAL

Wehrenberg Theatres is now 100 percent digital in all auditoriums, including the Cape Girardeau location, which received its final upgraded equipment in November to transfer to all-digital projection. Digital cinema offers improved clarity and detail and a range of colors including 35 trillion shades, without deterioration or fading.

RED LETTER TO MOVE TO SPANISH STREET

Red Letter Communications will move to 16 N. Spanish St. in Cape Girardeau. The advertising agency, which employs about 50 people, is currently at 231 N. Main St. The two-story, 13,000-square-foot building on Spanish Street will be renovated with help from Keystone Design of Cape Girardeau. A contractor has not been selected at this time. The company hopes to move to its new building, formerly home of Stev-Mark Gallery and Cape Importers, next spring.

AT&T EXPANDS MOBILE BROADBAND IN BOOTHEEL

KENNETT, Mo. -- AT&T held a ribbon cutting Nov. 8 at the Kennett Chamber of Commerce to announce the expansion of its mobile broadband network in Southeast Missouri. The expansion improves access for advanced mobile services, devices and feature-rich audio and video content to customers in the following areas: Arcadia, Caruthersville, Fraille, Hayti, Hayti Heights, Holland, Ironton, Kennett, Pascola, Portageville, Pilot Knob, Puxico, Senath and White Oak.

MALCO THEATER REOPENS

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Malco Trio Cinema reopened Nov. 18 after being closed for several weeks. While closed, the theater underwent major renovations and was able to reopen after passing the City of Sikeston's code inspections.

WORK BEGINS ON INDUSTRIAL PARK BYPASS

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A groundbreaking was held Nov. 7 for the construction of the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park Bypass, reported the Daily American Republic. Part of the funding for the 2.1-mile, two-lane highway from the industrial park to the Bypass 67 interchange at Highway M came from two Delta Regional Authority grants totaling $635,000. State Rep. Todd Richardson said the bypass will provide more safety and efficiency for those going to and from the industrial park. Poplar Bluff Mayor Ed DeGaris said the bypass will take trucks off city streets that were not designed to handle heavy loads. Randy Persons of Poplar Bluff submitted the low bid of $3.6 million to build the bypass; his crews have already installed concrete culverts and moved some dirt. Municipal Utilities will provide $609,000 of in-kind work for street lighting and utility relocations; Ozark Border Electric Cooperative has provided $68, 523 in relocating lines and the Butler County Highway Department $69,000 in tree clearing work.

MEDIC ONE SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

SENATH, Mo. -- Work has begun on the new Medic One Ambulance Service building at 210 E. Hornbeck St., reported the Daily Dunklin Democrat. BP Builders of Campbell, Mo., is handling construction of the building. The city anticipates completion of the project by the first of the year.