Both environment and economy on minds of patrons at Cape Girardeau home, garden show

The unofficial theme of this weekend's Southeast Missouri Home Builders Association Home and Garden Show is "going green," with an emphasis on environment-conscious home improvement and landscape offerings.

But in the current economic climate, another kind of green was driving many homeowners' buying decisions.

"We would like to remodel our house," said Matt Jordan of Marble Hill, Mo., whose family attended the event at the Show Me Center Saturday afternoon. "But not this year."

His mother, Sue Jordan, said a landscaping project would be nice but that because of the economy the yard space would be used for a vegetable garden instead.

John and Vickie Duff made the 70-mile trip from their Cunningham, Ky., home to the show Saturday to look at stamped concrete products. The Duffs are thinking about adding a patio to their house.

ELIZABETH DODD ~ edodd@semissourian.comMike Perkins with Kitchen Craft Waterless Cookware took out a "Laugh" sign when the audience did not laugh at his celery joke at the home and garden show Saturday at the Show Me Center.

"Right now, it's real iffy," John Duff said.

Others at the show have been able to make the improvements they want.

Rex and Yvonne Renfroe of Poplar Bluff, Mo., recently put a new ceramic tile floor in their kitchen and hardwood floor in the dining room.

"We still want to redo the bathroom," Yvonne said.

Incentive inquiries

Association board member Ann Brookman of Edgewater Glass Co. in Cape Girardeau, one of 114 exhibitors at this weekend's event, featured a line of replacement windows. Brookman said many patrons of the show are asking questions about financial incentives, included in the recently passed economic stimulus package, to make their home more energy-efficient.

"Two phrases that come up often are 'stimulus package' and 'tax credit,'" Brookman said.

Brookman and other exhibitors noted that while attendance at the Friday evening session of the show appeared to be down from last year, there was a larger turnout of those seriously shopping for improvements rather than just browsing.

"From talking to other vendors in the hospitality room, they seem to be very excited about the quality of customer coming in this year," Brookman said. "People are coming in with their measurements and other information."

Tyson Baer of Helitech Waterproofing and Structural Repair also observed more serious shoppers at this year's show.

"A lot of folks came in because they saw we were going to be here," said Baer, whose company deals mainly in basement waterproofing and foundation repairs.

Gary Peters of Peters Heating and Air Conditioning of Cape Girardeau said he had a lot of people looking at geothermal heating and cooling systems. Geothermal systems use underground loops of pipes to heat and cool water to help control the climate in homes.

"Two people brought in their house plans," Peters said, noting that geothermal equipment is eligible for a tax credit of 30 percent of the total system cost. "People have heard about the tax credits on TV and radio, and they want to find out more."

While Friday evening's show traffic included more serious shoppers, many of Saturday's customers were people who viewed the show as a nice way to spend a few hours.

"It's something to do on a Saturday afternoon," said Rob Etherton of Jackson. Etherton said he especially enjoyed looking at the landscaping displays.

Not all of the exhibitors at the show featured home improvement or landscaping products. A person making the rounds of the Show Me Center could look at cutlery, cookware, vacuum cleaners and absorbent cleaning towels. Bankers and chiropractors were available, as were a variety of concession vendors.

The show continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO