 by Michael Ness
I‘m an old dinosaur looking for a place to retire,” laughs Dennis Ostrander Sr. of Pat’s Monograms & Uniforms Inc. Standing behind the counter of his brand new, custom-designed, 12,000 square-foot store in Salinas, Calif., Ostrander looks back on 30 years in the uniform industry with a smile. And why not? He has a lot to be proud of.
As a kid, Ostrander remembers working all kinds of odd jobs: setting up pins at the bowling alley, mowing lawns, ushering at the movie theater and even selling newspapers on the street. But he didn’t get a taste of the uniform business until he wore one in 1964, when he signed up for the police academy in Los Angeles. Ostrander spent seven years as an officer in Southern California and was one of the people responsible for bringing the semi-automatic pistol into law enforcement there.
After injuring his back, Ostrander decided he needed to find something else to do. He relocated his family to Fresno, Calif., and started his first uniform store. While serving the local police community, Ostrander noticed the officers hadn’t received the same type of training he had from the Los Angeles Police Department, and he immediately took action.
After hours, Ostrander held classes in the back of the store. Ostrander remembers thinking, “If I could keep the officers safe, I’d keep my customers.” He taught the local officers the latest in self-defense and field interrogation techniques. He was then invited to the department to lead workshops on report writing and evidence collection. “They all seemed to enjoy it. And it was fun for me to do.” This type of dedication to his customers would prove to be a key ingredient in Ostrander’s future success.
In 1974, Ostrander got picked up by The Butler Uniform Group to manage their Sacramento store. He helped grow the single storefront to seven locations and over $7 million in volume. To aid this growth, Ostrander employed his son, Dennis Jr., in 1984.
With the Ostrander men happily working together, it wasn’t long before the Ostrander women got in on the family business. In 1986, Ostrander Sr.’s wife, Pat, and Ostrander Jr.’s wife, Zoe, started Pat’s Monograms in the back bedroom of the Ostrander house. By this time, the Ostranders were living in Salinas, and Pat and Zoe soon moved their home embroidery business to its first storefront, which Ostrander Sr. describes as “1,500 square feet behind a bowing alley.”
In 1988, Ostrander Sr. and Jr. started to become more involved in Pat’s Monograms. In 1990, Pat’s Monograms moved to its second storefront, 2,000 square feet in an L-shaped shopping center just off the main highway. Over the next 11 years, the Ostrander family business continued to expand. Eventually, it grew to take over the entire 8,000 square-foot center, employing a staff of 20 and offering a diverse inventory of products and services.
Today, Pat’s Monograms & Uniforms Inc. sits in a large shopping mall between Walmart and Costco and serves a 100 square-mile area of the Central California coast. “We’re still a mom-and-pop in our philosophy,” says Ostrander Sr., adding that four generations of the Ostrander family have worked for the store. “It’s something we’re proud of, and our customers feel good about it.” But, by the looks of the new setup, this is no cluttered mom-and-pop.
Ostrander Sr. credits his son with their current merchandise presentation. “Our son had the idea that our customers grew up in the major shopping malls and stores, so they’re used to seeing merchandise a certain way. And we strive for that retail look.”
The customer’s in-store experience is extremely well thought out in this new facility. Great care has been taken to keep a bright, open feeling. The large windows aren’t cluttered with displays or backings. Instead, they’re open to expansive views of the lettuce fields next to the mall. There are three separate islands of dressing rooms and a 50-foot gondola wall separates the public safety goods from the rest of the store.
This feature was extremely important to the former police officer. Ostrander Sr. wanted to have a place for officers to change that was a bit more secluded so there wasn’t any chance a child would happen upon an unattended utility belt or weapon.
It’s exactly this type of attention to detail that has allowed Pat’s Monograms to stay ahead of its competition. “We don’t pay too much attention to our competitors,” confides Ostrander Sr. “We get told from time to time that they’re doing X, Y or Z, but we have to go forward with what’s best for our customers. And that’s what we keep in mind all the time: ‘What’s the best?’ ‘What’s the easiest?’ and ‘What’s the most cost-effective method for them to get the requirements they need to do their jobs correctly?’ “
“So many people don’t make their deadlines, and we hate that. That’s why we do just about everything in-house,” he adds, noting that Pat’s Monograms does all its own embroidery, screenprinting, alterations, and repairs.
Pat’s Monograms will even bring the store directly to the customer, as it does for graveyard shift medical staff at the local hospitals. “We pack up the entire medical section of the store and set up shop at the hospital from 10 p.m. to 5 p.m. the next day when we pack it up and bring it home. We strive for the individual customer. We’ll work nights and weekends — whatever it takes to take care of that customer. If we have an officer being sworn in Monday morning and we have to work Sunday night to get him ready, well, then that’s what we do.”
Ostrander Sr. also encourages all his employees to volunteer in the community. They help run fundraisers, provide goods and services for charities and even put together welcome baskets for prison guards and their families who have just moved to town. A golf enthusiast, Ostrander Sr. is a chairman for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament that raised $4 million for local charities last year. “Sometimes I wonder how we fit all this in,” he muses.
While it’s Dennis Sr. who has shaped Pat’s Monogram’s service philosophy, it’s Dennis Jr. who’s found ways to innovate on it. “He’s very computer literate, while I’m very computer illiterate,” chuckles Ostrander Sr. Before getting involved in the uniform trade, Ostrander Jr. got his degree in computer science, and he’s put it to great use. Not only does Pat’s Monograms have its own Web site (www.patsmonograms.com), but also they are currently in the process of converting their entire catalog to highly customized CD-ROMs. Soon, for example, a post office or school will receive a Pat’s Monograms catalog on compact disc that contains only the products selected specifically for their needs.
“Over the years, the industry has totally changed from when I got in it 30 years ago to where it is today,” says Ostrander Sr. “It’s all evolved and it’s a matter of staying up with it. That’s why I’m not sad about walking away — because my son is more in tune with the new process than I am. He’s on the board of directors of the Professional Apparel Association. He’s learned the business. He loves the business and has done so well.”
Ostrander Sr. and Pat are retiring at the end of the year. Ostrander Sr. beams with pride as he talks about passing the torch to the capable hands of his son and daughter-in-law. He quotes “the kids” as saying, “Go play golf, Dad. Get out of here We can do it!” Later he confides, “But you just can’t quit. I still have too many friends out there that I’ll be playing golf with. And talking about the store.”
Sounds like this “old dinosaur” won’t be going very far.
Pat’s Monograms & Uniforms Inc.
1125 Westridge Parkway
Salinas, CA 93907
Tel: 831-424-9439 Fax: 831-424-0676
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