Southwest Missouri News

Joplin

LaBarge reports earnings up

LaBarge Inc. has announced that its net sales for the fiscal year were up 50 percent, ending the year with positive net earnings from continuing operations.

Net sales for the company's fourth quarter, which ended July 1, came to $35.6 million, compared with $25.8 million last year, a jump of 38 percent.

Net sales for the full fiscal year were $119.2 million, compared with $79.6 million a year earlier, a jump of 50 percent.

Net earnings for the fourth quarter were approaching $1.3 million, or 8 cents per share, compared with last year's fourth-quarter earnings of $1.9 million, or 13 cents per share.

Net earnings for the year were $3.8 million, or 26 cents per share, compared with $1.6 million, or 11 cents per share, for the previous fiscal year.

The fourth-quarter and full-year figures for the company's fiscal year reflected a $2.8 million gain from the sale of a discontinued joint venture operation and $2.3 million from a one-time pretax gain. Without those gains, earnings were in the red for the fiscal year.

"Our contract electronics manufacturing services business, representing 98 percent of fiscal 2001 revenues, reached record revenue levels for the year and the quarter, and is driving our ongoing success," said Craig LaBarge, chief executive officer and president, in a press release.

The Joplin LaBarge plant, which employs approximately 200 people, is part of the manufacturing services division. LaBarge also has plants in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma.

TV stations simulcast jointly

In a show of support for the United Way, television stations KSN, KODE, KOAM, KGCS undertook a joint simulcast 6:30-7 p.m. Aug. 27.

The simulcast featured various agencies that receive United Way's support; interviews with community volunteers and testimonials of people who benefited by United Way funded programs.

The United Way estimates that one out of every three people in the four-state region is helped each year by United Way-supported agency programs.

Firm specializes in sales, service

S|amp|S Security Systems program has opened its doors, specializing in sales, installation, monitoring and servicing of security systems for homes, businesses and churches, and medical notification.

Dale and Fran Owen are the owners of the company. Dale Owen is a former police officer who retired from the Joplin police force after 21 years of service. He was most recently manager of E-Watch Protection Solutions.

Venetian Blind among top 500

For the third consecutive year, Joplin Venetian Blind Inc. has been named a Top 500 company by Qualified Remod-eler Magazine.

The magazine publishes a Top 500 list annually to honor residential remodeling firms.

Joplin Venetian Blind was founded in 1939 and specializes in custom siding, vinyl replacement windows, sunrooms, thermal enclosures and entry, patio and storm doors.

Mount Vernon

Dogwoods, redbuds add appeal

The Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce is encouraging residents to increase tourism by beautifying the town with redbud and dogwood trees, and it is even offering free trees to Mount Vernon residents.

Residents can order a single dogwood or one of each by contacting the chamber office.

The idea behind the promotion is to attract people to Mount Vernon as the trees bloom in the spring.

In the spring, chamber officials plan to work with the Missouri Department of Conservation to make free seedlings available. In conjunction with the beautification effort, the American Legion Auxiliary has announced plans to plant and dedicate a tree to veterans at Wynne Park at 2 p.m. Nov. 10, Veterans Day.

Neosho

College enrollment up 15 percent

The Crowder College fall 2001 registration ended Aug. 25, and the community college reported an increase of 15 percent over the same period a year ago.

Classes began Aug. 20, and enrollment was recorded through Aug. 25. The number of students enrolled totaled 2,081, up from fall 2000's figure of 1,797.

In addition to its main campus in Neosho, Crowder operates attendance centers in Cassville, Nevada and Webb City.

"We have about 150 closed classes for fall and have added about 15 to 20 sections, especially math, to try to accommodate the additional students," said Dr. John Rucker, dean of instruction. "We have rarely closed classes off-campus, but this semester we have closed classes at all three of our educational centers."

Sunbeam to sell grill plant

Sunbeam will sell its barbecue grill manufacturing plant in Neosho to Weber-Stephen Products Co., but the change is not expected to have an impact on jobs.

The agreement was announced Aug. 29, and the amount of the purchase was not disclosed.

Charlie James, president of Sunbeam Outdoor Cooking, made the announcement. In a letter prepared for employees, he wrote, "This is great news for our business, our employees and families, and the local surrounding communities."

James stated that under the new arrangement, the Neosho plant would be a "stand-alone business unit."

He added that Weber intends to offer employment to substantially all of the Sunbeam Outdoor Cooking employees and does not expect any layoffs during the transaction.

A letter of intent states that Weber will acquire the Sunbeam grill business in Neosho and will enter into a licensing agreement to produce and market Sunbeam-brand grills, accessories and other outdoor products.

Sunbeam's Coleman and Campingaz-branded outdoor grill products are not included in this transaction and will continue to be manufactured and sold by Sunbeam Corporation. Sunbeam has been transferring the Coleman grill production to Wichita, Kan.

"We believe that employees of the present operation and the Neosho community will benefit from this transaction," said Jerry Levin, Sunbeam's chairman and chief executive officer, in a prepared statement.

The Neosho plant employs more than 1,000 employees during peak production, and it is one of the area's largest employers.

The sale marks the end of an era of sorts for the plant that was once the corporate headquarters of Sunbeam Outdoor Products.

While the Neosho plant survived "Chainsaw" Al Dunlap's massive 1996 nationwide layoffs, corporate headquarters were relocated to Boca Raton, Fla. That move left more than 100 employees Ð some in top managerial positions Ð without jobs.

Sunbeam continues to try to reorganize after a financial and legal storm caused by Dunlap, who served as the company's chief executive officer for two years.

Under Dunlap, 80 of Sunbeam's 114 plants, offices and warehouses were closed and half of the company's 12,000-member work force lost jobs.

Dunlap was forced out in 1998 after numerous financial irregularities came to light.

Riddled with lawsuits, Sunbeam declared bankruptcy in 2000. Company officials have said that Sunbeam should emerge from bankruptcy before the end of 2001.