MID-1980s HEADLINE: SHOE WORKERS ADVISED TO LOOK FOR OTHER WORK

A mid-1980s newspaper headline said: "Shoeworkers advised to look for other work."

The issue of shoe imports was in the headlines, and U.S. Labor Department officials were pointing to the more than 70 percent market share that the United States had lost to imports.

This country could no longer compete with the low-cost imports primarily because of lower wages paid to foreign workers.

"In terms of labor costs, U.S. workers would have to work for 50 cents an hours, and I don't think they can eat on that," said one labor official.

It hasn't always been that way.

A quarter century ago, more than 233,000 workers were involved in shoe production in the United States, producing 642 million pairs of shoes for a 79 percent shoe market share in this country.

In 1968, 14 million pairs of shoes were imported from Taiwan, a million pairs came in from Spain and 50,000 shoes were shipped here from Brazil.

The domestic shoe market has been on the decline since.

Twenty years later, in 1988, the U.S. shoe industry labor force had dwindled to 84,000 workers, producing 300 million pairs of shoes, for only a 20 percent market share. The lion's share of shoes was being sent here from other countries.

According to the U.S. Commerce Department, during one four-year period -- 1981 to 1985 -- 200 U.S. shoe factories closed, leaving 500 plants scattered throughout 38 states, 60 of them in the country's leading shoe producing state of Maine. Missouri ranked second in national shoe production.

Things haven't improved.

In fact, another 4,000 jobs have been eliminated from the shoe industry in Southeast Missouri over the past five years, and 1,300 more will be added to that list by spring of this year.

The latest shoe factory closings were announced more than a week ago when Brown Shoe Company notified 1,328 workers in four areas that it was shutting down operations during the first half of 1994.

These include 412 workers at Caruthersville, 408 at Mountain Grove, 211 at Charleston and 297 at Piedmont. The closings are in rural areas which depend heavily on shoe factory jobs. In many cases, both spouses work at the shoe plants, leaving some families with the dismal prospect of no income.

Charleston and Caruthersville have been hit by Brown Company layoffs and plant closings twice in the past three years. Charleston lost 300 jobs during a closure in 1991, and Caruthersville lost 51 jobs during the 1991 cutback.

U.S. shoe companies blame the closings of domestic operations on a flood of imports from countries where people work for low wages, allowing foreign manufacturers to sell shoes far more cheaply than American companies.

Imports now make up 87 percent of the shoes sold in the United States, with China holding a 60 percent share of that U.S. market.

Turning back the clock, let's look at some of the good and the bad happenings in the history of the area shoe industry:

The good:

1907: Work starts in new Cape Girardeau Shoe Factory.

1911: Shoe factory workers hold picnic and barbecue.

1912: Shoe factory workers host dance at West End Hall.

1914: Shoe factory girls sponsor a moonlight excursion on the steamer, "Cape Girardeau."

1921: Shoe factory here turning out 8,760 pairs of shoes a day.

1922: Cape Shoe factory employs 1,200 workers, weekly payroll at $27,000; Jackson shoe factory employs 120, payroll at $1,800.

1923: Sikeston raises $70,000 in five days for new shoe factory.

1924: Cape Shoe Factory seeks to secure an addition to building with total expenditures over five years to total $5.1 million.

1924: Perryville raises $148,000 for new shoe factory.

1934: Housing shortage becomes serious at Jackson as opening of new shoe factory draws near.

1937: Chaffee celebrates completion of shoe factory building.

1968: New Florsheim Shoe Factory constructed near intersection of Highway 74 and Boulevard.

And, the bad:

1975: Sikeston International Shoe Factory closes, 450 jobs.

1979: Chaffee Shoe Factory closes, 450 jobs.

1984: Ironton Shoe Factory closes, 400 jobs.

1986: Florsheim Shoe Factory closes in Poplar Bluff, 200 jobs.

1986: Potosi Shoe Factory closes, 51 jobs.

1988: International Shoe closes at Perryville, 250 jobs.

1988: Florsheim Shoe Factory closes at Jackson, 250 jobs.

1991: Brown Shoe closes plant at Fredericktown, 450 jobs.

1991: Brown Shoe closes factory at Charleston, 300 jobs.

1991: Brown closes plant at Bernie, 450 jobs.

1991: Brown closes factory at Caruthersville, 51 jobs.

1993: Shoe factory closes at Anna, 300 jobs.

1994: Brown announce factory to close at Caruthersville, 400 jobs.

1994: Brown announces factory to close at Charleston, 300 jobs.

1994: Brown announces factory to close at Piedmont, 300 jobs.

1994: Brown announces factory to close at Mountain Grove, 408.

Eagle One Inc., a regional distributor of Eagle Snacks headquartered in Cape Girardeau, has expanded its territory into Tennessee.

"Our new territory will include Tennessee from the Tennessee River west to the Mississippi River, and from Kentucky south to the state of Mississippi, with the exception of Shelby County," said James Rust, founder in 1991 and president of Eagle One Inc.

An Eagle One Inc. warehouse will be situated in Jackson, Tenn.

