Shop Talk 2017

PRESENTS

Volume One’s “Shop Talk” focuses on some of the Chippewa Valley’s most engaging local businesses – those that have made a name for themselves serving our region for years, and even decades. These venues are owned and operated by locals, to serve locals, and these are their stories.

WORDS

BY V1 STA FF • PHO T OS BY A N DR E A PAU LSETH • DESIG N BY

ERIC

CHRISTENSON

CLARITY OF PURPOSE Williams Diamond Center takes a personal approach to customers’ jewelry needs

‘W

e’re a small-time 2823 LONDON ROAD, NO. 4, EAU jeweler with a CLAIRE, WI 54701 big flair,” Denise Wurtzel says of (715) 834-9929 Williams Diamond Center, the independent jewelry shop she’s INFO@WILLIAMSDIAMOND.COM owned for two decades on Eau Claire’s south side. For 35 years, WILLIAMSDIAMOND.COM the shop has catered to customers of all kinds – and all budgets – with WILLIAMSDIAMONDCENTER an eye for both style and personal attention. @WILLIAMSDIAMONDCENTER “Our niche was, is, and will always be that we go above and beyond,” Denise explains. “We do jewelry, thanks to in-house dethe customer service. If somebody signer Teva Dekel, who works with comes in and they want a $20 item, customers to create personalized and they need a special one, we’re treasures. going to try and find it for them. If “It’s one-of-a-kind for this one they come in and want person with their one a $20,000 item, and vision,” Teva says, they want a special describing the design one, we’re going to try process as organic. and find it for them, are people I Our niche was, “There too.” can design a ring for The result is a is, and will within 20 minutes,” he neighborhood jewelry always be that explains, “and there store built on repeat are people that will we go above customers who come take 20 days.” in for everything from Before getting into and beyond. watch battery replacethe jewelry business, ments to customTeva worked as a fashdesigned engagement ion designer for eight – DENISE WURTZEL, rings.

WILLIAMS DIAMOND CENTER years in New York, Ita“Jewelry is a ly, and Israel. “The big luxury item, but thing for me going from jewelry is very meaningful,” Denise fashion is a lot of times I didn’t know says. “Every woman remembers who my client was,” Teva explains. every time she got a piece of jewelry.

By contrast, as a jewelry designer he You remember the occasion. You works directly with people to bring remember the moment. And that’s their dreams into sparkling reality. the passion that we have.”

Teva conjures intricate designs for Denise’s own passion for jewelry rings and pendants using client’s dates back 37 years when, as a reinput as well as his own art decocent high school graduate who had inspired sense of style. The designs excelled in a jewelry class, she got a are then sent away to master goldjob at a jewelry store in the subursmiths who fabricate the items. ban Twin Cities. Five years later, “I like to be out with people, she moved to Eau Claire to manage and every day I design for people Williams Diamond Center, which – people who have different needs William and Audrey Mueller opened and different desires, and for differinside London Square Mall in ent reasons,” he says. “I laugh and 1982. Thirteen years later the store cry all day long at Williams, I really relocated to its current home in the do.”

London Galleria shopping center, And whether they are buying or and Denise bought the business selling jewelry, coins, or other items from its founders in 1997. containing precious metals, catering Since its inception, Williams to customers’ needs and emotions Diamond Center has specialized in is the ultimate goal. “We have to be fine jewelry, catering to customers good listeners in this business. It’s who want cutting-edge trends as not about us telling them what they well as classics. In recent years, the want, it’s (being) willing to hear store has added a focus on custom what they want,” Denise says.

“ ”

SERVICE WITH SPARKLE. Williams Diamond Center owner Denise Wurtzel (above with designer Teva Dekel) has held a passion for jewelry for 37 years.

PARTNER

CONTENT

VolumeOne.org 57 Nov. 15, 2017

FURNISHING FIXTURE Economy Furniture opens new location in its 75th year in business

T

he most important thing to consider when purchasing new furniture is how it feels, according to Dave Lofquist, owner of Economy Furniture. He explained with skepticism that the item of furniture most commonly purchased online is the mattress, which people should have a chance to sink into before buying.

“You can’t experience this,” he said, activating the electric reclining system in the leather sofa he was sitting on, “online.” he finished from his reclining position.

Economy Furniture has been giving Chippewa Valley residents the opportunity to shop with their senses for 67 years from their current Chippewa Falls location and 75 years in total. Buster Pregent opened it under the name Pregent’s Furniture on Spring Street in Chippewa Falls in 1942.

Lofquist purchased the Chippewa Falls store – now located at 16051 Country Highway J – in 2011 after managing the store for five years.

Becoming a business owner didn’t happen overnight, he said. He began working in the furniture business when he was a 17-year-old high school student. Then, he built and delivered furniture. Eventually he progressed to selling, then managing. When Buster’s son, Steve Pregent, was ready to retire, Lofquist took the wheel.

