INDUSTRY OF THE YEAR: CHAMBER AWARD TO THORNGATE

A scaled-down model of the Statue of Liberty is one of the first things people notice when they turn off Independence Street into the Thorngate Ltd. parking lot in the 1500 block of Independence.

The statue was erected in front of the sprawling clothing manufacturing complex in 1991 to honor the sons, daughters and other relatives of Thorngate employees who were served during the Persian Gulf War.

The large, sprawling complex of more than four acres under roof houses state-of-the-art cutting and sewing operations of Thorngate Ltd., a manufacturer of Hart, Schafner and Marx clothing, Tommy Hilfiger sportswear and other lines.

Thorngate Ltd., a division of Hart, Schaffner & Marx, which has been in Cape Girardeau more than 30 years, has been honored as the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's 1996 Industry of the Year.

Thorngate, a familiar name in the manufacturing of men's clothing, was recognized Wednesday night with the Commitment to Excellence Award during the chamber's annual industrial appreciation dinner at the Show Me Center.

"This is a great honor," said Ron Dirnberger, Thorngate plant manager, who accepted the giant Commitment of Excellence trophy from Dennis Marchi, chairman of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce board. "We're happy to be in the city of Cape Girardeau.

"I'm accepting this award in memory of Frank Adams," said Dirnberger. "It was Frank who brought Thorngate to Cape Girardeau in 1973. He inspired people and he helped make the Cape Girardeau facility the cornerstone of Hartmarx."

The award was presented following remarks by Joe Malarky, a standup comedian who addressed the crowd of 816 people following the Industrial Week Dinner.

The late Frank Adams guided Thorngate's climb into manufacturing prominence at Cape Girardeau. Thorngate employs more than 600 people at the Cape Girardeau plant. When the company opened operations at Cape Girardeau it was as Hart, Shafner & Marx.

Adams, who was vice president and general manager of the Southern Division of Hart, Schaffner and Marx Corp. until his death earlier this year, joined the company at Chaffee in 1967, after 10 years with the Jaymar-Rubby company in Alabama. Six years later he moved to the Cape Girardeau plant, which was established in January 1973.

Over the next 30 years Adams, a tough and often blunt-spoken manager in the rapidly changing apparel industry, was instrumental in Thorngate's growth in Cape Girardeau. It was Adams who started the twice-annual suit sales that attracted a large influx of people to the city every year.

Thorngate, one of the largest manufacturers of men's clothing in the world, produces more than 6,000 suits a week at the Cape Girardeau facility. Each coat involves 125 operations after cutting.

Thorngate is among the Top 10 manufacturers by employment in the Southeast Missouri area and is the ninth recipient of the Commitment to Excellence Award.

The local chamber started recognizing existing industries eight years ago with its Industry of the Year Award. Industries honored during that period include General Sign, Lone Star Industries, P&G, Biokyowa, Concord Publishing Co., Dana Corp., Florsheim Shoe Co. and Spartech Corp.