On the Edges

Chamber events set for September

The fall golf tournament to benefit the Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce will be at 1 p.m. Sept. 24 at Hidden Valley Golf Links in Boaz. The entry fee of $65 includes golf car, beverages and a cookout. The four-player scramble will feature a shotgun start. Business sponsors include Mid America's Paper Plus, Micro Innovations, Ozark Bank, Manpower and Southwest Community Bank. To register, call Larry Perney, 725-1545.

Working Women in Nixa will meet at noon Sept. 21 at Empire Bank. Featured speaker will be Gail Gudell, a professional organizer and owner of GailStorm. Admission is $6, which includes lunch catered by Sugar N' Spice. Call 725-1545 to register.

Enchanted Cottage, 307 W. Mt. Vernon, will host Business After Hours at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 30. The co-sponsor is Nixa Massage Therapy and Day Spa. Free food, drinks and networking will be featured.

Empire branch eliminates lobby services

Century 21 Hometown Realtors has leased 1,390 square feet in a Nixa branch of Empire Bank, located at 527 W. Highway CC, on the northwest corner of Highway 160 and Highway CC. The real estate office, which is owned by Mike Fraker, opened Sept. 1, with Greg Lafferty overseeing eight real estate agents and one secretary. According to Lafferty, Century 21 Hometown Realtors will focus on Christian County and surrounding areas. The phone number is 725-6999.

Empire Bank, which owns the building, built a dividing wall between the drive-up teller area and the real estate office. The drive-up ATM and commercial deposit facility are open 24 hours, while drive-up banking services are available 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday.

According to Jim Brandenburgh, chief financial officer of Empire Bank, the bank has been reviewing the Highway CC branch since the new Nixa main bank was completed in 1995-96.

"The volume of activity for new accounts had diminished somewhat when the main bank moved from Main Street, and we really felt that we needed a facility that was primarily used for motor banking," he said.

In addition, Empire opened new banks on South National Avenue in 1991 and in Ozark in 1999.

Customers renting safety deposit boxes at the Highway CC branch, built around 1976, were relocated to the main Nixa bank earlier this year. Empire Bank now uses about 1,000 square feet at the north Nixa location. Three bank tellers are on duty and are still able to take in new accounts, according to Brandenburgh. Full service banking is available at the Nixa branch at 502 W. Mt. Vernon.