Moorman Anniversary Section

MOOR M AN Celebrating 25 Years

The Only Men’s & Women’s Store You Will Ever Need

Thank you for 25 years!

In our ever-changing world, we know how many options you have, and we want to express our sincere gratitude for your patronage. We will continue to strive for excellence in service and quality to offer you an exceptional shopping experience.

The relationships we have built with customers like you over the past 25 years is priceless. We look forward to continuing the tradition of dressing men and women well for many more years to come. We hope you’ll join us!

With gratitude,

Scott & Susan Moorman

Theresa Dewitt, Jeremiah Frein, Chris Stoltenberg, Susan Moorman, Scott Moorman, Cally Peterson, Nancy Wiltsie, John Fitzgerald, Angela Statlander 2

The Moorman File 1983

Scott and Susan Moorman moved to Mason City from their hometown of Boone where Scott worked at a clothing store while in high school and envisioned owning his own store someday.

1983-1988 Worked as salesman at Gildner’s clothing store in downtown Mason City.

2000

1993

Added women’s clothing to their merchandise.

Opened Moorman Clothiers on the west side of the plaza on April 1.

1988-1993 Worked in wholesale food industry but sold shirts and ties out of the trunk of his car, raising money to someday buy his own store.

2005

Opened new store in Ames.

Justin Moorman, Mary Moffit Anderson, Jamie Bullington, David Swanson 3

Moved store to the east side of the plaza to make room for the Historic Park Inn restoration on the west side.

2018

2001

Opened Clear Lake store on April 1, the eighth anniversary of the opening of the Mason City store. A decision was made to close it a few years later.

2008

Observing 25th anniversary of the opening of Moorman Clothiers in downtown Mason City.

AMERICAN MADE Our story is an American story.

In 1887, two immigrant brothers by the names of Harry and Max Hart scraped together just enough money to open up a men’s clothier in downtown Chicago.

Through their tireless work, savvy inovation ( we were the first to introduce suits tailored for different body types, zipper trousers and tropical weight wool suits. amongst other things) and an unwavering commitment to dressing men in highquality clothing produced right here in the USA, the brothers grew their company into one of the largest suits manufacturers in the world.

HSM continues in that tradition today, giving well-dressed men of conviction the style and grace they demand in the American-made choice they deserve.

MOORMAN The Moorman Story W

hen Scott Moorman was growing up in Boone, he had lofty ambitions like many kids his age.

But he didn’t want to be a doctor or lawyer or policeman or fireman or a ballplayer. His dream was to someday own his own clothing store. That dream came true on April 1, 1993 when he opened Moorman Clothiers in downtown Mason City. This month he and his wife Susan and the Moorman family are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the store opening.

There have been many twists and turns over the years – expansion of merchandise to include women’s clothing, opening of other stores in North Iowa, thoughts of moving the main store out of downtown (quickly dismissed) and actually moving the main store just a few hundred feet – from the west side of the Federal Avenue plaza to the east side. But it all started about 40 years ago with a teen-age boy in high school working at the LePera-McAdams clothing store in Boone to earn some spending money and saying to himself, “I’d like to own a place like this one day.” Scott says Rick LePera, the owner, was his first mentor.

Moorman has a simple explanation for his ambition. “I liked what I was doing,” he said. “They say once you

get lint in your veins, you never get it out.”

He and Susan knew each other in high school but didn’t start dating seriously until they were young adults. They look back now and laugh at one of their times together – at a “Disco Style Show” in Boone in which participants danced while modeling clothes. Scott and Susan married in Boone in June of 1981.

They moved to Mason City in 1983 where Scott joined the sales staff at Gildner’s men’s clothing store downtown and Susan, whose background is in interior design, worked at Diamond Vogel and at J&J Interiors.

At Gildner’s, one of Scott’s mentors was Rob Moul, a veteran salesman who taught him a lot more than how to sell a shirt. “He worked my grammar over pretty well,” Scott said with a grin. Moul is now retired and lives in Arkansas.

“Rob is actually how I came to Mason City,” said Scott. “He was working at Gildner’s and we knew each other through a mutual friend.

So I came to work for Gildner’s.

Then, when I opened my store, I hired Rob to come work for me and he stayed for many years. Even as an employee he was a terrific mentor. I think we learned from each other,” said Scott.

Continued on page 7

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CONGRATULATIONS Moorman Clothiers on 25 years!

Continued from page 5 “We stay in touch and any time he is in the area, he usually stops in,” he said.

In 1988, after six years at Gildner’s, Scott made the decision to make a change in occupation – but always with the same goal in mind, to own his own clothing store. He began work in the wholesale food business. In his spare time, he reverted back to his first love and began selling ties and dress shirts out of the trunk of his car. “I saved all of that money so I could put it toward buying my own store,” he said.

That day came in 1993 when he and Susan purchased the former Quinn’s clothing store on the west side of the plaza, a building that had several owners over the years but had been a clothing store continuously since 1926.

Opening day was April 1 – April Fool’s Day – and the Moormans wished the weather had just been a prank. An ice storm, unusual even in North Iowa for that time of year, kept many potential shoppers away.

