Today’s Register includes its annual advertising guide to area businesses and industries.
The Business, Professional & Industrial guide is in its 20th year and features 145 merchants and manufacturers.
Twenty years ago, we had 181 listings, which is a good indication of how, yes, we were a more prosperous county back then.
In 1990, Allen County had 14,638 residents. Today, we hover around 13,000.
We print 10,000 of the guides and distribute them countywide. The Iola Area Chamber of Commerce keeps a big pile on hand to show newcomers what we have to offer.
Despite our shrinking population, many of the merchants have survived, and in fact, thrived, by evidence of the fact that they continue to put their best foot forward.
Today’s guide makes note of 18 merchants who have advertised all 20 years in the BPI guide. Each has a story to tell.
Take for instance The New Klein Lumber Co., Inc. Do you ever wonder how long they’ll keep the “new” in their name? Well, when you’re 107 years old, 1989’s switch in owners can still be considered a recent event. The lumber company began in 1903 when Paul Klein bought the business. He passed it on to his grandson Klein Boyd, who had come to work for his grandfather after World War II.
“Grandpa Klein passed away in 1955 at the age of 99,” the result of falling down a set of stairs, said his great-granddaughter, Paula Sutherland.
Klein Boyd died in 1981 at 66 in a fishing accident.
“Mom (Mary Klein) held on to the business for a few years,” Sutherland said, before selling it to longtime employee Norb Eisenbart in 1989.
In 1997, Norb’s sons, Steve and Bill, took over operation of the lumber yard just off the square, where they continue still.
It’s interesting to note that Paula Sutherland now works at another 20-year BPI advertiser — John McRae’s State Farm Insurance.
McRae has run his insurance business for 29 years. McRae’s ad is all about family. A little about him and his service to the community, but mostly about his wife and their kids and their employees.
Perhaps unintentional, McRae’s low-key ad shows why he remains a steady presence in the Iola community.
Likewise, the advertisement for Iola Insurance, Inc. is simple and straightforward. Four friendly faces and the message that owners Rick and Shelley Lauber are there to serve.
Iola Insurance, Inc. began in 1991, the merger of two longtime insurance businesses, Woodworth-Beshore and Moser Insurance.
Rick Lauber bought the business in 1992. Shelley has been by his side since 1996. Judy Kaufman began in 1991 and Shaday Gregg is new to the force this year. They’ve also done Iola a favor by renovating a vacated business at 612 N. State St. where they now have a spacious office.
There’s probably no better ambassador to Iola than Duane McGraw of Duane’s Flowers. Cheerful, efficient and detail-oriented, McGraw and his wife, Judy, run a top-notch business.
Their ad in the BPI guide tells about their many services and a touch about their accomplishments.
What it doesn’t say is that the McGraws are the most gracious of couples and proof that good manners make good business.
On the west side of the square is Capper Jewelry, owned by Brent and Carla Capper. Again another long-time business, Capper began in 1964 with Brent’s parents, Arthur and Martha. Arthur was a watchmaker and jeweler who passed down his talents to his son. Brenda serves as president of the Kansas Jewelers Association and is on the board for the five-state Jewelers Executive Conference. Their daughter, Jayme Browning, also works at the jewelry store, bringing a youthful perspective to their selections.
Other businesses that have participated in the BPI tabloid since 1990 are Thompson Realty, Snodgrass, Dunlap & Associates/Jarred, Gilmore & Phillips, JD’s Auto, Red Barn Veterinary, Alco/O’Malley, Bonnie’s Corner Cafe, Iola Vision Source, Smith Optometry, Iola Auto Body, Dale’s Sheet Metal, Edward Jones and Modern Banking/Advantage Computer.
These businesses and more are proof positive that southeast Kansas remains a great place to work and do business.
Businesses highlighted
