STRICTLY BUSINESS: DRURY WORKERS VOLUNTEER DURING MOTEL RENOVATION

Daryl Baker is behind the wheel of a truck these day.

Angela Pruitt is taking a turn at turning out hot, nutritious meals.

Buffie Gordon separates used clothing and arranges the pieces on a rack.

These individuals, and a number of other employees at the Days Inn at Terre Haute, Ind., are filling their days as volunteers for the Light House Mission at Terre Haute while their regular workplace is undergoing extensive renovation.

The Days Inn, owned by Druco Inc. and operated by Drury Inns Inc., will reopen next month. During this renovation period, the Drury company is keeping its employees on the payroll. They in turn volunteer their services to the community.

Baker, normally night auditor for the Days Inn, says that driving a truck and picking up clothing donated to the Light House Mission "gives some of the mission's other volunteer drivers some well-deserved time off."

Several other Days Inn employees are working in other community settings. Rose Ann Shepard, who works in the motel's special services department, is spending her free time in part-time secretarial work at the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Light House Mission, on Wabash Street, has from six to 10 Drury team members working in the clothing store and soup kitchen.

"We provide free clothing to people who need it," said Anna Connors, whose husband, Richard, is mission director. "We also provide three meals a day to persons in need."

The new influx of volunteers has been a "big boon for us," said Mrs. Connors. "We've been keeping our clothing store open five days a week instead of two or three. And, the extra help has allowed our regular volunteers to take some needed time off. We are so pleased to have them."

Drury Inns, which is completely renovating the Day's Inn, also donated furniture from the motel to the Mission.

"This is a win-win situation for the team members and the community," said Jeff LeBlanc, general manager, of Terre Haute Days Inn.

Terre Haute is a community of more than 60,000 people.

Meanwhile, Michelle Racine, also of the Day's Inn special services department, is still working at the motel, taking calls and keeping people informed of what's happening.

The Day's Inn will be the first Drury-operated hotel in Terre Haute, but a second one, Drury Inn, is under construction at the same Interstate 70-Highway 41 intersection, and is scheduled to open in May. Plans include development of a restaurant on the property between the two hotels.

Drury Inns owns and operates more than 60 Drury Inn, Pear Tree Inn by Drury, Thrifty Inn, Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels in 11 states.

A new idea, a new business

Faye Robertson of Dexter is looking to the day she can have her house back.

Robertson, who has developed an idea to protect garage floors and concrete driveways from leaky vehicles into a workable product, has been using her home as a manufacturing and storage area for more than a year.

"I've been using my kitchen to put the finishing touches on CARtex," Robertson said. Two bedrooms of the house have been turned into small warehouses for her new product.

CARtex, an absorbent disposable, 24-x-23-inch pad designed to protect areas from unexpected car fluid leaks, are now available at Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and Dexter, and Robertson hopes the pads can eventually be found in stores like Kmart, Auto Zone and Venture.

"We're just beginning to distribute CARtex," she said. "The product is available at NAPA Auto Parts, 2215 Broadway in Cape Girardeau."

The F. Robertson Co., which was founded last February, has arranged for help in taping, bagging and sealing of the new products. Sheltered Workshops will handle these chores, Robertson said.

Robertson developed the CARtex idea about five years ago, following a visit to her mother's house.

She found her mother on her knees attempting to clean up oil that had dripped on the concrete driveway.

"My mom has nine children and several grandchildren," Robertson said. "So someone's old car or truck was forever leaking something in her driveway. I decided that she needed something to catch the leaking fluids."

Robertson's mother had tried placing cardboard beneath vehicles on the driveway, but the light cardboard was often blown away by the wind.

Robertson's idea was to develop some type of "fluid catcher," complete with a polyester tape to hold such a pad intact.

She found a company in North Carolina that developed and made an absorbent pad.

"I started using my kitchen to put everything together," she said. "I applied the tape, bagged the pads and sealed them with plastic backing to prevent leaking onto the concrete surface."

Once Robertson's idea started to develop, she contacted Gary Kellmann, who operates a consulting business for inventors.

Kellmann of St. Louis is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, where he developed the "Tomahawk," a device fans wave to support the university's athletic teams.

As an inventor consultant, Kellmann helps inventors from idea to final product. One of his functions is to research whether a patent exists for the inventor's proposed product.

Kellmann has plenty of experience in the field of inventions. He is an inventor and has been creating new gadgets and improvements on existing things for the past eight years.

New on the business scene

West Park Motors Inc. opened recently in Cape West Business Park.

The new business, 3427 William, specializes in late-model used vehicles.

"We offer a variety of pre-owned vehicles -- cars, trucks, vans," sales manager Mark Conrad said. Conrad has been in the used-car business since 1988.

The company currently has about 25 vehicles available.

"We hope to carry an inventory of about 40 vehicles," Conrad said.

Tom Wilson, who has been in auto sales more than 20 years, and Greg Sparkman, who has been in the business 14 years, are partners in the new business.

The new business is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All-American Home Center opened today at 1930 Southern Expressway in Cape Girardeau.

The new business, a division of McDonald's Mobile Homes, headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., will sell new and used mobile homes.

"We'll carry an inventory of 35 to 60 homes," said Jeff Dalton, a partner and general manager of the Cape Girardeau operation. Dalton of Chaffee has been in the mobile homes sales industry more than 10 years.

The new business will offer a number of used units, and will specialize in a new line of Dutch Housing mobile homes built in Michigan.

The new business is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Elsewhere...

POPLAR BLUFF -- J.C. Penney Co. Inc. will open its new, 40,000-square-foot store in Poplar Bluff next month.

The new facility on South Westwood Boulevard will include a 10-chair styling salon, with 15 stylists.

Gary McDowell will manage the store, which opens March 25.

MINER -- My Grandma's Attic, an antiques and collectibles business, has opened at 201 AA Road in Miner.

The new business, owned by Clarissa Melrose, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6.

SIKESTON -- Premier Motors has opened at 601 Malone in Sikeston.

Garry and Shirley Warner are owners of the business specializing in sales of late-model vehicles.

Garry Warner has more than 20 years experience in auto sales.

NEW MADRID -- Three companies have expressed an interest in New Madrid for a riverboat gambling casino.

When the New Madrid Gaming Co. pulled out of negotiations with the city, officials sent out letters to 38 gaming companies. Indicating an interest were Treasure Bay Casino of Biloxi, Miss., Old River Development Inc. of Tunica, Miss., and Gaming Development Group of St. Ann, Mo.

The gaming companies will be contacted by Marian Bock, New Madrid economic developer.