The oldest of his three children, Jacob Lofquist, followed a similar path. After working in assembly and delivery during high school, he 1 6 0 5 1 C O U N T Y H I G H W AY J , C H I P P E W A FA L L S 2 1 1 8 1 9 T H S T R E E T, RICE LAKE C H I P P E W A FA L L S : ( 7 1 5 ) 7 2 3 -1 4 4 4 RICE LAKE: ( 715) 736-7300 E C O N O M Y_ F U R N I T U R E@ AT T. N E T ECONOMYFURNITURE.US @ECONOMYFURNITURE.US

“

Just because you turn the key at 5:30pm doesn’t mean you’re done.

”

– DAVE LOFQUIST, ECONOMY FURNITURE

pursued an economics degree and returned to Economy Furniture to manage the books and payroll. Father and son expanded the business this year by opening a second store at 2118 19th St. in Rice Lake on Oct. 1.

Jacob manages the new site, while Dave handles the original store.

Customers from the original store on Spring Street, or their children, occasionally stop by the Chippewa Falls site. Dave gets to watch families grow up from his vantage as a customer servant. People who were once 10-year-olds in tow during their parents’ furniture search now come in with their own children. “When they’re buying furniture, it’s time to retire,” he joked.

“I’ve got the best sales staff I’ve ever had in 38 years of business right now,” Dave said. That’s one of the ways he draws in generations of clientele. He spoke of the competency of his delivery staff and the friendly, approachable manner of the sales team. Economy Furniture has had seven record sales years in a row, which he attributes largely to their customer service.

“We let you land,” he said, explaining how his staff is ready with a wealth of product knowledge, but allows customers to look around and get comfortable before approaching to assist.

Economy Furniture has products at many price points, and takes pride in starting its merchandise at reasonable prices. Larger chain stores are likely to mark up products significantly and then tempt customers with sales, according to Dave. He makes sure that the original price is fair for the customer and the business.

PARTNER

TAKE A SEAT. Economy Furniture has been serving Chippewa Falls for 75 years. The shop’s current owner, former manager Dave Lofquist, purchased the store in 2011. Lofquist has worked in furniture since high school.

One of the other advantages of shopping at this local store is that the majority of the inventory can be taken home immediately. Larger chains often keep only the showroom pieces in-store, meaning that customers must wait after a purchase for their new furniture to arrive from a distribution center. Meanwhile, at Economy Furniture, “nothing is ‘nailed to the floor,’ ” Dave said, so even if the showroom pieces are the only ones in stock, he is happy to let customers take it home – or have it delivered.

“Just because you turn the key at 5:30 doesn’t mean you’re done,” Dave

CONTENT

VolumeOne.org 58 Nov. 15, 2017

said. During a recent vacation, he was still checking in and responding to customers’ Facebook messages. He emphasized the importance of being “always on” as a business owner to ensure that a customer’s every need is attended to.

When Dave is ready to retire, he plans on selling the Chippewa Falls location and his share in the Rice Lake store to Jacob. He works every day to improve the business, so that it is at its best for his son, and for the community it serves. “It’s almost like a farm,” he said. “You just want to see it grow.”

A FINE TIME FOR WINE. In 2009, David Gordon and Sheldon Gough took over Foreign 5, offering eclectic fashion, wine, food and more.

QUINTESSENTIAL SHOPPING Foreign 5 is one-of-a-kind special occasion store

I

n downtown Chippewa Falls, there’s a bridal shop, a florist, a gift shop, a boutique, a wine and cheese store, and a deli – and they’re all behind the same storefront. Foreign 5, originally opened in 1971, is like a department store, without the lengthy aisles and with the homey, personal feel of a longtime local staple. It’s a one-stop shopping venue for brides-to-be, holiday gifters, stylish women, hungry families, and clever husbands.

In 2009, David Gordon and Sheldon Gough were recently retired, having left their city lives in Cincinnati and Minneapolis for Chippewa Falls, where they spent many summers during their working years. That is when the original owners of Foreign 5 listed the business for sale.

Gordon and Gough, who didn’t want to see the business close in

1 2 3 N . B R I D G E S T. , C H I P P E W A FA L L S (715) 723-6389 INFO@FOREIGN5.COM FOREIGN5.COM @ F O R E I G N 5 C H I P P E W A FA L L S

the absence of a buyer, decided to take the project up. They purchased the store, hired all of the original employees, and are now in their eighth year of ownership. “We couldn’t let a store like this close in Chippewa,” Gough said.

