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Every Monday at 6:42 a.m. and 8:42 a.m., Rob Gilligan provides information on what's happening in the area of regional development in Southeast Missouri. Rob is the President and CEO of the Cape Chamber. Local support for "Let's Talk Business" is provided by Carved + Crafted Catering. (573) 651-2569

Let's Talk Business: On the Go with "carGo"

Cape Chamber
Shad Burner & Gunnar Knudtson

On Friday, January 27, 2017, I took the first ever ride given by carGO, Cape’s new ride sharing company.

This new business is such a bright spot in Cape for several reasons. First of all, they are filling an important need in our community. Transportation is a quality of life issue and having a ride-sharing service is a really strong improvement. There are cases of foreign exchange students using the service to get groceries, community members using it when attending events, or elderly individuals using it for doctors’ appointments. But perhaps the most compelling use case is a visually impaired couple who have use the service more than a dozen times. This allows them the freedom to quickly run out and grab lunch or do some shopping. Just an incredible story.

Second, this creates jobs and extra income for people. This type of work is known as the “gig economy,” basically a marketplace that utilizes short-term contracts or freelance workers. It’s critical we embrace this new economy as the world moves more in this direction. And we really have. There are currently more than 60 carGO drivers.

Finally, what’s really exciting to me, is to see viable businesses coming out of our entrepreneurial ecosystem. carGO isn’t the only example, but it’s a good one. They have over 1,600 customers who have downloaded the app and delivered over 500 rides in the first two weekends. I’m certain we will see carGO and other startups continue that success in the future.

Let me close with a few other business announcements: 

• Stev-Mark cut the ribbon on their remodeled facility in Heritage Square on William Street last week.

• Midori, a new Japanese restaurant opened in the Plaza.

• Golden Corral opened by the new Drury Conference Center and finally, Panda Express announced a new location coming this summer on Siemers Drive.

Stay tuned for more announcements coming soon!

For more information on this and other business issues, visit krcu.org.
 

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