Southwest Missouri News

Branson

Group brings conference center

The new 10,000-square-foot Star Conference and Reunion Center, serving the Six Stars of Branson hotel group, is scheduled to open the first week of September, according to Stormy Lynn Snow, director of marketing and sales for Signature Hospitality Resources.

Snow said Signature Hospitality Resources, which has its headquarters in Denver, Colo., manages Peach Tree Inn, Dutch Kountry Inn, Hotel Grand Victorian, Guest House International Inn & Suites, Middleton Inn and Shoney's Inn & Suites, all located in Branson.

The conference center, located on Tanger Boulevard at the Guest House International Inn & Suites, is adjacent to the Tanger Factory Outlet Mall.

Snow said the conference center could accommodate 325 persons for banquet seating and 500 persons for conference seating. The center includes two kitchens, a boardroom, a stage and dance floor, five separate meeting rooms and an indoor pool.

The center can be used for "everything from military reunions to educational and business meetings and wedding receptions," she said.

Snow said Pfister Construction of Branson is the general contractor and Treat Architects of Branson is the architect for the development.

Office supply store opens doors

A new 24,500-square-foot OfficeMax opened July 21 in Branson. Situated adjacent to Wal-Mart on West Highway 76, the new business supply store is the third to open in southwest Missouri, with locations also in Springfield and Joplin. Dean Johnson, manager for the Branson OfficeMax, said the new store includes such retail sections as FurnitureMax and TechMax. Retail space assigned to Gateway Country will include its own computer representatives.

The store's CopyMax offers self-service and full-service copying, color copies and desktop publishing with the capability of receiving electronic files. Johnson said the store offers free delivery in Branson. Customers can also order from OfficeMax's catalog and Web site. The store employees 28 part-time and full-time employees, he said.

Johnson said a grand opening is scheduled for Aug. 6. Store hours are 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday.

Coaster to offer 15-story drop

Construction has started on Silver Dollar City's largest-ever ride called Wildfire, a multi-loop roller coaster covering three acres at the park west of Branson. According to Mike Hutcherson, general manager of the Silver Dollar City theme park, "Wildfire is currently being constructed into the hillside and through the woods and will occupy a whole new section of the park."

Silver Dollar City will serve as the general contractor, and the cost of constructing the roller coaster is approximately $14 million.

Designed by Bolliger and Mabillard of Monthey, Switzerland, the ride will offer a vertical drop of 15 stories, a corkscrew and a high-speed spiral, traveling at speeds up to 66 mph. Wildfire has two trains that can each carry 32 passengers. A trip on the roller coaster will take more than 2 1/2 minutes.

Joplin

Pillsbury to change hands

The decision by Diageo PLC to sell a subsidiary, Pillsbury, to General Mills, is not expected to mean any immediate changes for the 500 employees at the Joplin plant.

The $10.5 billion deal was announced July 17 and still faces regulatory approval. In a published report, Kevin Wilson, manager of Joplin's Pillsbury plant, said no changes are indicated or anticipated.

Diageo PLC, a British company, was formed by the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan several years ago. It owns a variety of well-known brands, including Burger King and Smirnoff. It was Grand Metropolitan that acquired Pillsbury through a hostile takeover more than 10 years ago despite Pillsbury's aggressive opposition.

At around the same time, Pillsbury announced plans to close its Joplin plant, which then made frozen pizzas. More than 200 workers put out of work March 31, 1989.

However, within a year, Pillsbury returned to Joplin, hired two dozen employees, and used the local plant to make frozen dough products. It has grown consistently since that time.

General Mills, Pillsbury's prospective owner, is one of the top makers of cereal and other food products. Its brand names include Cheerios, Wheaties, Chex, Betty Crocker, Bisquick and Hamburger Helper. It had sales of $17.5 billion worldwide last year and more than 10,000 employees.

New hotel project to begin soon

John Q. Hammons recently announced plans to construct a 110-room Marriott Courtyard in front of his existing Joplin Holiday Inn.

Construction is expected to begin within 60 to 90 days, and the new Marriott will bring the total hotel rooms in the Joplin city limits to 1,849.

Home sales dip in June

The average price of a home sold in the Joplin area in June was $84,038, according to the Joplin Board of Realtors.

That's up from $82,137, in May, but is down from $89,906 in June of 1999. There were 122 homes sold this June, and 964 homes were on the market.

The average number of days a Joplin home spent on the market in June was 106.

Neosho

Wireless phones go to schools

U.S. Cellular recently donated 24 wireless telephones and monthly service to the Neosho School District to help enhance student safety.

The donation was made possible as part of a national expansion of the company's Community Action Life Line (CALL) public safety program. Through this program, U.S. Cellular makes wireless phones and airtime available at no cost to organizations and individuals that can enhance public safety.

Richard McVay, market general manager for U.S. Cellular in Joplin, said CALL was created to provide mobile communications to neighborhood watch organizations. Its focus was recently expanded to include other groups that can have a positive impact on public safety.

The school district plans to make the wireless phones available to school security personnel and teachers who are responsible for large groups of elementary school students on playgrounds.

City to get flower arrangement

In the spring of 2001, the world's largest flower box will arrive in Neosho. The flower box will be made out of a train car, 8 feet by 66 feet, donated to the city by Kansas City Southern Lines. It will be filled with rocks, dirt and a wide variety of shrubs.

The project is intended to increase tourism and is being organized by the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce's Flower Box Promotions Committee. In the 1950s, Life Magazine recognized Neosho as the "Flower Box City."

Neosho paper recognized

The Neosho Daily News was honored for having the highest four-month circulation increase in Liberty Group Publishing. Liberty Group is the parent company of the Daily News.

It owns more than 300 publications, including more than 60 daily newspapers, across the nation.

The Daily News posted the largest "circulation trend" in the company this year as compared to the first four months last year.