But as the years went by, shoppers came and many became regulars as the business flourished. Women’s clothing was added to the inventory

Congratulations on

in 2000. By this time, Susan was an active part of the business, going on buying trips for women’s apparel and utilizing her interior design skills to do all the window displays for the store.

“Scott has always handled the dayto-day business end and I have done the decorating. He has his part and I have mine and I think that’s why it has worked so well for us over the years,” said Susan.

Scott says Susan’s window displays have played a big part in the store’s success over the years.

In 2001, business was going so well that they decided to open a second store, in Clear Lake, which hadn’t had a clothing store in 15 years, said Scott.

An unusual circumstance with that store is that it was the victim of the Moormans’ success in Mason City.

The Mason City store had become a “destination store” and already had a good clientele coming over from Clear Lake. So they weren’t gaining those customers – because they already had them. Scott said the hope was to draw tourist customers during the summer months, and it worked. But after three years, they made the decision to close the Clear Lake store.

Continued on page 9

25 amazing years!

T U X E D O S

7

B Y

L I V E T H E I S L A N D L I F E® MOORMAN CLOTHIERS 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Continued from page 7 Not long after that, Scott was talking to a friend of his who owned a clothing store in Ames and who wanted to sell it. “It was a good opportunity.

We knew the people who owned it; it was in a college town; and it was near Boone, where we grew up. So we decided to buy it,” he said.

Today, the store is managed by the Moorman's eldest son and co-owner Justin, and Dave Swanson who has managed for 11 years.

The Mason City store made a slight geographic move in 2008 but one that helped the city make a gigantic move culturally. The business was moved from the west side of the Federal Avenue plaza to the east side in order

“

We're on a first-name basis with most of our customers.

to make room for the restoration of the Historic Park Inn hotel, the last remaining hotel in the world designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The old hotel had been part of a complex that included a bank on the corner of what was now the plaza, and Moorman Clothiers occupied that space. By moving a few hundred feet, to the east corner of the plaza, the work on the old Frank Lloyd Wright structure could be completed. The new Moorman location was in space formerly occupied by Val’s Specialties and, before that, the Kent Pharmacy.

Scott and Susan attribute much of their success to their employees, most of whom have been with them for a long time. Chris Stoltenberg has been

9

at Moorman Clothiers for 24 years although is in retirement now. Theresa DeWitt, the tailor, is a 16-year employee. Cally Peterson, who has done everything from bookkeeping to sales, has been with Moorman’s for 15 years. Scott says, "Cally is definately his right hand person."Angela Statlander has been with Moormans for seven years. The newest employee, Jeremiah Frien, started six months ago. The store also has three part-time employees – J. P. Fitzgerald, Jim Koppin and Nancy Wiltsie.

“It’s a big help to have employees who have worked for us for a long time,” said Scott. “It brings in more repeat business, because customers like having the same sales person.

We’re on a first-name basis with most

”

of our customers,” he said.

There have been many changes in the clothing industry since Moorman Clothiers opened 25 years ago. There are not likely to be any “Disco Style Shows” in the near future.

One thing that hasn’t changed in the past quarter-century, said Scott, is shopping patterns of men and women.

“Men shop with a purpose,” he said.

“If they want to buy a shirt, they come in and buy a shirt. With women, it’s different. Shopping is an experience for them. When they come in to the store, they’re here to shop.”

Scott and Susan’s’ goal is to continue to meet the needs of both men and women as they begin their next 25 years of business in downtown Mason City. ■

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CONGRATULATIONS MOORMAN CLOTHIERS

America’s Oldest Start-Up

Hardwick continues to evolve in its quest to offer the most impeccably made product, crafted from the finest materials in the marketplace, remaining as we have since our founding 137 years ago: 100% American Made. Relaunching our brand and global flagship website with a nod to both our heritage as America’s Oldest Made in USA tailored clothing manufacturer, and our proud Cleveland, Tennessee/ small-town-USA roots, Hardwick offers the award-winning best in menswear classics (blazers, khakis, formal wear), Southern staples (seersucker, cotton and tropical wool suits), and the finest in seasonal fashion. We proudly showcase Cleveland in all our photoshoots, and feature our own employees as models. We represent the best of what America has to offer. 137 years old. And just getting started...

MOORMAN A Family Business J

ustin Moorman was six years old when his parents opened Moorman Clothiers in Mason City.

Justin and his two brothers, Parker and Connor, grew up with clothing being a part of the fabric of their family life although none of them felt any pressure to get into the family business.

“There was never any pressure from our parents,” said Justin who is 31 and owns the Moorman Clothiers in Ames. “If anything, it was just the opposite. We knew retail business is tough. You have to love it. Dad says as soon as he doesn’t love it any more, he’ll be gone.”

Justin grew up in Mason City, graduated from Mason City High School and then was on to Wartburg College in Waverly where he majored in business management. When he was in

Parker, Elisa, Susan, Allison, Scott, Amanda, Jackson, Justin, Connor and Anne 13

high school, he worked at his father’s store in Mason City, vacuuming, doing odd jobs and helping out at prom time. When he went off to college, he still helped occasionally when he was home.

