Could the city leaders who recruited a shirt factory here to boost employment as the mining activity was dwindling have dreamed the future of that building would be e-commerce?

Where scores of women once earned wages based on the number of pieces they sewed, two people now receive orders over the internet, pick the products from shelves, put them in bags and ship them to customers around the nation and to foreign countries.

Part of the former Elder Manufacturing building, at 107 W. Second St., has recently been renovated to warehouse cycling apparel.

Omni Brands, a company owned by Toby Teeter, of Carl Junction, has the clothing made to its specifications overseas and sells it under three brand names, each with their own website, Urban Cycling Apparel, Ozark Cycling Apparel and Kona Tri Apparel.

Teeter had a showroom and some warehouse space in Joplin, but as sales increased, he needed a larger space.

Kyle Babbitt, of Webb City, made the move with the company from Joplin to the warehouse here and has been busy organizing the items to fulfill orders efficiently. “We have triple the space here,” he says.

There’s still a lot to do, he admits, but at least “we can receive an order and get it shipped the same day.”

He and MaKenna Bettis, a part-time employee, are actually shipping out up to 60 orders a day that they receive from the company’s three websites.

That’s not counting the bulk shipments they make to Amazon and other third-party sellers as the inventories of items for sale there run low.