5 Michigan Businesses Share Their Secrets for More Than a Century of Success cont.

demand for high quality has waned, and it now carries higher quality men’s and women’s shoes. Buckley’s Shoes is the only independent shoe store in Huron County and the surrounding counties of Tuscola, Sanilac, and Bay. Marciniak estimates 40% of business comes within 50 miles.

Advice: “We’ve learned to adapt,” Marciniak said. “You can’t just be stuck in what you used to do 10 years ago. We have a POS system that tracks purchases. I send out postcards to the top-tier customers every January, thanking them for their business and giving them a $35 reduction on any $100 purchase. Last year I sent out 500 cards and got 78 back, which I was thrilled with because the average response is 3%.”

Donckers

Then: Donckers, at 137 W. Washington St. in Marquette, had belonged to the same candy-making family for 112 years when Tom Vear asked about buying the building. The deal struck in 2007 by Fred Donckers – great-grandson of the founder – required Veer to take over the business. Vear and his wife, Jen Ray, had moved to the Upper Peninsula community in 2001 from Chicago to live in a quiet community. Ray graduated from high school in Marquette.

Now: The couple rehabbed the building, adding a candy-making operation and a restaurant. They have 40 employees. They also purchased a shoe store next door, opened a store, Evergreen, on the main level, and plan to turn the upstairs into an event space. They now have room to expand into wholesale sales.

Advice: “It’s all about passion and vision. Our business is about the employees and the customers. We think a lot about how we do business and the culture we want to create,” Ray said.