Nutter Clothing Co. celebrates 100th anniversary

By CARSON HUGHES carson.hughes@apgsomn.com

The close ties that drive Nutter Clothing Company aren’t just the fabric that goes around your suit collar; it’s the relationships between colleagues and customers.

Since 1985, Scott Dobie has owned and operated the fine menswear store in the heart of downtown St. Peter with a small team of seasoned employees, keeping it a fixture of men’s fashion in the local area and beyond.

On July 5, Dobie will be approaching his 45th year at Nutter, after first joining the store in 1978, but the team is taking the day to celebrate an even greater occasion — the 100th anniversary of the business.

To mark the occasion, Nutter is throwing a celebration, a centennial anniversary sale and is even inviting the family of the clothing store’s founder and original owner James Nutter.

Nutter, a St. Peter native born in 1894, first opened the Nutter Clothing Company in 1923 after purchasing the location and stock of the Haesecke Clothes Shop. Prior to his entry into the clothing business, Nutter had served abroad in France during World War I and had worked seven years as an assistant cashier in the First National Bank.

For 43 years, Nutter owned and operated the clothing store, building a loyal customer base that continues to this day. Willie Derner, an 89-year-old farmer living between Cleveland and St. Peter, said he’s been a loyal patron of the business since he was 10-12 years old. It’s the place where he’s purchased suits for special occasions, like his prom in 1951. As his children and grandchildren have grown, they too have become frequent shoppers at Nutter.

“[Nutter] was a nice guy, he had good stuff, and he always had what you wanted,” Derner recalled.

The store’s following owners, Harry Kramer and Scott Dobie have treated him well, too, Derner added. When Nutter retired, Kramer took over the business in 1965 after working at the store for several years, and he later sold it to Dobie in 1985 after he had worked there for seven years.

The Nutter Clothing Company continues to wear its history with pride. Dobie, a self-identified history buff, has held onto archives and photos associated with the business and keeps company heirlooms on display.

Look up at the top of the store shelves, and patrons can see one of Nutter’s own top hats next to a portrait of himself and a photo of Harry Kramer. Observers are also sure to notice a Traverse Township baseball jersey dating back to the 1930s. The boiled wool jersey features Nutters stitched on the back, signaling that the company was a sponsor of the baseball club.

Nutter owes much of its success over the past 100 years to business that comes in from out of town. It’s not uncommon for the clothing store to have customers from the Twin Cities, New Ulm and Rochester browsing their selection of dress shirts, pants, sportswear and shoes.

Dobie credited Nutter’s outside appeal to the customer service provided by the team of staff.

“I think it’s the service and just taking care of the customers’ needs,” said Dobie. “It’s probably a help that men don’t like to shop, so if they can come in and find what they’re looking for in a short period of time, they enjoy that.”

It’s a close knit group that operates the store day-to-day. The “newbie” on staff, Meagan Dobie, is Scott’s daughterin-law and has already built up 10 years of experience. Barb Moeller is the store’s longest-serving staff member, second only to Dobie, with 43 years at Nutter. With four decades of experience, she still enjoys the job.

“I look forward to coming to work and talking with people and meeting with people and helping,” said Moeller. “Seeing them come in maybe on the grumpy side, but putting a smile on their face and making it a fun experience.”

With both Dobie and Moeller having four decades of experience, Meagan noted the duo have been responsible for clothing fathers, sons, grandsons and more.

“I think one of the coolest things for me working here is the generations that these two have helped,” said Meagan. “You have kids where you did their parents’ prom and their wedding and now their prom and their wedding.”

Even some former employees help out at Nutter, thanks to the store’s laidback, family-like working environment. Dobie noted that one former full-time staff member of 25 years still comes in on one or two Saturdays a month to be involved, while another four former employees work off and on.

“You’ve got to love your job, and we do,” said Moeller. “We have a work family here.”