Groups frequently gather in Foreign 5’s “Lucy’s Deli” to enjoy card games, club meetings, and – of course – the seasonal menu. Lucy’s offers coffee, sandwiches, breakfast pizza, soups, and more, besides functioning as a traditional deli where one can pick up Boar’s Head meat and cheese.

Besides casual get-togethers, the store hosts three ladies’ nights every year, which include wine tastings and boutique fashion shows.

Customization options abound at Foreign 5. One can work with a staff member to arrange a custom gift basket with wine, cheese, and more, or design a custom corsage with a florist.

The team is happy to work with people to find the perfect match at the perfect price, no matter what the occasion.

Foreign 5 has an array of women’s clothing and a seasonal gifts section. With racks featuring everything from carefully matched, earth-tone ensembles to blingy Green Bay gear, the fashion-forward will feel right at home. The gift department offers puzzles, magnets, and plenty of wall hangings with inspirational quotes.

PARTNER

“

We get repeat customers, and that keeps me coming back. You can buy wine a lot of places, but it isn’t as personal.

”

– ROXIE KONSELLA, FOREIGN 5

There is a large section dedicated to Chippewa Falls and McDonell High School gear for men, women, and children. These pieces are designed and printed locally, and Foreign 5 donates a portion of the profits to the schools.

“Had we not had our long-term employees, we would have had a lot rougher road,” Gough said of transitioning into the new business style.

Both had business experience, but neither had worked in retail – let alone selling dresses and wine. From the onset, they aimed to empower the staff in order to make the most of their experience and knowledge.

That experience paid off, allowing Gordon and Gough to step back and watch as the store thrives. They come in frequently to socialize with repeat customers and check in with the management – that would be Roxie Konsella, who has worked at Foreign 5 for 27 years.

Konsella worked in the menswear department through the purCONTENT

VolumeOne.org 59 32 Nov. 15, 2017

chase, fitting tuxes and matching ties to dresses. Now she oversees the entire venue, greeting customers with a warm smile and a helping hand. She speaks of customer service as a positive feedback loop.

The staff helps customers, who leave happy. When those satisfied customers return, there’s a relationship between them and the staff, who are even happier to serve.

“We get repeat customers, and that keeps me coming back,” Konsella said. That special relationship is what she believes sets Foreign 5 apart.

“You can buy wine a lot of places, but it isn’t as personal,” she said.

“We want it to be a place where people want to come,” Gordon said.

He and Gough love what they do because of the connections they have made with their employees and with the repeat customers. “With the people, the customers, it’s a fun place to be.” he added. “You can really get to know folks.”

IT’S ALL ON THE WALL. Bed, Bath & Drapery owner Larry Kleist has helped clients find the perfect window treatments for over two decades.

A LIGHT TOUCH Bed, Bath, & Drapery puts a spotlight on making your home beautiful

F

or Larry Kleist, the goal has each piece to order, and installalways been to offer someing the final, custom-built treatthing you can’t find anywhere ments. This is a service you can’t else in Eau replicate online. And Claire. Sure, you can since window treatfind blinds, curtains, ments last a very long and other such items time, it’s important around town, but at to get them right.

Today, there’s no Bed, Bath & Drapery, “Years ago, there Kleist endeavors to were standard winsuch thing as a carry high-quality dow sizes,” Kleist standard window. says. “Today there’s products no one else is selling. From no such thing as a Every treatment hard-to-find lamps standard window. has to be made and shades (made in Every treatment has to a different the USA), to quality to be made to a differlinen and comforters, size. If you want it ent size. If you want to their selection of it to look right and look right and fit fit right, it has to be unique décor, customers can expect a right, it has to be custom made.” unique experience.

The shop is an ofcustom-made.

That said, what ficial Hunter Douglas people love most Gallery, exclusively about Bed, Bath & dealing in products – LARRY KLEIST, Drapery is their from one of the naBED, BATH & DRAPERY custom shade and tion’s highest quality widow treatment treatment suppliers. services. The shop’s Price points are designers and consultants spend available for all budgets, and each most of their time working with item is well-made, functional, and clients, planning out window treatbeautiful. ments for their homes, designing Before owning Bed, Bath &

“

”

PARTNER

Drapery, Kleist worked for Wisconsin’s own Prange Way for 24 years, starting in Eau Claire (where he went to school), and moving around the state before settling back in town to manage our very own location of the department store chain. However, more than two decades ago, he left the large retailer to buy a small window treatment shop on Hastings Way, and he made it his own. Later, he moved Bed, Bath & Drapery to its current location on East Hamilton Avenue, doubling its space and expanding the displays.

Those displays are important.

They allow people to fully experience the shop’s selection of shades and blinds, choosing the styles, fabrics, and pull systems that will quietly become such an important part of their home.

