Springfield Business Journal_2019-10-14

$2.00 · SBJ.NET OCT. 14-20, 2019 · VOL. 40, NO. 12 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Two friends built a business around their sewing hobby. Now, a piece of technology is leading the way. PAGE 6 JESSICA ROSA POP EXPANSION Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling, led by CEO Edwin “Cookie” Rice, at right, and President and Chief Operating Officer Bruce Long, is in the midst of dirt work on a $15 million, 400,000-square-foot warehouse expansion. Soft drink bottler rolls out $33M in investment plans by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co., as the 99-year-old, family-owned business has started a major warehouse expansion project as the ink is drying on its latest union contract. At its Springfield bottling plant, 1777 N. Packer Road, dirt work is underway on a $15 million, 400,000-square-foot ad- dition to its existing 125,000-square-foot facility. An official groundbreaking is yet to be scheduled for the project by gen- eral contractor Ross Construction Group LLC. “We’re focused on growth and our expansion right now,” said Ozarks Coca-Cola Vice President Sally Hargis, a week af- ter the approved labor contract with Teamsters Local 245. Hargis, who also is the company’s board chairwoman, said the project doesn’t yet have an esti- mated completion date, though she’s confident it’ll wrap up next year. It covers 24 acres the company owns west of the existing plant. Ozarks Coca-Cola has been leasing 85,000 square feet of warehouse space at Partnership Industrial Center, 2960 N. Martin St., for more than two years, she said. The bottler of dozens of soft drink beverages plans to add to its 700-em- ployee roster in connection with the warehouse expansion. Hargis said See COKE on page 22 Ozarks Coca-Cola also reaches a three-year labor contract renewal with union Council takes next step in Fisk case by Kyle Boaz · kboaz@sbj.net Springfield City Council on Oct. 7 voted unanimously to appoint retired Webster Coun- ty Associate Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Thompson as the hearing examiner for allega- tions against Council- woman Jan Fisk. The appointment stems from multiple claims by retired liti- gation paralegal Lin- da Simkins, who has blown the whistle on Fisk’s potential per- sonal gain in contracts with the city related to her ownership in J. Howard Fisk Limou- sines Inc. and private interest in Galloway Village blight legislation. Allegations also involve tax payments on prop- erties Fisk owns with her husband and son, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. Before the vote, Fisk read from a statement: “Although I must recuse myself because this resolution is about me, I fully support it and I look forward to resolving this,” she said. All of Fisk’s colleagues on council signed the request last month to refer the allegations to a hearing examiner. Fisk, who is not seeking re- election in 2020, did sign the initial letter for review given to Mayor Ken McClure before a council meeting in March, when the body started investigating the alleged conflicts of in- terest, according to past SBJ reporting. “From the beginning, I have requested a hear- ing to address the original complaint,” she said in her statement. “This is the procedure that I believe will resolve any remaining issue.” Jan Fisk: “I fully support” the hearing examiner. See COUNCIL on page 24 Jim Kabell calls the new union contract with Ozarks Coca- Cola “decent.”