For over 85 years the business has been located at 1023 North Main in Mitchell, SD. The family owned business has always had the Office in their home. The garage and shop were a combination until 1981 when a new and modern shop was built on West 11th street, just across the alley from the home and office. This New Shop area is where the units are engraved now by Gary Shafer. The office display is still on North Main, just 5 blocks North of the Corn Palace. The office has been slowly enlarged and remodeled many times over the years to fit the growing business.
The first generation of Shafer's began engraving by hand chiseling the letters into the granite, followed by a pneumatic sandblasting tool. To do shape carving of flowers and leaves or rounded designs, an air and sand mixture is forced through a hose and nozzle guided by skilled hands.
The units kept in stock are brought back from the quarries already cut and polished, but the designing and engraving process is completed in the office and shop by Gary Shafer.
Through the 85 years the Shafer men have not only completed the engraving but also the placement of the units at the cemeteries as well. The first erecting crews were mule teams, which then progressed to a truck with carts and manual leverage, then later an automatic hoist was added.