After graduating from Wartburg, he got married and sold copy machines for a while and then took a job selling orthopedic equipment.

“In the back of my mind, I always knew I would come back to the store,” he said. The seed had been planted as he was growing up, though his parents encouraged all of their children to follow their own dreams.

“The boys knew the store was there but we wanted them to do what they wanted to do with their lives,” said Scott.

In fact, he said, Justin came to him about getting into the business, not the other way around.

Continued on page 15

Continued from page 13

Justin's first Day on the

Job!

Justin said the turning point in his life came when he was on a bike ride with his dad. He had been thinking about getting back to his roots, to the clothing business, and he and Scott talked about the possibilities.

The result of the conversation was Justin taking on ownership of the Moorman Clothier store in Ames which the Moormans had purchased a few years earlier.

Dave Swanson has been manager of the Ames store for 11 years and works side by side with Justin.

Other Ames employees are Jamie Bullington; Mary Anderson, a 10year employee and a lifelong friend of Susan’s; and Mary Jo Larsen, the tailor, who has worked there for nine years. The store also employs several Iowa State University students.

Justin said he’s learned a lot from watching his dad operate a store over the years.

“He has great management principles,” said Justin. “And he knows what he’s doing. There are a lot of things that go into it. For instance, how to buy for the store. You’re not buying for yourself. You’re buying

Justin, Connor and Parker 15

for your customers. You have to recognize that. You have to know your customers and buy for what they want.

“You have to know how to buy, you have to know how to treat people and you have to have good customer service. You not only want the customers to buy; you want them to come back. My dad does all of that, and he does it so naturally.”

The Moormans’ other two sons are taking other career paths, which is fine with their parents. Parker Moorman lives in Mason City with his wife, Elisa, and is in sales with OSI, an orthopedic product company based out of the Quad Cities. It is the same company Justin worked for before he took over the clothing store in Ames. Their other son, Connor, is a senior at Iowa State University, majoring in industrial design.

Justin and his wife Amanda have a son and a daughter, Jackson and Allison.

Justin is proud that his father’s business is 25 years old and that he has become a part of it.

“The Ames store is 12 ½ years old,” he said. “We’re half-way there.” ■

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MOORM MOOR MAN Loyalty to Downtown S

cott and Susan Moorman have not only operated a successful business in Mason City but also each has been active with Mason City Chamber of Commerce activities, the Mason City Downtown Association (the forerunner to Main Street Mason City) and numerous volunteer projects over the past 25 years.

They were supporters of Vision Iowa, the state-funded program which awarded Mason City grant money for several major projects including the restoration of the Historic Park Inn Hotel. With some funding help from the city, the Moormans moved their store from the west

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side of the Federal Avenue plaza to the east side to accommodate renovation and restoration work to the hotel.

In 2008, they received the Wright Award from the Downtown Association for the faรงade improvements and remodeling done at their new location. They have also been honored with the Heritage Award from the River City Society for Historic Preservation.

Scott is part of Community Benefit-Mason City, a non-profit organization formed to take on significant city projects such as the moving of the Egloff Continued on page 19

WARNER PLAIN TOE

100% COTTON NO IRON DRESS SHIRTS

Continued from page 17 House and three other homes from Seventh Street Northeast in the Park Place neighborhood to a previously blighted area on East State Street. The Egloff House had architectural history to it but was damaged in the flood of 2008. By moving it to a new location, the structure was preserved.

The Community BenefitMason City group also contributed nearly $300,000 to The Music Man Square when it fell short of a critical fund-raising goal. By reaching the goal, it allowed The Music Man Square to apply for a $900,000 matching grant from the Willson Foundation to pay off the mortgage and have access to the interest on a $2 million fund for operations and maintenance.

In addition, Community Benefit provided $60,000 in start-up funds for the River City Sculptures on Parade program which brought more than 50 sculptures to Mason City on an annual, rotating basis, to enhance the culture of downtown Mason City. Susan has been especially active in this program and, in fact, came

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up with the name for it and is its vice president.

Scott Moorman raised all of the money for the downtown banner program, helping to provide a colorful, vibrant look to the landscape.

During their time in downtown Mason City, the Moormans have witnessed many businesses around them move to the sprawling retail areas on the west side. But Scott and Susan feel like they have planted their flag in downtown Mason City and intend to stay there.

“A couple of times we thought about moving to the west side but we wanted to stick with downtown,” said Susan. “Both of us had visions about something great happening downtown and we want to be a part of it,” she said.

Scott said when the Bonanza restaurant closed, he considered the possibility of relocating there, but not for long.

“We looked at the building, which had been closed for quite a while. It would have needed a lot of work. And we really like being downtown.

We’re a destination store and we like it where we are,” he said. ■

25th Anniversary Celebration!

25% OFF Storewide • May 7th-19th

1 South Federal Ave, Mason City, IA 50401

641-423-5222 The Only Men’s & Women’s Store You Will Ever Need

226 Main St., Ames, IA 50010

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