The Better Business Bureau (BBB) celebrated the opening of their new branch in Cape Girardeau, Mo. with a ribbon cutting ceremony and an open house on Monday.
According to Regional Director Joey Keys, the BBB is a non-profit organization that serves consumers and businesses
They opened a new branch to better serve the 92 counties in the eastern Missouri and the southern Illinois region, he said.
“For such a large region it just made sense to position an office here in Cape Girardeau, so we can help service southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri,” Keys said.
President and CEO of the BBB of Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois Michelle Corey said Cape Girardeau was chosen for the new location after students from Saint Louis University studied the current business population, consumer public and potential growth factors in the region.
“They looked at our 92 county service area to see if there is a region that is not being served properly by the Better Business Bureau that could use some assistance with a consumer protection organization like the BBB,” she said.
The BBB offers consumer protection services for the general public. They also provide ethical standards for businesses and charities to help them gain consumer trust, Corey explained.
“For the business community we provide educational webinars on how to provide better service to consumers, and how to be an ethical business in all of their transactions,” she said.
Corey said they will work closely with the local media to alert consumers to scams and provide them with tips.