Business with Heart: Lewis Uniform Company

By Susan Derby

Uniforms generally are not fun. This is not an exhilarating business, nor is it the most fascinating thing to discuss at parties with those not in the industry. Yet Lewis Uniform Company in Syracuse, New York, is making it just that. From the pets that reside in the store to the casual joking of the owner, Lewis Uniform is the kind of store where you stop to pick up a single item and end up spending an hour chatting with salespeople and other customers.

It all seems to center around heart, both literally and figuratively.

Heart is part of how Betty Wiese came to be the current owner. Then-owner Stuart Krupkin needed emergency by-pass surgery. Wiese says, I took him to the hospital, and then drove to the store. I sat there and asked myself, ‘What in the world do I do now?’ I couldn’t let my friend lose his life’s work, so I made some phone calls and learned the business… quickly.” Heart is also why so many of the suppliers kept shipping during that difficult time even when she couldn’t pay them.

She had known Krupkin many years before she started working for him part-time as a tailor in 1991. But it wasn’t until 1998 when he needed the surgery that she realized just how family-like the business is. She became a full-time manager and made an offer when Krupkin decided to retire.

He had started Lewis Uniform Company in 1957 as a department of his father’s haberdashery to provide uniforms to police and military officers in Upstate New York. In 1964, he moved the business to Syracuse and added fire departments, customs and immigration officials, and postal workers to the list of customers served.

“The store currently serves over 200 fire departments as well as police departments, postal, security and EMS personnel,” says Wiese. “The newest focus is on nursing apparel with a growing $10 scrubs business.”

“Lewis Uniform Company is, quite frankly, a fun place to shop and hang out. The air is filled with laughter because we refuse to take ourselves too seriously,” Betty Wiese says.

Lewis Uniform is making a move to another new location. The old location will stay open for a time, selling the scrubs and restaurant apparel and helping customers find the new location. Still in Syracuse, the new store and warehouse will provide lots of room for future growth with its three floors and 12,500 square feet of total space. As Wiese says, there is a whole floor that has yet to be filled. The former Elk’s Lodge building comes with a handmade mahogany bar that will separate offices from the sales floor.

There will also be a special place built for Foster. He’s the Australian bearded dragon lizard who lives at the store. For all the kids who visit (kids of any age, really), petting Foster is the reward for behaving well. There are no plans yet for a permanent home for Zeke, a pit bull who visits often.

Foster and Zeke are just part of the fun, casual atmosphere at the store.

“Lewis Uniform Company is, quite frankly, a fun place to shop and hang out. The air is filled with laughter because we refuse to take ourselves too seriously,” Wiese says. “We treat the police chief and the patrol officer the same – with friendship and concern. Every customer is treated as if they represent a million-dollar account. After all, some day they might.”

The quality treatment of every customer comes from the heart of Lewis employees. The small staff of six works hard every day to get to know the customers. At times, Lewis employees know and remember more about a customer than that customer’s own coworkers. A somber example is when two firefighters of the local volunteer department were killed in service. Lewis Uniform stayed open longer hours to accommodate the needs of the firefighters of the surrounding departments. It was Wiese who asked a fire chief if the chaplain had talked with one of the firefighters in particular. She reminded him that this was the second partner he had lost in six months; the first died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.

Our integrity keeps our customers loyal. Anyone can sell a uniform. We sell a uniform with a family behind it, Wiese says.

It really is a family. Wiese is the owner. Her husband, Richard, heads the scrubs business, which is growing quickly and pays the mortgage, according to Wiese. Richard will manage the existing store for a time after the new store opens. Ben, her son, is in his 20s but is already making his own impact on the business. He performs many duties of a financial officer, handling most of the accounts payable and receivable. He serves at the counter and is working on acquiring point-of-sale and automated inventory systems and computerized order reports to replace the 5×8 paper order slips currently used.

The staff is rounded out by Melanie, a full-time tailor, Dawn, a part-time tailor, and Tony, who handles all shipping.

Lewis Uniform Company has been gaining two to three new customers each month on average selling police patrol uniforms, fire dress uniforms, nursing scrubs, leather goods, patches and headwear. Lewis Uniform is the only Central New York dealer licensed to carry all the major brands of police and public safety uniforms and gear. Staff will travel up to 100 miles to measure departments for large orders. Wiese expects custom embroidery to be brought in-house by the end of the year, and screenprinting is offered but outsourced.

My job as a vendor is to offer all the options, present the pros and cons of each item, and leave the buyer to make an educated decision, Wiese says. I think this works for us because the buyer feels involved in the decision and confident that they have all the information they need to make that decision. I think they call it empowerment. I do not dictate.

All sales are made through the store. Lewis Uniform doesnt operate a catalog ordering service, nor does it have a Web site. Wiese would like to have a site running by years end, but she is not sure shell like making sales via the Internet because shell lose the personal contact of which she is so proud. Settling into the new store will consume most available time in the coming months.

Deciding to move to a new store was both to benefit the customers and to help relieve the staff of a packed storeroom and disorganized sales floor. Wiese jokes that the storeroom had gotten so bad fire marshals were directed away as quickly as possible. It was also a decision Wiese made as a way to leave her son a strong, viable business in great shape instead of keeping Lewis Uniform small to sell off at her retirement.

The old location was on a well-traveled road. Just a few blocks away is the new store on a major intersection with better signage.

The signage at the new location will be more intrusive into the passer-by’s consciousness, so it should work well. Also, it’s across the street from a 50-year-old strip club, so everyone knows where we are! Wiese says, putting a great spin on what some may believe to be an unappealing feature.

The signage and high visibility will likely help boost sales to the next level. Lewis Uniform doesnt advertise, choosing instead to depend on word of mouth for gaining new customers. Its actually one of the ways customers pay back the store for the great service, caring staff and quality products. With more traffic, the larger storeroom is a necessity so the customers can enjoy the instant gratification of walking out with their purchases in the right size, color and style.

And speaking of the right size, Lewis Uniform offers a little something extra for its customers.

One quirk we have for current customers is this: If they gain weight, we charge to let out the pants. If they lose weight, the alteration is free. We’re just trying to encourage them in the right direction, Wiese says. The practice is yet another way to show the heart and true concern Lewis Uniform has for its customers. Its also another source of the fun and joking that happens on a daily basis.

The customers are in full control of what products are carried in the store, within the limits of available money for inventory investment. The motto He who writes the check is the boss is a guiding force. Though there are checks written to the suppliers, the check ultimately comes from the customer first.

Wiese has some great advice to share for new owners or those thinking about starting in the uniform industry.

My advice to anyone starting out is don’t. I don’t need the competition! But seriously, have enough money to weather the gap between being billed and getting your money. Also, pay your vendors on time. They appreciate it and will help you when you need it. Its a tip that hails back to her own rough start after Krupkins heart surgery.

She also warns against being greedy. She says, You deserve a profit, but your customer deserves a fair shake. Also, be scrupulously honest. Your customer will sense it and trust you enough to sing your praises to other potential customers. Besides, if you lie, you have to keep track of the lies and that’s just too much work.

Having a big heart and letting it show to everyone who walks in the door is also a big boost to success. When customers feel good within Lewis Uniforms store, they wear the smile every time they put on a uniform from Lewis. There is no better advertisement than a confident, satisfied customer.

Lewis Uniform Company
325 Butternut Street
Syracuse, NY 13208
315-471-4616