Writing a New Chapter: A new owner for PaperWorld

Reno, 26, is building her career with the acquisition of Gammon’s PaperWorld stationery store, 2726 S. Glenstone Ave., in Brentwood Center. The deal, struck for an undisclosed amount in May, takes Gammon into retirement.

“There isn’t a store like this in town,” Reno said of her interest in the 26-year-old shop that sells high-end stationery, invitations, gifts and fine writing instruments from makers such as Mont Blanc, Monteverde and A.T. Cross Co.

Paper products can be purchased off the shelf or ordered through numerous catalogs, with in-house personalization available.

Gammon said she simply wanted to retire after a successful run with PaperWorld. Gammon was a devoted PaperWorld customer before she bought the store in 2003, just hours before owner Jenny Baldwin was prepared to close it for good; Baldwin had the store for sale for a year and a half. Baldwin purchased PaperWorld in 1991 from founder Sue Burwell Phillips.

For Reno, PaperWorld was a logical acquisition. She’s been a franchisee since 2005 for Omaha, Neb.-based Complete Music Disc Jockey Service. She owns 10 music systems and employs 15 disc jockeys who serve southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas, catering to birthday parties, corporate events and school dances. Complete Music’s bread-and-butter service is weddings.

Because weddings are such a big part of Complete Music’s business, Reno began selling invitations, which led her to buy PaperWorld after hearing “through the grapevine” at Junior League of Springfield meetings that it was for sale.

After operating Complete Music from home, Reno now meets clients at PaperWorld. She also can offer a greater variety of wedding invitations to her Complete Music customers.

At PaperWorld, Reno doesn’t plan sweeping changes, though she has added stationery and pens with more hip designs and lower price points to appeal to younger shoppers.

PaperWorld has traditionally sold pens for several hundred dollars and boxes of about 20 invitations for about $30. Reno said new lines drop some pen prices to less than $100 and boxes of invitations to less than $20.

Denise Thrower, a bridal adviser and one of two employees that stayed through the transition, said the changeover was smooth.

“Some of our customers didn’t even know that it had sold, so that’s a good thing,” Thrower said.

Reno doesn’t have additional expansion plans now, though she said she eventually wants to add wedding video service to her growing portfolio.