Overheard

Jeffrey Gower of Springfield’s Wil Fischer Distributing found himself in front of millions of Olympics viewers on NBC Aug. 23 as part of a new Budweiser marketing campaign. Gower is the focus of one of several Anheuser-Busch commercials that promote the Budweiser brewer’s environmental efforts, according to a news release. The commercials are airing through fall. Gower’s ad, which can be viewed at www.ourpledge.com under the Energy title, features Wil Fischer Distributing’s use of propane instead of gasoline in some of its fleet vehicles to reduce carbon emissions. The company is the independent Budweiser wholesaler for Springfield.

Redefined Art Space

Downtown artist Jan Hyde is redefining her Walnut Street gallery as leaseable reception space. The 2,800-square-foot Hyde Gallery, 210 E. Walnut, is now available for wedding ceremonies, receptions, corporate events and private parties at rates ranging from $150 per hour to $2,000 for New Year’s Eve, Hyde said. The space, where art still hangs, holds 300 for cocktail parties and 150 for sit-down events. Hyde, who keeps an office and art gallery in the Gallery Bistro building she owns across the street, said she’s meeting a need downtown.

Commerce Securities Buyback

Commerce Bank and Commerce Brokerage Securities Inc. is offering to repurchase its customers’ auction-rate securities in response to market challenges. Through Sept. 30, Commerce will buy back all of its customers’ auction-rate securities bought from Commerce at par value. The difference between the purchase price and the market value of the securities is estimated to be about $28 million, a news release said.

“While Commerce considers auction-rate securities to be high-quality, investment-grade instruments with a fair rate of return, in February of this year, the auction-rate securities market became illiquid and auctions failed,” the Kansas City-based bank said in the release. About 140 Commerce customers hold an estimated $545 million in auction-rate securities where auctions are failing, the release said. Commerce’s pre-tax loss will depend on the actual market value of the securities and how many are purchased.

Slice of Nice

BancorpSouth Springfield President Rob Fulp received the Silent Hero Award from the Missouri Senate, the Missouri House of Representatives and the Office of the Governor for the State of Missouri. It is the 28th year for the award, which is determined by one’s community involvement through civic leadership and professional activities. Fulp, who graduated from Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and banking and attended the American Bankers Association National Commercial Lending School at the University of Oklahoma, has worked in the banking industry since 1975. He currently is past-president of the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks’ board of directors, a member of CoxHealth’s board, vice chairman of the Missouri Housing Development Commission, and an executive adviser for the MSU College of Business.