HE ERKER FAMILY STORY
Erker Brothers Optical Company is a family-owned business with a rich St. Louis history, dating back five generations to the company's inception in 1879. Founded by A.P. Erker, the company later incorporated when brother August Erker joined the business. The first optical laboratory west of the Mississippi River, Erker's won optical machinery and equipment awards at the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, served as the official photographer for the 1904 World's Fair and custom designed the goggles for Charles Lindbergh, used in his historic flight over the Atlantic.
In the years since, the family business was carried on by the descendants of August Erker, first by his son Eugene, who took over circa 1930, followed by grandson Jack Sr., who took the reins in the 1960s, and most recently by great-grandson, Jack Jr.
Early on, Erker's sold everything with a lens, from eye glasses, sunglasses, presciption lenses to cameras, goggles to microscopes. A key element to the company's success has been the ability of its leaders to predict and identify new trends, not just keeping up with the competition, but leading the eyewear industry. Accordingly, throughout the twentieth century, as businesses have become more specialized, Erker's has narrowed its scope as well. True to form, Jack Erker Jr. recognized the great consumer demand for fine eyewear and has been focusing on this latest trend in the St. Louis market.
"Eyewear" is the marriage of form and function, taking traditional glasses beyond practicality and into the realm of fashion accessories. Erker's carries the Midwest's largest selection of top eyewear collections from around the world and carrying frames in every shape and color. While Erker's has long been known for creating signiture images of such notable stars as Fox’s number one sports broadcaster Joe Buck, as well as hometown native rapper Nelly. John Goodman, Will Smith, and Bob Costas are just a few other notable celebrities who chose Erker’s for their eyewear, not to mention the countless number of athletes like Shaquille O’Neal, Mark McGwire and Grant Winstrom.
In 2006 Jack Erker Jr. and his two sons, Jack lll and Tony, set up a wholesale division called Studio Optyx, a design company that manufactures and distributes it's own visions of eyewear. Recently, we have also had the honor of becoming the US distributor for two collections of incredible European eyewear, one an Italian collection called Derapage, check it out at www.derapage-eyewear.com, and the other a German collection called Mainhattan at www.mainhattan-eyewear.de. Incredible collections from two very talented eyewear design teams.
Over the years, Erker’s has worked tirelessly, ensuring customer satisfaction and superb quality of all of its products, whether its the frames, lenses, contact lenses or professional services offered at Erker's Fine Eyewear. It is our ongoing goal to provide this same level of services as we have done now for five generations, and our dream to do it for many generations to come. What other optical company can say that? None.................... We are the oldest optical company in the United States still owned by the decendents of the founding family, and proud to be.
Thank you St. Louis for your support we love offering the coolest glasses in St. Louis come on by to see what we are all about.
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