Open for Business: Penny's Produce

Penny’s Produce
Penny Reno made her first produce shipment under Penny’s Produce on Aug. 16 to the Ozark School District. After working as a produce buyer for Banta Foods and Lady Baltimore Foods, Reno decided to start her own business to deliver produce to restaurants, prisons, resorts, hotels, country clubs and schools. Penny’s Produce operates from a 500-square-foot office at 2005 E. Logan St. in Republic. The company makes Tuesday and Friday deliveries to area customers, including Highland Springs Country Club and U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, with a 32-foot tractor-trailer. Reno said the produce is grown throughout the country and is shipped to Springfield from St. Louis and Kansas City. Reno employs daughter Ashlea Reno as sales manager and Jeremy Parsons as chief financial officer. Hours: By appointment. Phone: (417) 732-1117. Web: PennysProduce.com

Major Video
Fort Worth, Texas, based Midwest Entertainment Inc. converted its 1011 S. Glenstone Ave. Blockbuster store Sept. 26 to Major Video. District Manager Skip Phillips said the 5,000-square-foot store is one of four former Blockbuster stores operating as Major Video. Others are in Rogers, Fayetteville, and Springdale, Ark. Springfield’s Major Video employs three full-time and up to 10 total, and while the inventory has not changed, Phillips said rental rates were restructured. New releases start at $4.25 for three nights. Other movies are $1.99 a week, while family movies are 99 cents a week and older movies are 49 cents on Sundays. Games are $6.99 for three days or $4.99 for a week. Hours: 10 a.m.–midnight daily. Phone: (417) 831-3900.

Customer Help Assessment LLC
Husband-and-wife Andy and Carrie Hough opened mystery shopping service Customer Help Assessment LLC on Sept. 1. Operating out of their Ozark home, the couple conducts secret shopping missions and reports back to business owners so they can improve customer service experiences. They charge a minimum of $50 per store shopped. Andy Hough has three years of mystery-shopping experience, Carrie Hough said. Hours: Office hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m., but said they will shop after 5 p.m. Phone: (417) 812-6011.

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