RETAIL OPERATIONS WILL LOCATE DOWNTOWN; CHRISMAN ART, OFMCO DESTINED FOR MAIN STREET

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- One of the nation's largest buyers and sellers of new and used office furniture will open a retail operation in downtown Cape Girardeau this month.

This announcement, made Friday by Ken Davis, vice president of OFMCO, headquartered at Sikeston, was one of two major developments concerning the downtown retail business community Friday.

Chrisman Art Gallery will return to downtown Cape Girardeau after a 10-year absence, since it moved to West Park Mall in 1981.

Both developments involved real estate transactions of large vacant buildings on Main Street.

Don Lowe, president of OFMCO, purchased the old Montgomery Ward store building from Andy Juden, and the Vinson family of Dexter purchased the former Otasco Drug Store building, at 34 N. Main, from Martin Hecht.

"The entire downtown area is thrilled with these two developments," said Evelyn Boardman, marketing director for the Downtown Merchants Association. "It's not often that someone purchases or leases a large building, and to see two businesses emerge in one week is great. This will be a big boost to the downtown area."

The drug store building contains more than 10,000 square feet, and the new OFMCO company building has more than 25,000 square feet.

"We'll open this month," said Davis, who flew into Cape Girardeau from New York City to help oversee the start-up operation. "We're remodeling the inside of the building."

OFMCO has been in the wholesale used office furniture business for more than 20 years.

"Our primary business is wholesaling used furniture to retail outlets throughout the U.S.," said Davis. "Recently the firm started a program to open its own retail operations."

The Cape Girardeau store will be the third, noted Davis. Other retail stores are located at Sikeston and Springdale, Ark. The new store hours will be Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A manager for the store will be announced in the near future.

"A number of other locations are under consideration," said Davis.

Lowe expressed his elation with the Cape Girardeau site by telephone to Davis.

"Don is out of town on a buying trip," said Davis. "But, he is very pleased with the location here and is looking forward to opening the new store."

OFMCO purchases used furniture from many sources, including some Fortune 500 companies. Recent purchases have been from Texaco, Mobil Oil, Continental Life Insurance Co., and ITT.

"When a company goes into a major refurbishing project, we'll bid on their used furniture," said Davis. "We may be the biggest buyer and seller of used office furniture in the nation. If not the biggest, we're certainly one of the biggest."

Chrisman Art Gallery, now located at West Park Mall, expects to open its new location within three months.

"We have a lot of remodeling to do," said David Vinson. "We'll be more than tripling our present space. Our plans will include renovations outside and inside."

When completed, the downtown gallery operation may be the largest of three Chrisman Art Gallery operations.

"Our Kansas City store has about 10,000 square feet and we have about 7,000 square feet at Dexter," said Vinson. "The new store will probably be just over 10,000 square feet."

The gallery operation is owned by the Vinson family, which includes David and his parents, Joe and Carol Vinson.

"We're looking forward to moving back downtown," said David Vinson.

Chrisman Art Gallery was located on Main Street about six years before moving to the Mall.