NEW BUSINESS: NEW OFFICE EQUIPMENT SERVICE CENTER OPENS

Standard Office Products of Murphysboro, Ill. has opened a service center for office equipment in Cape Girardeau.

The company, owned by Bill Heckert of Cape Girardeau, opened the local office at 38 N. Spanish when Standard Office Products took over the service accounts of Tri-State Copiers here.

The Spanish St. store will serve as local office for the company's wholesale and retail sales of Canon off-lease and rental return units.

Heckert, an educator -- high school principal and district superintendent -- in Southeast Missouri before opening his first office products store in Scott city in 1979, purchased the Southern Illinois dealership for Canon products from Johnson Office Equipment in 1996, and changed the name to Standard Office Products.

Heckert was previously associated with Superior Office Products and IKON Office Solutions, and has been recognized as an award-winning Canon sales producer.

Standard Office Equipment -- previously Johnson Office Equipment -- has been located in Murphysboro 25 years and is still headquartered there, with a store offering a full line of office equipment and furniture.

A Standard Office refurbish center is located at Sikeston.