“I’m wanting to retire,” Pelley said. “When you run a business like that, of that size, it’s a 24/7 job.”
For-sale signs have popped up in the store’s front window in October and an auction that same month emptied a good bit of the 22,500 square feet space on five floors. Pelley bought the property in March 1991 and opened for that year’s Quilt Show.
He said he hopes to find a buyer and asks anyone interested to call 270-519-2582.
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Cotton Tails, a children’s consignment shop, opened at 2200 Broadway after moving across the street from its former location on the bottom floor of the former Ritz Hotel. Owner Michelle Loyd said the new location offers more space and storage.
The shop specializes in name brand, used children’s items and performs custom embroidery.
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. For more information call 270-444-9727.
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Purple Toad Winery in Lone Oak took home seven awards at the 2012 Florida State Fair International Wine Competition, including two golds.
The winery’s Grants Pomegranate took gold and its Paducah Harbor landed double gold awards, according to a release from Purple Toad Owner Allen Dossey.
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Southfork Lighting and Southfork Electrical Supply will merge under one roof at the former Gore’s IGA building, 2860 Lone Oak Road, according to Kenny Smith, branch manager at Southfork Electrical.
Smith said the company hopes to open the new location, which is double the size of the two existing Southfork sites, in April.
Southfork Lighting, 3231 Lone Oak Road, provides home lighting options and light fixtures, while Southfork Electrical Supply provides lighting options to industrial and business clients, Smith said.
Locals recognize the Gore’s IGA building as the site of the former locally-owned grocery store run by Bill Gore and his father before him.
The first Gore-owned market opened in 1949 in Lone Oak, and Bill Gore took over the grocery store in 1976. Gore closed the grocery store in 2002.
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Kentucky’s Cabinet for Economic Development is accepting applications from small businesses statewide with fewer than 500 employees for grant money to help companies export products.
The STEP grants are available through the State Trade and Export Promotion, a three-year trade and export initiative authorized by the Small Business Administration Act of 2010 that aims to increase the number of small businesses that export.
Successful applicants will be able to use the money to perform market research, identify international customers, participate in trade shows, and translate websites and marketing materials. Applicants also have to meet revenue requirements set by the SBA.
For more information visit kyexports.com and click on “Assistance.”
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The Kansas Bankers Association endorsed the Web@Work portal from Computer Services, Inc.
The KBA is the 15th state banking association endorsement for the product from the full-service provider of bank technology and core processing solutions.
Web@Work allows employees and board members to access, prepare reports and other funtions through an online network.
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Specialty yarn and knitting supply store With Ewe In Mind is open in a new location at 830 Jefferson St.
Owner Maureen Tavernaro said the new spot puts the store closer to Lower Town and downtown than its former location at 2223 Broadway.
The shop is in the former music studio of Douglas Van Fleet at the corner of Ninth and Jefferson Streets, which was built as a home in 1840.
Products and services remain the same, and Tavernaro said store hours are 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday; 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Tavernaro said a grand opening will take place near the start of the quilt show.
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StarGaze Energy of Paducah was one of three Kentucky small businesses named Blue Ribbon Small Business Award winners by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The awards program honors companies that demonstrate excellent business practices in several areas, including strategy, employee development, community involvement and customer service.
From around the nation, 75 businesses were selected Blue Ribbon winners that will be honored at America’s Small Business Summit from May 21-23 in Washington, D.C. An overall winner will be chosen March 15 and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
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The Little Academy, a new state-licensed child care facility, opened in the last week of February at 6000 Buckner Lane.
Owner Victoria Marsh has 13 years child care experience and said the business is for children ages 3 weeks to 12 years.
Educational lessons are an emphasis, Marsh said, with sign language lessons available for children as young as 3 months.
Different education programs are available for varying age groups.
Business hours are 6:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. For more information call 270-933-1229.
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MSPmentor, a managed services blog and news site, ranked Computer Services, Inc. of Paducah as one of the 10 largest managed service providers in its annual Top 100 Global Managed Service Providers list.
The website’s survey ranked CSI the sixth largest global managed services provider and the fifth largest in North America.
The ranking is based on revenue as well as overall managed services revenue growth, managed services revenue per employee and the number of devices managed.
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The Courtyard by Marriott at 3835 Technology Drive hosted the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce Mix & Mingle event to highlight the hotel’s renovations.
The networking event Feb. 28 took place in renovated business meeting rooms and throughout the new-look lobby.
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Purple Toad Winery in Lone Oak took home its first Double Gold award, along with six other awards, at the 2012 Florida State Fair.
The local winery took home Double Gold for its Paducah Harbor. Other awards: Gold for Grant’s Pomegranate and Silver for 2009 Merlot, Black & Blue, PeachBerry, Paducah Peach and Lauren’s Blackberry.
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Muddea’s Soul Food and BBQ restaurant opened March 8 at 1735 Bridge St.
Owner Regina Morton said the restaurant stresses from-scratch home-style cooking. The Paducah location is the third Muddea’s with the other two located in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Tupelo, Miss.
Restaurant hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, closed Monday. Call 270-444-0124 for more information.
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United Propane Gas in Paducah purchased two new companies: Fuelgas of Lake Placid, Fla., and Heartland Propane of Sebring, Fla. UPG serves 300,000 customers in 11 states.
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The Kentucky Labor Cabinet awarded LATA Environmental Services of Kentucky, Babcock and Wilcox Conversion Services and Swift and Staley Mechanical Contractors a Governor’s Safety and Health Award for having worked more than 1 million hours without a lost-time accident or injury.
The award is given to employers and their employees who together have achieved the required number of hours worked without experiencing a lost-time injury or illness.
The contractors are part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s project to perform environmental remediation work at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
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Carrel Childress and his son-in-law James Oliver of Oliver and Childress Farm in Paducah were named Grower of the Month for chicken company Pilgrim’s.
Childress and Oliver were recognized among 4,100 growers as being some of the best farmers in the company with outstanding production and performance.
Childress’ parents, Hubbert and Hazel Childress, bought 108 acres where the two chicken houses sit around Christmas 1950.
Childress and his wife, Phyllis, bought the farm from his parents in 1972 after already purchasing a nearby 48-acre farm in 1962.
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Computer Services, Inc. in Paducah re-branded four of its recent acquisitions to combine the companies into one that merges more than 1,000 employees and 23 offices.
CSI also unveiled a new website, logo and overall brand positioning. Established customers, however, will experience no change in their products. “Uniting our company under the CSI brand positions us to offer more integrated, streamlined solutions, and we want to assure our customers that the quality of our services will remain unchanged,” said Steven Powless, chief executive officer.


