Business Today

For the first time, the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce awarded its Commitment to Excellence Award to a wholesale distributor -- Auto Tire and Parts.

The award was presented at the Industry Appreciation Dinner on Oct. 1 at the Show Me Center.

"I think it's a nice tribute to all our long-term employees," said company president Greg Stroup, who accepted the award. "We have a number of employees who have worked with us for over 30 years. We've built our reputation on our relationships between our employees and our customers."

This is the second year the award has been given to a business outside of the manufacturing sector. Last year, the award was given to the Cape Girardeau police and fire departments in a show of post-Sept. 11, 2001, appreciation.

Auto Tire and Parts was started by Cape Girardeau resident Barett Cotner, who was looking for ways to get his hands on hard-to-find parts for his Model T Ford. Cotner opened the first store at the corner of Broadway and Spanish streets.

The store relocated in 1920 to Middle Street, where it operated until the 1950s. Also in 1920, the store stopped selling tires, but the company's reputation was so widespread that the owner decided not to change the company's name.

The family-owned business, which was bought from Cotner by Pat Tlapek in 1948, has become a chain of 27 stores throughout Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and western Kentucky.

Auto Tire and Parts has more than 200 employees and an annual payroll of several million dollars.

Brad Jones, the Missouri director of the National Federation of Independent Business, was the keynote speaker. Jones said that the NFIB, which has 13,000 members in the state and 600,000 countrywide, will continue to fight for the interests of small business.

He said that Gov. Bob Holden vetoed bills that would regulate rules proposed by state agencies as well as tort reform and other bills that would be beneficial to small business.

"But we'll be back next year," Jones said.