ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 11, 1996 TAG: 9604110081
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANNETTE GILLESPIE SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
When Garland Menefee opened an office supply store in 1958, he probably never pictured his daughter, Cindy, at its helm 38 years later.
Cindy Smith, president of Salem Office Supply Inc., remembers when her father told her years ago that the family business was not a place for women.
"Fortunately, he changed his mind and let me come to work for him in 1973.''
Menefee, who died in 1985, left a legacy that his children are proud to continue, Smith said. She and her brothers, Roy and Walter Menefee, are determined to keep their father's dream alive in the midst of competition from larger retail stores.
"You have to hang in there and work at it all the time" to keep a small business successful and in step with the changing times, Smith said.
Despite their consistently hard work, she and the family had to scale back on their success. The family chose to close two branches in recent years when an office supply "superstore" was built near each. The larger retail stores, Office Max and Staples, seemingly overshadowed the branches on Williamson Road and near Tanglewood Mall.
"We really had to take a new look at what was going on," Smith said of the new competition.
"We had really wanted the additional stores and to branch out, so it was a difficult decision for us to close them. We let the leases expire and shut the doors."
"The changes were something we had to do," Walter Menefee said. "But we can make those changes quicker than a large retail store. That's one of the advantages of a small business.
"We just plan to keep on trucking. Stay in it, stay competitive."
Smith added that much of their success stems from "excellent service" to their customers and the "combined years of knowledge among the staff."
"We still try to have the friendly service and be able to help a customer when they walk in the door," Smith said.
Those work values are what Smith and Walter Menefee believe will keep people returning to their store, rather than a larger retailer.
The business itself has persevered, despite being nearly destroyed by a fire in April 1973 at another location on Main Street. Smith laughs about moving the staff into an abandoned building months before relocating to the current office later that year.
"It was a little rough for a while, but it worked out," she said.
Looking ahead, Smith and Walter Menefee said they hope to expand their sales force and will continue to "buy smart" to satisfy their customers' needs. The siblings, who described themselves as middle-aged, contend that retirement is not in their immediate future. They also are unsure whether the family business may someday be turned over to a younger generation.
"We'll see about that when the time comes. ... This [business] was not something that was just handed to us," Walter Menefee said.
"When we were younger, our father made sure we had worked for other people to teach us responsibility before we came to work for him. He made a good living by starting this business, and it was a smart opportunity for us to keep it going. That's what we plan to do," Walter Menefee said.
At a glance around the store, customers can find anything from pens to new office furniture, Smith said. But one of the best-selling items may be those found in the store's "Scratch and Dent" collection of discounted office furniture. "Whatever they need, we're here to help them find it," she said.
"This is something we work at every day," Smith said. "You just have to hold your breath and do it, and do it well."
Salem Office Supply Inc.
400 E. Main St., Salem
387-3953
LENGTH: Medium: 71 linesby CNB