Open for Business: Lilac Lane and Co.

Lilac Lane and Co.
The boutique scene grew on Nixa’s South Main Street with the March 6 launch of Lilac Lane and Co. Owner Lisa Cash said the shop at 109 S. Main St., Ste. A, specializes in garden and outdoor items, as well as kitchen wares. She estimated around $50,000 in startup costs. Prices are generally $5-$20, she said, noting the shop sells plant containers, birdhouses, clothing and loose-leaf teas, as well as environmentally friendly products, including wooden spoons and reusable straws. Cash and her daughter, Calli Harris, are Lilac Lane’s lone employees. The shop is the third boutique on a short stretch of the street, joining Sugar Cube Lane baby and children’s clothing on the ground floor of the same building, and clothing store Luk Boutique next door at 111 S. Main St. Cash signed a two-year lease for an undisclosed rate with Kennedy Rose Properties LLC. She previously owned Slumgullion Gift Gallery and Rose Petal clothing and accessories, both in Colorado.
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Phone: 417-655-0334
Web: LilacLaneAndCo.com 

Branco Enterprises Inc.
Neosho-based general contractor Branco Enterprises Inc. expanded its presence in Springfield with the March 2 opening of a newly constructed office at 1864 S. State Highway MM. Vice President Sean Thouvenot said Branco constructed the 6,000-square-foot, one-story building just north of the James River Freeway/Route 360 extension for roughly $800,000. Designed by Esterly Schneider & Associates Inc., it has offices, a workshop and storage yard for company materials and equipment. Engineering work was by Pinnacle Design Consultants LLC and Interpres Building Solutions LLC. Branco previously leased 1,500 square feet in an office complex at 1525 E. Republic Road. Thouvenot said the company originally planned to move in October, but first had to complete a backlog of customer jobs. Eight employees staff the office, across the street from Carnahan-White Fence, with another 35 working off-site, he said.
Hours: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Phone: 417-451-5250
Web: Branco.com

A Wench in the Gear LLC
A year after debuting on Commercial Street, clothing retailer A Wench in the Gear moved Jan. 15 to a new home in the north-side historic district. C.C. Guice, owner and sole employee, purchased the building at 301 W. Commercial St. for an undisclosed price from Matt M. Miller. She opened the shop, selling a variety of corsets, hats, jackets, kilts and costume-play attire, in November 2018 at 213 W. Commercial St. Guice said the initial one-year lease with Jina Gorham was a trial period for her first retail venture, and she fell in love with Commercial Street during that time. “I was ready to jump in with both feet and call it home,” she said. Her new building formerly housed Uriel’s Unusual Bookstore, which shuttered last year. A Wench in the Gear occupies roughly 3,300 square feet of the building, Guice said, with the remaining 1,700 square feet on its west side available for lease.
Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday
Phone: 417-766-4190
Web: AWenchInTheGear.com