OLDEST: RETAILER PROUD OF TRADITION

IN 1908, CHARLES H.W. MEYER STANDS IN MEYER AND SCHWAB HARDWARE.

What keeps a retail business booming for close to a century? A careful merger of tradition with progress, says Dennis Meyer, manager of Meyer Supply, formerly Suedekum Hardware Co.

Meyer said the secret to this business's success story has been a willingness to change with the times. The company is Cape Girardeau's oldest retail business.

Its story begins at the turn of the century when George Meyer and Herman Schwab teamed up to establish the Meyer and Schwab Hardware Co. in 1900.

Four years later, the Meyer building was constructed at 620 Good Hope by W.H. Meyer. In 1912, W.F. Suedekum purchased the Schwab portion of the operation, and the business became known as Meyer and Suedekum Hardware.

In 1926, Suedekum bought the Meyer interests, and a new sign, Suedekum Hardware, was installed although the Meyer Building sign was still intact.

Fifty-six years later, in 1982, the ownership returned to the Meyer family, when Robert E. Meyer of Sikeston, formerly of Cape Girardeau and a relative of the original founders, purchased the Suedekum interests and assumed control of the operation of the store.

At that time, Witt Suedekum, who had been store manager 42 years, remained involved in the operation in an advisory capacity and the Suedekum Hardware name remained.

When Suedekum retired in 1990, the name was changed to Meyer Supply.

The business now extends from the middle of the 600 block of Good Hope to the corner.

In 1986, a new Meyer Supply storage warehouse was constructed at 608 Good Hope and was connected to the 620 building by a storage yard. The company had been using the upstairs portion of Suedekum's Hardware for storage. It is now used for showrooms and offices.

Dennis Meyer, who has been involved in the business since 1982 when his father bought the company, said, "Over the years, we have always been willing to change with the times."

In the early days of the hardware business they installed windshields in Model T's, sold auto tires and even sold a few tractors.

"We used to even store wagons up here," he said. "They were hauled up the freight elevator."

Some of the first farms to have electric lights were powered by the store's systems: gas generators charging a bank of glass enclosed storage batteries.

Before World War II, the store sold both battery and electric powered radios, major appliances and power tools.

The motto used to be "If you can't find at Suedekum's, you can't find it," Meyer said. Lately, that's not always true. "Unfortunately our stock is not as diverse as it once was," he said.

Instead, Meyer said the company has moved to specialize somewhat. Most recently, the business has focused on more commercial heating, plumbing and air conditioning.

But all through it's history, the company has sold retail hardware.

"We have always adapted to whatever economic forces have come to play and have changed to stay in business," Meyer said.

"We still have a lot of people, residential and commercial, who still buy hardware items from us," Meyer said. "We still do some things that other companies don't do. We cut and thread pipe and we still provide a lot of service."

History remains important to the business, Meyer said.

"The old floor and tin ceiling are from the original building," Meyer said. "We refurbished some very old light fixtures and are using those upstairs."

Meyer said he's involved in a recent effort to refurbish the Good Hope neighborhood.

"We are trying to upgrade the area historically and economically. Hopefully that all will be positive for businesses here," Meyer said. "We been here over 90 years and hopefully will be here another 90 years."