Ridders Business Supply Co. has merged with another company and will operate under a new name, but in many ways the 151-year-old company has not changed.
"Everything is the same, except we've got pricing we've never seen before," said Paul Ridder, who has run the company for more than 30 years.
Midwest Office of Springfield, Ill., merged with Ridders on April 17. Ridder, 69, said the deal made sense when none of his children wanted to operate the business.
"Midwest Office covers markets from Indiana to Kansas, and when they acquire a company they keep the facility and employees and operate as is," Ridder said.
Ridders' storefront at 632 Maine is being set up as the largest office furniture showroom in the region. Different manufacturers have been setting up displays that show desk arrangements, chairs and other items. Color swatches also will be available so buyers can coordinate purchases with existing or new office schemes.
"We're still open, but there's a few more things to get done. We hope to have an open house during late summer or early fall to show everybody what's happening," Ridder said.
The Quincy office has been benefiting from social media delivery options offered by Midwest Office. In many cases the office supplies get to customers the next day.
Steve DeMarco, Midwest Office president, said the "combination of Ridders' reputation in the community, with the business model of Midwest Office" will be a natural fit for both companies. DeMarco said the companies have collaborated since 1996 and offer alternatives to big-box stores.
Ridders' history dates back to 1866 when Henry Oenning, who had emigrated from Germany, set up a German Catholic Bible store on Maine between Sixth and Seventh. Later the company expanded its sales to textbooks, religious items and school supplies in both German and English.
In 1945, Paul Ridder Sr. was hired at Oenning's as a general assistant. Ridder and his son, Paul Jr., bought the stationery portion of the firm in 1972 and renamed it Ridders Business Supply Co. The former Like's Jewelers building, next door to Ridders, was purchased in 1975, and the two retail areas were combined. Paul Ridder Sr. died in 1993.