This marks the second expansion within a year for Eagle One Inc. which acquired the Louisiana territory of New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette for its Eagle Snacks food products in 1993.

Eagle Snacks, founded in 1979, is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc., and has established itself as one of the fastest growing and most innovative firms in the snack food industry.

Eggimann Feed and Seed, a store which has specialized in feeds and seeds and related supplies more than 67 years -- 55 of them in the same location at 514 Independence in Cape Girardeau -- is closing.

"The old fashioned store will be no more," said H.C. "Hank" Mellone, who has operated the store more than six years. "We just haven't been able to compete in the market and earn enough profit to continue operating."

Mellone, a former University of Missouri Extension Service employee, and his wife, Norma, point out that it's about time to start thinking about seeding lawns and gardens.

"Our closing will provide an opportunity for people to acquire seed and fertilizer at great savings," said Mellone. "We basically have a complete inventory at the store, and it must all go. We'll be open on Saturdays with our `going out of business' sale."

Mellone has taken a job with 1st Tire & Wheel, a wholesale tire dealer at 99 S. Louisiana, Cape Girardeau.

"We liked the business and the old building," said Mellone. "We'll miss the customers."

Eggimann Feed, which was established on South Frederick in 1926 by O.E. Eggimann, moved to its present site in 1938.

The building originally housed Pollack Hide & Fur and is still much the same as it was when it was built, with high ceilings and sturdy wooden floors.

The Golden Dragon Restaurant, 217 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, will close Tuesday for remodeling.

"We'll do a complete interior renovation -- walls, carpet, the works," said Peter Choi, owner/operator of the restaurant.

Choi said the restaurant would reopen in about a month.

Complete Health Care, headquartered in St. Louis, has opened its fifth home health care facility in Missouri, at 1707 Mt. Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau.

Julia Cowsert of Cape Girardeau, who has more than 15 years experience in the health field, is case manager of the Cape Girardeau office, which will be serving Cape Girardeau and Perry counties.

"We hope to offer Bollinger, Scott and Ste. Genevieve counties in the future," said Cowsert.

The new service offers private duty nursing from one to 24 hours a day in the home, hospital or nursing home, and is Medicaid approved.

"We also provide live-in companion service and hospice care for the terminally ill," said Cowsert. "At present we have six full- or part-time staff members, all certified nurses, registered nurses or licensed practical nurses. We also have an employee pool we can call on as care is needed."

Other Complete Health Care centers are at Hannibal, Hillsboro, St. Clair and Montgomery City.

Cape Girardeau Prosthetic Lab Inc., 44 Doctors' Park, has purchased Griffith Orthotics Inc., 91 S. Plaza Way.

The firm offers complete prosthetic and orthotic services, including new and replacement artificial limbs, repairs, adjustments and supplies.

All prosthetic and orthotic services will be available at 44 Doctors' Park. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Cape Girardeau Prosthetic Lab is the only certified prosthetic facility between St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn,

Certified prosthetists at the lab are Delbert Lee Cobb and Kenneth E. Fulton. Steven T. Griffith, a former owner of Griffith Orthotics, has joined the prosthetic lab. He is certified in orthotics

BOAT NOTES:

Fritz A. Johnson, a veteran casino hotel executive, has been appointed vice president and general manager for Aztar Corp.'s planned riverboat casino at Caruthersville.

Johnson joined Aztar's predecessor, Ramada Inc., in 1978, and has served as vice president of finance at Ramada Express since 1989. He is a graduate of Bradley University with a bachelor's degree in accounting.

Aztar, which has been selected by Caruthersville city officials to operate a riverboat casino on the Mississippi River in downtown Caruthersville, has filed application with the Missouri Gaming Commission for a permit.

The company recently opened an office at 324 Ward Street in Caruthersville.

The East-Coast Trump Organization and Missouri-based Charles Drury have formed a partnership on the hotel part of Trump's $300 million proposal to land a riverboat gambling lease at Laclede's Landing riverfront at St. Louis.

The Trump Organization's new partnership with the hotel developer would not only build at least one hotel on the riverfront but also probably expand Drury's 180-room Drury Inn at Union Market. A group representative said Trump and Drury could work together to promote St. Louis to conventions, tourists and gamblers. Drury recently acquired property in Laclede's Landing -- the historic Witte Hardware Building -- which the representative said might be a "potential" hotel site. Druco is also looking into purchasing an adjacent 100,000-square-foot parking lot.

The Trump group has revised its $300 million riverboat gambling proposal, agreeing to move its 1,100-room convention hotel from the waterfront to a site the city favors.

Fantasy, a bus limousine service headquartered near Arnold, will start a twice-a-month shuttle service to the Casino Queen riverboat casino at East St. Louis.

"We're looking at the second Thursday in February to start the service," said Mike Nelson, one of Fantasy's owners. "We'll start with twice-a-month trips."

Passengers will ride in a luxurious bus limousine, which contains two televisions, nightclub sound system, restroom and a hostess. The bus also includes three bar areas and will seat 30 passengers.

The bus limousine service, which was founded two years ago, also schedules charters to college basketball and football games, baseball games, Fairmount Park, weddings and other events.

Additional information is available by calling (314)-440-5100.