Business notebook: Retiree goes crackers with her snack company

The farmers-market season is nearing an end, but Nancy Mayfield is just getting started.

The retired elementary-school secretary from Patton, Missouri, recently began her own line of baked goods -- specifically, crackers.

Her small booth at the two farmers markets in Cape Girardeau carry a variety of flavors, ranging from the traditional, such as rye and whole wheat, to a more eclectic fare, such as jalapeño, cashew and maple chipotle.

"It started because I wanted to have healthy, whole-wheat type crackers, and I never could find anything that was really good in the store," Mayfield said. "There was no choice. There was no choice to have whole-grain, healthy crackers. They all had additives, colorings, preservatives."

Not interested in settling nor satisfied with making her own crackers for private consumption, Mayfield started Creative Crackers -- a specialty business offering not only crackers, but fresh-baked breads and freezer jellies.

Nancy Mayfield, owner of Creative Crackers LLC, shows two varieties Thursday at the Cape Farmers Market.Fred Lynch

She received great feedback from farmers-market shoppers.

"Any kind of feedback is good when you're just starting out," she said.

She listened to what people had to say about her snacks and adjusted accordingly. She bakes in small batches, which allows her to try a variety of flavors and techniques.

"Everything's natural: natural flavors, no preservatives, no trans fats," Mayfield said. "If it's a nut-flavored cracker, it's got nuts in it. If it's a cheese-flavored cracker, it has cheese in it."

Though she's getting her feet wet in the farmers markets, this endeavor is not something she's taking lightly. Mayfield, seeing the potential to build a business into her retirement, had a commercial kitchen built next to her Patton home.

"It's not great big, giant or elaborate, but I did make the investment so I could sell online and get approved by the state to package and sell my goods anywhere," she said.

When the season ends, she will focus on building an online business in time for the holidays and work to bring her products into local stores. Creative Crackers, she said, already are being served at STA, a restaurant on Sprigg Street across from Southeast Missouri State University.

"They serve them with their soups and salads," she said.

Mayfield is excited for what the future holds for her and her budding business.

"I'm ever so small, but there's activity going on, and I hope to get out there with my product," she said, pointing out she knows of no one else in the area creating her style of gourmet crackers.

"This is my retirement plan," she said. "I'm generating a new kind of product."

Orscheln store looks for new site in Cape

Orscheln Farm & Home is looking to expand in Cape Girardeau.

"We are planning on moving our store to a much larger footprint," Nicholas Orscheln, real-estate manager for the company, said in a telephone interview. "As of right now, we have not settled on a location,"

Orscheln said the old Sears building in Town Plaza was being considered, but officials ultimately determined it would not be a feasible location.

"Cape Girardeau's a tough town to find real estate," Orscheln said, "But we'll keep looking."

Element 74 expands

Element 74 is expanding.

The digital-production company will remain at 113 S. Silver Springs Road, but it recently acquired an additional 1,000 square feet of space to accommodate its 20 team members and evolving work environment.

"We are all really excited about the expansion," director of project management Toni Eftink said in a news release. "We're adding seven additional offices for our team, including an entire new area for the project-management team. The new space will provide opportunities for better collaboration and quiet space for deep focus when needed."

Hardware store opens in Jackson

Ken's Ace Hardware, 426 E. Main St. in Jackson, is open for business.

The new hardware cooperative opened its doors Oct. 10.

Area Realtors lauded

Susan Britton

Susan Britton of Berkshire Hathaway Bridgeport, Realtors and Thomas M. Meyer of Thomas L. Meyer Realty Co. recently were recognized by the Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors as Realtor Emeritus members.

Thomas Meyer

This title is given to Realtors who have spent more than 40 years serving their clients and their community.

Fazoli's participating in nationwide job fair

Fazoli's in Cape Girardeau will take part in the company's second annual "National Signing Day" on Tuesday. The event will be held at 135 locations around the country, with a goal to hire at least 500 team members that day.

Last year, the event attracted almost 1,200 job candidates and resulted in 422 new hires for hourly positions.

On the designated day, managers will review applications, conduct interviews and make on-the-spot job offers.

After 90 days of employment, new associates will be entered into a drawing to win one of five GoPro action cameras, one of five Bose Soundlink wireless speakers or one of five Yeti water bottles.

Several locations in the company's home city of Indianapolis also will test delivery service and hire delivery drivers.

Delivery service expands into region

King Bee Courier, a delivery service based in Lexington, Kentucky, is expanding its services to Southeast Missouri and its surrounding four-state region.

Tom Kelsey, commercial broker with Lorimont Place Ltd., said the courier will occupy a 6,000-square-foot warehouse at 3170 Industrial Fuels Drive in Scott City, just off the Interstate 55 and Nash Road exits. Kelsey said the company will begin its operations soon and will hire drivers to begin operations.

Business licenses

LeisureEase LLC is a home-based business owned by Lisa B. Bishop, focusing on wholesale and online sales of Wrapsit slipcover crates.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630