Many first-time homeowners overlook their windows, ignoring this part of the house until the dust of building or remodeling has settled. But the windows of a house – the only source of natural light – are often left as an afterthought. That’s unfortunate, Kleist says, as windows are “absolutely the personality of the home. If you don’t have window treatments, you leave a hard, cold look.”

Some of their most popular products are energy-efficient honeycomb-style shades, which are great for Wisconsin’s extreme temperature shifts. They lock in heat in the wintertime, while locking it out in the summertime.

Kleist has seen many industry

CONTENT

VolumeOne.org 60 Nov. 15, 2017

3 4 7 5 E H A M I LT O N AV E , E A U C L A I R E (715) 839-9000 B B D S 1@ B E D B AT H A N D D R A P E R Y. C O M @ B E D B AT H D R A P E R Y

trends come and go over the years.

Most recently, the shop added a new line of shades that can be controlled via tablets and smartphones. These treatments can also be programmed to react to different levels of sunlight, opening and closing as they actively adapt to your preferred amount of light. Kleist is quick to point out, “A lot has changed in the 23 years we’ve been doing this.”

Kleist says he loves his job because he loves people. Spend any amount of time in the store, and this is easy to see. He’s quick to compliment a customer’s unique Packers jacket and chat about an upcoming game. “You get to form relationships with people,” he says. “It’s kind of fun to form that relationship where they’re so happy with their window treatments they come back and specifically ask for you.”

Kleist is proud of his business and devoted to Eau Claire. He might be too humble to mention it, but Bed, Bath & Drapery has been able to support local organizations such as Feed My People and the Bolton Refuge House over the years.

“We try to give back to the community,” he says. “I love Eau Claire.”

ZOOM AWAY SATISFIED Family-owned Chilson Automotive is an industry rarity, right here in our backyard From its earliest beginnings – even when it was just an idea – Chilson Automotive has been a family effort. Bernie Chilson and his brother Ken started the dealership back in 1959 with a store in Osseo, moved it to Eau Claire in 1960, and over the last 50-plus years they’ve been matching up the right car with the right customer … and keeping it in the family.

Bernie’s seven children – Steve, Mark, Jeanne, Matt, Kate, Lynn and Deb – grew up around cars and would each take on tasks around the dealership as kids. Mowing lawns, washing cars, cleaning the facility, doing anything and everything that needed to get done. Fast forward to the present, and now all seven siblings are working in the business, alongside their dad.

They are a dynamic team operating three dealerships around the Chippewa Valley (Chilson Subaru in Eau Claire, Chilson Chrysler Dodge LLC in Chippewa Falls, and Chilson’s Corner Motors in Cadott).

“When we all started finishing school, we all kind of made the commitment that we were going to do this,” said Jeanne Chilson, part of the management team at the Eau Claire location. “We all at once decided we’re all in, this is what we’re going to do.”

The Eau Claire store has represented several manufacturers, however now selling Subaru exclusively. The Chippewa Falls location specializes in Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep Ram, and Fiat. The Cadott location represents Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram as well.

3443 WI-93 TRUNK, EAU CLAIRE 1983 S PRAIRIE VIEW RD, C H I P P E W A FA L L S 4 4 8 E C H I P P E W A S T, CADOTT 1- 8 0 0 - 4 5 5 - 0 7 0 1 WWW.CHILSONMOTORS.COM /CHILSONAUTOMOTIVE

“ ”

It’s all about adapting to each customer’s needs.

– JEANNE CHILSON, CHILSON AUTOMOTIVE

Managing an automotive dealership has changed significantly over the last 50 years, and Jeanne said part of why Chilson has retained such a thriving presence in the Valley is by understanding new trends and working alongside the customer to find the right vehicle and how to best help them.

“We’re seeing our over-60 group as traditionalist in the buying process. These clients want to come in, touch it, feel it, talk to you about it.

For many of our younger clients – the under-40 group – they are very comfortable doing a significant amount of research online, talking with friends, and looking at reviews.

“It’s all about adapting to each customer’s needs.”

While connecting with customers is one thing, being a family-owned dealership group, in an industry that is increasingly becoming more corporatized by large investment groups. “For us, we’re all in it as a team – as a family,” Jeanne said.

As for the future, becoming more digitally connected and technologically advanced, Chilson will be right there keeping up with an online platform where a potential customer can research, reserve, and even purchase a car without having to set foot in the showroom. Several impressive new 2019 models waiting are scheduled to be released, so it is an exciting time to be selling cars – or buying them, for that matter.

The Chilson Automotive Group is a local family business committed to our community and their customers for over 50 years….

PARTNER

ON THE LOT OR UNDER THE HOOD. Chilson Automotive began with a single car lot in 1959. Owner Bernie Chilson works alongside his seven children in the business’s current form, which employs almost 125 people.

CONTENT

VolumeOne.org 61 Nov. 15, 2017