Terry and MelEesa Stueder started Stueder Contractors Inc. in August 1984 with Terry, another technician and a secretary. Now celebrating 40 years, the business has grown to 22 employees and 15 service trucks. It is now a full-service company in the heating, cooling, refrigeration, plumbing, electrical, pool/spa, remodeling, and water treatment business.
The business hosted Thursday’s Great Bend Chamber Coffee, followed by a ribbon cutting in front of the store located at 3410 10th St.
Terry was 22 years old when he started the business. MelEesa was starting her senior year at K-State and they were not yet married. (They have been married 37 years.) Both spoke at Thursday’s coffee, where Terry introduced many of the longtime employees.
“This isn’t an anniversary party so much as a thank you party,” MelEesa said. “We could not have had the duration of 40 years without the support of this office. We truly can’t express our gratitude towards Great Bend.”
The business started at a location a little larger than a garage with a small office in front, she said. About five years later, the Stueders had outgrown that site and were tired of renting so they bought the building next to their current location.
“We tripled our space with the big move and we were certain that was a lifetime move,” MelEesa said. “And literally two years later we had outgrown that place, so we purchased this.”
The original building had served many purposes over the years, including as a chicken hatchery, she said. “It was only half the size that it is now. There was an empty lot that we owned next door and so we thought again, we’re set for life.”
But the business continued to grow. About five years ago, the business expanded and the storefront was given an entirely new look, designed by Mark Bitter with Terry Stueder doing most of the work.
“That’s how we got to where we are today,” she said. “I want you young people to know this isn’t how we’ve always been. We’ve been tiny, tiny, tiny at one time and we just took little steps to get to where we are today. I have to say thank you to the Chamber of Commerce; it was huge in our success when we were small. Irv Gotsche came into the garage that Terry was working in and asked him to join the Chamber ... and that was the connection that we needed.”
Chamber announcements
Here are some announcements shared at the coffee:
• Tickets are on sale for the Sunflower Diversified Services Gala on Sept. 28 at the Columbus Club in Great Bend. The early bird ticket price ends Aug. 30. Information can be found online at sunflowerdiv.com.
• Arby’s restaurant has a fundraising option for nonprofit organizations and schools. Arby’s General Manager Dave Storjohann said that on a given day, the restaurant will donate 20% of sales where the customer mentions a group’s fundraiser. Visit the Great Bend Arby’s at 3413 10th St. to request an application.
• First Kansas Bank, 4001 10th St., will host a Chamber After Hours event for members from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29. President and CEO Paul Snapp invited Chamber members to come see the new addition.
• United Way of Central Kansas’s next fundraiser “Beer and BBQ,” will take place from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 6 at Dry Lake Brewing. Registration is available at https://uwck.org/beer-bbq.
• Final Friday takes place from 5-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, in the 2100 block of Forest Ave. That’s the block between Main Street and Williams Street. It will be Retro Night, celebrating three decades with sponsor anniversaries: Eagle Country started in 1994, Stueder Contractors started in 1984 and Credit Union of America opened a Great Bend branch in 1974. The winner of Stueder’s hot tub giveaway will be announced that night.
• Lindsey Bogner, executive director of the Barton Community College Foundation said students are back and the campus is hopping. She encouraged people to welcome the students to Great Bend. On Monday the students were invited to a movie night at the Great Bend Cinema 6, where they watched “Twisters.” On Tuesday those who weren’t familiar with Great Bend learned that tornado sirens are tested weekly at noon.
• Kids Ag Day is Sept. 4. This year, Chamber members are invited to a breakfast at 6:30 a.m.
• Ellinwood Hospital & Clinic’s Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 6 at 300 N. Park Ave. in Ellinwood.
• The next Chamber Coffee will be at 9 a.m., with program at 9:30, at Passages of Hope Counseling Center, 2008 11th St.
