SCHNUCKS CELEBRATES 20 YEARS IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

Schnucks Food & Drug was rededicated Thursday night.

"We've been pleased with the first 20 years in Cape Girardeau," said Craig Schnuck, chairman and chief executive of Schnucks Markets Inc., headquartered in St. Louis. "We're looking forward to the next 20-years plus."

Craig Schnuck also was on hand for the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony of Schnucks Food & Drug at 19 S. Kingshighway in November 1976. Also in attendance during opening week at the grocery and drug store 20 years ago were Miss America, Dorothy Benham, and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky.

Miss Benham and Hrabosky were not present for the rededication ceremony, held in the Holiday Inn's Holidome Thursday. But on hand were Doris Schnuck, mother of the five Schnuck Brothers and a sister who are involved in the business; the first supermarket manager at Cape Girardeau, Bill Hammett, who is now in Schnucks corporate offices; and 18, 20-year Schnucks employees, who were all present at the 1976 dedication. Also at Thursday's ceremony was Scott Schnuck, president and chief operating officer.

Harry Rediger, who was present at the original dedication and Thursday rededication ceremony, said the occasion was a pleasant reminder for him.

"I became manager of JCPenney the same week that Schnucks opened," said Rediger.

Also present Thursday was Robert Hendrix, who was president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce in 1976, and John Mehner, who became president of the chamber when Hendrix retired in 1993.

Craig Schnuck displayed a piece of the 1976 ribbon and the scissors he used to clip the ribbon.

"I'm keeping these for my personal scrapbook," he told the more than 500 guests who attended the event. "But I am leaving some mementos here with Dennis Marchi."

Marchi, who has been manager of the local Schnucks a dozen years, received two framed newspapers for display in the Kingshighway store.

One of the clippings, said Scnhuck, was from the Schnucks corporate publication. The other was from local newspaper reports of the new store and its opening.

"This is a special day for Schnucks here," said Marchi. "When the store opened here as Schnucks-Walgreen, it served as a cornerstone for Schnucks stores of the future.

Schnucks eventually bought out Walgreen's interest, but continued to provide food and pharmacy supplies, a concept at the majority of Schnucks stores today.

Schnucks Market Inc., which was founded in 1939 by Donald O. and Edward J. Schnuck, now has 92 stores in four states -- Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kansas.

This week Schnucks lost a chance to move into the Memphis, Tenn., area, when a judge ruled in favor of Bruno's Inc. of Birmingham, over Fleming of Oklahoma City in the purchase. Fleming had planned to resell the chain to Schnucks.

"We're proud of the store at Cape Girardeau," said Marchi. "We have a lot of community involvement, including employee donations for United Way."

Schnucks has recorded 100 percent employee participation in the United Way for 12 straight years.

Schnucks, with two operations in the city -- 19 S. Kingshighway and the Midtown Schnucks at 121 S. Sprigg -- employs 265 workers.