After 30 years operating a family-owned fine men’s clothing store in North Huntingdon and several years working for others in the retail industry, Bruce Berk knew it was time to take a break this year — a decision that ended four generations of family ownership.
Berk of Penn Township sold Berk’s Menswear & Tuxedo Shop, filled with fine clothing and accessories, to Josh Rosenberger of Indiana. Rosenberger has owned the 700 Shop, a fine men’s clothing store in downtown Indiana, since July 2005.
Berk, who was 63 when he sold the store in April, said he knew it was time to retire this year.
“It was a time to start a new part of my life. I have grandchildren” to spend more time with, as well as relatives in California, Berk said.
The sale ended the string of the Berk family ownership that started with his great-grandfather, Tobias Berkowitz, an Eastern European immigrant who settled in the North Huntingdon coal mining village of Larimer in the late 1800s.
Tobias handed the business over to his son, Samuel, and it in turn was taken over by Samuel’s son, Marvin. Bruce said he took over the business from his father after working in men’s stores in State College and Pittsburgh.
The business had survived two world wars, the Great Depression and numerous recessions. But no one in his family wanted to be the fifth generation of Berks to operate the store, Bruce Berk said.
“The people in the community appreciate the customer service the store provides and the tailoring — the only (men’s) store in the region with an in-store tailor,” and that continues, Berk said.
The Berk family-owned business beat the odds for longevity because only 30% survive the transition from the first generation of ownership to the second generation ownership. Only 12% survive the transition from the second generation to the third generation.
A mere 13% of family businesses remain in the family for more than 60 years, according to the nonprofit Service Corps of Retired Executives association.
During a recent visit to the store, Berk greeted longtime customers, sharing stories of families and inquiring how they are doing.
“There are customers I have had and customers of my father’s,” Berk said. “It’s definitely a family legacy.”
Meet the new owner
Rosenberger said there is just a small network of men’s clothing stores in the region, and he knew Berk.
When he learned Berk was interested in selling the store, he decided it was an opportunity to expand his business to North Huntingdon, which is less than 50 miles from Indiana. Buying Berk’s had the advantage of providing him with an established business with a client base and giving the customer the kind of service they have known at Berk’s.
“It was a ‘win-win’ for me and him and the area,” Rosenberger said.
Rosenberger brings a quarter-century of experience in the men’s retail business, from the days when he was a salesman for the 700 Shop on Philadelphia Street in 1998. He worked at the store while attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a sports administration degree with a minor in business.
“People knew the place,” which was a fixture in downtown Indiana since the 1850s, Rosenberger said.
What makes his menswear store survive against competition from big-box stores and national chains is that it has products other stores don’t have, Rosenberger said. The store has different clothing brands and specialty items such as soaps that are not typically found in other outlets.
The store is full of clothing and accessories, but Rosenberger said he faces the same challenge as other businesses.
“The biggest challenge is getting product,” Rosenberger said.
While brick-and-mortar stores face the challenge of e-commerce from online outlets and other stores, Rosenberger said they also do online sales. The advantage, Rosenberger said, is that customers can see the clothing, try it on and determine if they like the fit and the feel of the product.
He also can give them something the others can’t — an in-house tailor. A customer buying a suit can get it altered the same day, which is a service that is offered at both of his stores, Rosenberger said.
“Maintaining the level of service is important,” Rosenberger said. “That’s what makes us different.”