STRICTLY BUSINESS: LITTLE STORE ON THE CORNER CLOSES DOORS

It was just a little store on the corner.

But for more than six decades, "delivering the goods" was a way of life for the family-owned Werner's CGA Supermarket.

But, Werner's, an icon of a bygone era of the grocery business, has now become, sadly, part of the past.

Kenneth Werner locked the doors of his market at the corner of Henderson Avenue and Broadway for the last time more than a week ago.

The store closed Oct. 16, said Werner.

The small supermarket made home deliveries a part of its service since opening 63 years ago.

"At one time, we had two trucks and two drivers," said Kenneth Werner, who was involved in the business as a youngster and until just over a week ago when the story closed.

The delivery service helped through the years, said Werner.

Competition and customers' buying patterns changed through the years, but the value the Werner business placed on the delivery service never changed.

"A solid customer service and delivery helped our business retain customers," he said. "It was the only service that other places didn't have"

Werner said he or an assistant would often bag groceries, take them to a customer and even place items in the refrigerator.

Werner's Grocery was founded in 1935, when Clarence Werner, his wife, Maude, and a cousin, Alvin Werner, opened the store on Dec. 1, 1935. Alvin Werner sold his interest to Clarence Werner in the early 1960s.,

Groceries were sold in larger quantities then, said Kenneth Werner.

Many of the early customers were farmers who made the trip into town only occasionally. Werner's sold flour by the 100-pound sack and sorghum by the barrel.

As the city grew, the demand for bulk food disappeared. The list of neighborhood markets was a long one, but the appearance of supermarkets began nudging many of the family-owned neighborhood markets out of business.

"I'm going to miss the business," said Werner, who assumed operation of the store in 1976.

Some of Werner's customers will miss the store, and the delivery service, too.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," remarked one longtime customer. "Mr. Werner was more than a grocer -- he was my friend."

Werner was involved in the store a long while. He worked there while he was in grade school, and assumed full operation 22 years ago.

"It was interesting work," he said. "You got to know your customers."

Some customers paid their bills by the week, some by the month. "We used an old antiquated piece of equipment for storing customers tickets," he said.

It wasn't a lucrative business, admitted Werner, "but I could still make a living out it."

The CGA initials in the store's name?

"At one time we were members of a group called Cape Grocery Association," said Werner. "We kept it in our store name."

Werner said he didn't know what would happened to the structure which housed the store for 63 years. He sold it to the Southeast Missouri State University. The university has not announced plans for the property.

Job training funds

The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) and its Division of Job Development and Training have approved more than 7.6 million in "on-the-job" and/or classroom training assistance to help in training of more than 18,000 new or existing employees in Missouri.

The funds, released from the Missouri Job Development Fund through the Customized Training Program, will support training program for more than 220 Missouri companies.

More than $340,000 in funding was approved for 19 Southeast Missouri companies for training of more than 805 workers.

"Our department believes that enhancing the skill levels of Missouri workers is directly related to increased economic prosperity throughout our state," said Joseph L. Driskill, DED director. "Both companies and employees benefit from this program.

Funds went to the following area companies:

Cape Girardeau: Procter & Gamble Paper Products Inc., 60 trainees, $23,000.

Chaffee: S&W Cabinets Inc., 64 employees, $38,975.

Farmington: Huffy Bicycle Co., 100 trainees, $46,000, and Banee's Toys Inc., 10, $7,800

Fredericktown: Cape America, 10, $5,600, and Choice Welding and Fabrication, $3,720.

Jackson: Lucent Recycling, 6, $8,400; American Railcar Industries, 50, $16,756; and Lee-Rowan Co., 40, $26,350.

Park Hills; Airtech Inc., 8, $8,640.

Perryville: Sabreliner, 15, $27,000.

Potosi: Red Wing Shoe, 100, $44,000.

Poplar Bluff: Briggs & Stratton, 40, $17,250; Starting USA Corp., 40, $17,50; and Rowe Furniture, 20, $5,750.

Scott City: Riverport Terminal, $5,040.

Sikeston: Good Humor-Breyers, 190, $49,985, and Morad Manufacturing, 30, $31,200.

Ste. Genevieve: Eric Scott Leathers, 10, $11,500.

Totals: $342,696 for training of 805 workers.

B. Ray Owen is business editor for the Southeast Missourian.