ADVANCED BUSINESS SYSTEMS CELEBRATES

Jack Mehner, armed with a franchise for Olivetti Office Equipment for Missouri's Bootheel, founded what he called Advanced Business Systems in 1963 as a "cottage industry."

Working out of his home and utilizing an answering service at Sikeston, Mehner, who had moved to Cape Girardeau from the St. Louis area, called on clients throughout the Bootheel.

"I had the Olivetti franchise for the entire Bootheel area," said Mehner, whose business turns 30 this year. "I worked out of my home until the late 1960s, when we established an office at 430 Broadway. During the first nine years we sold and serviced only Olivetti typewriters and calculators."

Mehner was no stranger to Olivetti products; he had worked as a service technician for Olivetti Office Equipment in St. Louis for more than 10 years.

"I had been with the Olivetti company since 1952, when the Bootheel franchise became available," said Mehner. "When the opportunity to start my own company came along, I moved the family to Cape Girardeau.

Mehner's first territory, however, didn't include Cape Girardeau.

"We started at Sikeston," he said. "We eventually established an office there, and when Cape Girardeau became available we took on the added territory and opened an office on Broadway."

Today, ABS works out of a modern two-story building at 2845 Independence. It has a branch office at Dexter. The firm calls on clients throughout Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

Among products offered by the company are Olivetti equipment; Lanier Business Products, manufacturers of dictation, telephone and computer systems; IBM typewriters and systems; Southwestern Bell equipment; and Eagle River Computers.

"We have 14 employees, including sales personnel, technicians and others, all experienced in the office equipment industry," said Mehner.

Also involved in the business is Mehner's son, John Mehner, who joined the firm about seven years ago and is now vice president.

It was in 1972 that ABS received the dealership for Lanier.

"That same year we grew to 10 employees," Mehner said. "In 1977 we opened a branch office in the Town & Country Shopping Center at Dexter."

The firm also expanded its Cape Girardeau operation.

"That was the year we constructed our new building at 2845 Independence," said Mehner. "Following our expansion, we took on dealership for AT&T, Southwestern Bell, IBM and Xerox."

In 1986, ABS expanded its Cape Girardeau operation again, adding another 2,000 feet to the building, said Mehner. "We were out of space and we needed a place to house our technical department, and additional warehouse space."

During his three decades of business in Cape Girardeau, the Mehners have been active in community and civic work. Jack Mehner has served as president of the Lions Club, and has served two terms on the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, including a term as vice chairman.

John Mehner is also a member of the Chamber, and recently completed a term as chairman of its board. The younger Mehner has also been active in the Area Wide United Way campaign.