Nov. 16—Though passing down the family business has become more difficult, St. Joseph and surrounding communities still have multi-generational family businesses that dot the landscape.
The Conway Center for Family Business notes that around 30 percent of family-owned businesses make the transition into the second generation however, only about 12 percent will be viable by the third generation.
St. Joseph has several businesses that have beaten those odds and continue to serve the community. On the Southside, for instance, Marek’s Catering and Delicatessen which is co-owned by a brother — sister duo, Walter and Elizabeth Marek.
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Co-owner Elizabeth Marek stated that the business has been around since 1946, mostly due to the hard work and values passed down from her parents, to their children.
“My dad had a dream to be in the food business, and they had just gotten married,” Marek said. “We try to follow in our parents footsteps by always trying to get the best food out for reasonable prices. Our parents instilled in us a good ethic of hard work. When you own your own business, there’s a lot of long, hard hours.”
Marek also stated that the community has responded well to the hard work and the quality that she and her brother try to imbue within their food and customer service.
According to Marek, some of their customers have been frequent visitors over the last 30 or 40 years, and even now, its not unusual to see the children and grandchildren of former customers swing by the delicatessen.
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In order to keep a customer-oriented food establishment going for so long, takes hard work and dedication. Marek added, it also takes cooperation with other family members.
“My parents have passed away, but my brother Walter and I run the business together,” Marek said. “We get along well and kind of play off of each other’s strengths and get the work done.”
Another local family business on the Northside of St. Joseph is now in its fifth generation. Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory recently celebrated its 130th anniversary.
Co-owner, Todd Meierhoffer said that as each generation from 1894 to today has passed, it became more challenging to keep the business within the family. At first, Meierhoffer said, both his father, himself and his brother weren’t sure if they would be willing to carry on the family business.
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“Very easily this business could have been gone to another family,” Meierhoffer said. “But we have been very fortunate, my brother and I feel that it was the right decision to continue to serve people through this business.”
Like the Marek’s, Meierhoffer Funeral Home now has siblings who co-own the business. Similarly to Marek, Todd Meierhoffer stated that working well together as a team, including being honest about each other’s strengths and weaknesses, allows both siblings to contribute to the success of the business.
Meierhoffer added that building a strong team and treating that team well is another way to help ensure the longevity of a family business.
“When you come to Meierhoffer’s, you have the advantage of a family, as well as a team,” Meierhoffer said. “I think that’s what makes us successful.”
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Although these two businesses represent a small part of the family business landscape in St. Joseph, the decreasing number of such businesses can remind customers of the importance of shopping locally.
Additionally, individuals are encouraged to start a new family business, and that every day that hard work, teamwork, commitment to excellence and even a bit of luck can benefit families and communities for generations.
Charles Christian anchors the evening news for News-Press NOW and also serves as an ordained minister at United Methodist Churches in Union Star and Helena, Missouri. Charles can be reached at charles.christian@newspressnow.com. Follow him on twitter: @NPNowChristian.
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