Dodson and Williams Automotive Inc.Longtime downtown auto body shop Dodson and Williams Automotive Inc. expanded to the south side with a Feb. 7 acquisition of Austin’s Body Shop, 2729 W. Republic Road, for an undisclosed amount. Owner
Keith Neal worked with Kingsley Group business brokers to complete the acquisition from seller Dusty Martin during an 18-month period. Founded in 1961 and doing business as Dodson-Williams Collision Center, Neal has owned the body repair and paint shop since 1991. The first acquisition for Dodson-Williams, Neal leases the 6,000-square-foot Republic Road building for $3,000 a month from Christopher Torrisi. Dodson-Williams employs 19 combined, and
Kenny Burgess moved from the 20,000-square-foot downtown operation, 502 W. Walnut St., to manage the south-side shop. Hours: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone: (417) 890-9449. Web:
Dodson-Williams.comOfferHop LLCBusiness partners
Steve Williams,
Brent Miller and
Sean Greves of OfferHop LLC launched a mobile application Feb. 15. The location-based OfferHop app notifies users of participating merchant deals within a 2.5-mile radius, Greves said. Participating businesses pay a $40 monthly fee, and there are no contracts or transaction fees. With about a half-dozen businesses on board, including Springfield Transmissions, 417 Vapors and Hand-Picked Guitars, participating companies manage their deals online. Development of the app and website took about five months and cost $3,000, Greves said. The three owners and an outside developer, Dalton Miller, run OfferHop from their homes. Currently, the app is available for free on Android devices through Google Play and should be available for download from the Apple Store in a few weeks. Hours: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone: (417) 619-3621. Web:
OfferHop.netFamily Matters Resource CenterWith a common goal in mind, nonprofits Sammy’s Window and Family Matters Resource Center merged Oct. 7, becoming a new division under Family Matters. Sammy’s Window started in 2008 to meet the physical needs of foster and adoptive families, and Family Matters came on line in fall 2013 to serve the emotional and educational needs of foster and adoptive families. The merged entity is designed to provide more complete care under an umbrella organization, said
Deb Fusek, assistant director of Family Matters. The nonprofits collectively provide clothing, food, hygiene products and school supplies, as well as training and support for families involved with foster care and adoption.
Mark Hay, the founder of Sammy’s Window, continues to run Sammy’s Window with the help of volunteers at 3757 N. Glenstone Ave. Family Matters operates at 1774 1/2 S. Grant Ave. Hours: By appointment, Monday through Friday. Phone: (417) 866-3672. Web:
FamilyMattersCares.orgSend new business info to sbj@sbj.net.
