Creve Coeur Camera was founded in 1974 in the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur. A small camera store had gone out of business, and customers had contacted the building owner, Ron Henges, for help in retrieving their photo finishing and repaired cameras. Mr. Henges was able to help them, and many customers recommended he re-open the store because the area really needed one.

Due to the advent of easy-to-use 35mm cameras at that time, sales boomed and topped $1,000,000 in the second year of operation. The original store was moved and enlarged several times as business grew. The current flagship store in Creve Coeur consists of 9,000 feet of selling area, plus a full service lab and classroom consisting of 3,000 feet total.

The first branch store was opened in 1980, and the first in-house one hour "mini lab" in 1983. The rapid growth of the company is due to three major factors: an exciting variety of products, regular and effective advertising and promotions, and most importantly, a serious commitment to customer service.

Creve Coeur Camera is now owned by Stephen Weiss, who purchased the company in the Fall of 1998 and comes from an extensive retail and photography background.

Mr. Weiss brings a lot of excitement to the company. He is truly invested in providing exceptional customer service, as well as seeing to the overall success of the company.

Customers can count on continuing progress and innovations to bring them the best mix of customer service, quality production from our labs, and exciting products in our full line of merchandise.

Mission Statement

In addition to the expected variety of cameras, all stores carry a huge assortment of accessory items. Photography is by nature a gadget-oriented business and accessories allow customers to constantly improve and innovate. An especially large assortment of digital cameras & accessories, binoculars, photo frames, and albums is kept at each store, plus virtually every photo and video battery available. Using an advanced computer system, stores are rarely out of any item, and can easily obtain any item in one day from another store or the distribution center.

The biggest difference between Creve Coeur Camera and other stores is our commitment to customer service. Store managers and assistants are encouraged to solve most problems at the store level, and have a variety of tools to help them, such as courier service to help customers who need an item or photo finishing immediately. Training is constant, with daily, weekly, and monthly sessions, with ongoing communication from the corporate office on new products and services. Other customer services include repair service, rentals, and free classes.

Creve Coeur Camera is dedicated to helping our customers preserve their memories with the finest images possible. We offer the best equipment, film, photo processing, and consumer education, combined with the best customer service, to "make it happen" each and every day.