When Venture Stores Inc. with its distinctive black and white striped exterior, opened at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau, it marked a first for the discount chain headquartered in St. Louis. It was the first of 56 Venture stores to be contiguous to a mall.

The Cape Girardeau Venture store, which opened its doors here on Sept. 18, 1984, was one of four that opened that year, boosting the company's total number of stores to 60, in four states -- Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Kansas.

More than a decade later Venture consists of 113 stores in nine states and three major distribution centers, at Bedford, Ill., O'Fallon, Mo., and the newest one at Corsicana, Texas. The company employs more than 17,000 associates.

Only recently, just before the company's 25th anniversary date -- Jan. 25, 1970 -- Venture celebrated reaching its first annual $2 billion sales mark.

Julian Seeherman, who was in Cape Girardeau when store 56 opened, attributes Venture's success to a longstanding strategy of measured expansion, commitment to customer service and a strong merchandising niche aimed at serving the needs of families.

"We're observing our 25th year in business this year," said Seeherman, chairman and chief executive officer. "We have experienced tremendous success during the past quarter-century by staying focused on our objectives and responding to customer requests."

Venture, Seeherman said, was founded as an upscale discount retailer aimed at selling quality products for the family and home at value prices. "This mission continues to drive us today," he said.

Venture was founded in 1968 as a subsidiary of May Departments Stores Co.

The first Venture stored opened in St. Louis Jan. 28, 1970. Eight additional stores opened in Missouri by the end of that first year.

Venture opened stores in Peoria, Ill., and Kansas City in 1971 and expanded into the Chicago market in 1973. By 1978, the company acquired 10 Chicago Turn-Style stores and by 1979, Venture had become a major retail force and the most frequently shopped general merchandise store in Chicago. By 1984, a total of 24 Venture stores were located in the Chicago area.

Venture spun off from the May Department Stores in 1990, and became an independent, publicly held company. Since then, Venture's common stock has been traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol, "VEN."

During the summer of 1993, Venture went into the Lone Star state, opening 10 stores and a 350,000-square-foot distribution center simultaneously throughout Texas. Since then, eight more stores have opened in Texas and expansion plans promise 30 more Lone Star state stores over the next four years.

The new stores follow a new prototype design, featuring 105,000 square feet, high impact features, additional aisle space, improved signage and superior lighting.

By 1996, Venture plans to increase its number of stores by more than 50 percent.

Anniversary month for a casino

Players Casino is observing its second anniversary at Metropolis this month.

The riverboat casino opened Feb. 23, 1993, at Merv Griffin Landing along the Ohio River in Metropolis. Since then, Players International has added Players Hotel and Players Theater along the bank of the river.

Until the riverboat came to town in February 1993, Metropolis was known by outsiders for two big tourist events -- The annual Superman celebration, which attracts up to 60,000 people during its four-day run in June, and the Fort Massac Encampment, which brings in more than 60,000 people during its two-day extravaganza at Fort Massac State Park each fall.

Now the Players Riverboat Casino has put Metropolis on the map as a gambling town as well, attracting as many as 100,000 visitors a month.

During the two-year history of the riverboat casino, 27 new businesses have opened in this community of 7,000 people, including restaurants, hotels and retail outlets. Fifteen of the business are still in operation, noted the Metropolis Area Chamber of Commerce. This is above the national average of new businesses that survive the first year.

In Cape Girardeau in 1993, 183 new businesses opened, and 165 closed, a net total of 18 new businesses. The figures were worse in 1994, when 141 new businesses opened and 214 closed, a net loss of 73.

Metropolis and Illinois were the two biggest winners from the casino during the past year. The city received $4.5 million in annual tax revenue from Players Casino, and the state received about $11 million.

In honor of its second anniversary, Players is giving away 28 trips for two to Las Vegas in February.

New on the business scene

KLLM Transport Services Inc. of Jackson, Miss., is opening a terminal in Cape Girardeau, following an agreement with Goodin Brothers Inc., a trucking firm specializing in hauling temperature-controlled freight.

Goodin Brothers will turn over management of its drivers and equipment to the KLLM Transport Group, the trucking arm of KLLM Transports Services.

"KLLM will service Goodin Brothers' existing customers and offer expanded service to the area," said J. Kirby Lane, KLLM chief financial officer. "By gaining new drivers and additional equipment we have increased our load capacity and helped to insure a sustained rate of growth."

The agreement, said Lester Goodin, president of Goodin Brothers, "enables us to continue to provide our customers quality service and to improve benefits for our drivers."

KLLM Transport offers diversified transportation services, including transportation brokerage services, private fleet services, warehouse management, owner-operator service and international services.

Manpower Inc., a temporary help company, will hold a grand opening for its new office in April.

Manpower, previously located on Farrar Drive, has moved into new quarters at 1909 Beaver Creek Drive, off Mount Auburn Road.

"We are pleased with our new location," said Manpower official Barbara Larkins.

Manpower, the world's largest temporary help firm with more than 2,000 offices in 36 countries, opened its Cape Girardeau facility in February 1991.

A Cape Girardeau used-car auto dealer who recently sold his interest in Cape Girardeau Motors, will open a similar operation at Perryville.

Mike Mathes announced recently he sold his interest in the Cape Girardeau company to his partner, Richard Kirkpatrick, and will open Mathes Motors at 601 S. Perryville Blvd. next month.

"We'll be offering a variety of pre-owned vehicles - cars, trucks and vans," said Mathes, a partner in the new business with Shane Morris of Cape Girardeau.

"We'll keep a good inventory of late-model vehicles," said Mathes, who has a dozen years experience in auto sales and management, nine of them in Cape Girardeau.

Mathes, a native of Ironton, worked with Van Matre Buick more than six years and was named auto salesman of the year six times with the local firm.

Morris has more than four years experience in auto sales. He was a salesman at Cape Girardeau Motors more than a year.

Mathes and Kirkpatrick purchased the former Sam's Auto Sales facility in June 1992, remodeled the building, and changed the name to Cape Girardeau Motors. The facility doubled its parking space in August.

Did you know...?

The largest single industry ever in the City of Cape Girardeau was International Shoe Co., previously located at 100 N. Main St.

The five-story building was erected by public subscription in 1906, started operations in 1910 and was expanded in 1921.

At one time the factory manufactured 9,600 pairs of men's shoes for dress and casual wear each day.

In 1956, when the city's population was under 25,000, the plant employed 1,200 people, with an annual payroll of $2 million.

International Shoe later became part of Florsheim Shoe, which located along Highway 74. The old factory building was taken down in 1992, leaving only a large open space, which is currently owned by Boyd Gaming Corp.

"Famous phones" help charities

Some "famous phones" will be made available to charities for auction by Ameritech Cellular, a provider of communications services.

The 12 celebrity-cellular collection included phones autographed by entertainers and athletes, including Tim Allen, Carol Burnett, Bob Costas, Florence Henderson, Bo Jackson, Al Jarreau, Susan Lucci, Johnny Mathis, Craig T. Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Donny Osmond.

Ameritech will donate the exclusive celebrity cellulars to Missouri charity auctions. The company frequently donates items such as cellular phones and free air-time certificates to auctions that benefit local charities like the Cape Girardeau United Way, American Cancer Society, Southeast Missouri State University Booster Club and the Harold Simmons Leukemia Foundation.

The telephones were recently on display at the local Ameritech center, 500 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.