The days of downtowns and mom-and-pop shops may be numbered, but Lawrence still has a few businesses that have lasted through generations.
| 2017 Q1 | story by Tara Trenary, new photos by Steven Hertzog
In this vibrant college town, small businesses are welcomed with open arms and nurtured. Although less common, family-owned small businesses are held as treasures, especially those that have stood the test of time.
Although small businesses in the United States remain lucrative on the whole, these days, the multigenerational family-owned small business may be waning.
According to a 2016 family business survey by PwC, a service designed to help family firms develop solutions in multiple areas of business, only about half of family businesses surveyed that expected an ownership change in the next five years planned to pass the business on to the next generation, down from 74 percent of companies surveyed just two years ago. Nearly one-third had no succession plan at all, and only 23 percent had a plan in writing that’s been communicated to key stakeholders. (Firms with a longer timeline for ownership change were also down from 79 to 69 percent.)
This drop may be because businesses are becoming increasingly complex, as is the U.S. business landscape overall, or because business owners are increasingly moving toward outside buyers for one reason or another, according to the survey. The good news is that 83 percent of family businesses surveyed don’t plan to change hands within the next five years.
In Lawrence, we are lucky to still have a few generational gems that have been around for quite some time and, hopefully, will be for years to come. But why have these businesses remained successful in such a tough local market?
“The businesses that make it do so because they offer an excellent product and an exceptional experience that creates return business,” says Sally Monahan Zogry, executive director, Downtown Lawrence. “They also offer a terrific atmosphere that is welcoming and makes you want to come back.”
Among those Lawrence businesses that have been around for a awhile and plan to stick are a few of our local favorite hardware and glass companies, all family-owned and operated by Lawrence residents who feel being involved in the community is an asset to maintaining a strong business.
Linda Cottin, of Cottin’s Hardware and Rental, agrees. Cottin’s, 1832 Massachusetts St., is a local hardware store that has been in operation in Lawrence since 1946. Linda and her husband, Tom, bought the store in 1992 from the Zimmerman family, who owned the multigenerational hardware store since its inception. The Zimmerman’s had been looking for a buyer for years and were about to liquidate the business when the Cottins heard about the opportunity from a friend. Both Linda and Tom’s fathers had owned hardware stores back in Sturgis, Michigan, so this was not a new venture for them. The Zimmermans were ecstatic the business was going to stay within a family, Linda says.
“It was a non-blood-related family type of feeling,” she says. “And the whole town rolled out the red carpet for us.”
Tom lived with the Zimmermans for awhile learning the business, and the two families remained close after the transition.
Cottin’s services Lawrence and its surrounding communities, and stocks a full line of hardware, paint, tools, lawn and garden, housewares, plumbing, electrical and more.
Linda says that customer service is their “No. 1 job,” and they think of themselves as a “community hub,” committed to supporting their customers in the same manner their customers support them. “We go way beyond hardware when it comes to helping people,” she says. “There are many other locally owned businesses who feel the same way and consistently contribute to our community. We work hand in hand with them as often as we can.”
The Cottins’ Thursday farmers’ market came about from a need of some customers to sell food and neighbors who wanted to purchase fresh produce. “So we offered them a space to do it in,” Linda says. “And we continue to support the efforts as a service to the community.”
Cottin’s also serves as a drop-off or pick-up point for certain things within Lawrence, shares information and resources with the community, facilitates networking among community members, offers ideas and support, and has even given customers rides home, helped people find jobs and housing, repaired toys for children, sheltered lost pets and opened the store late at night for emergency hardware needs, Linda explains.
She says competition is not an issue with the local stores like hers. They try to work with all the other businesses in town. “If we don’t have something, we like to know where to send our customers to find what they need, and other businesses send people our way on a regular basis, too.”
Linda says she and her staff can offer a level of customer service that others can’t because they have been in the business so long and are able to share that knowledge with their employees and customers. “We are also able to gear our inventory specifically to meet the needs of our customers,” she says. “There are a lot of unique products we stock that no one else does, and many of those items are stocked because someone asked us to order it at some point.”
Linda says she and her employees are very in tune with the Lawrence community. “We stock as many locally made products as we can,” she says. “We are conscious of our community and of our environment, and we strive to be as sustainable as possible in everything we do.”
Although Cottin’s may not remain within the Cottin family for generations to come, Linda says the hope is that it will stay with people who are as “close to family as you can get.”
Marty Kennedy, general manager of Kennedy Glass, a Lawrence business for 67 years that was started by his father, Richard, and is now owned by Marty and his brothers, Gary and John, believes his company would not be in business if it weren’t for the Lawrence community. He says though Lawrence has a large population, it’s still a “small town” when you look at the businesses who continue to support Lawrence. “It is always the same core of local businesses and individuals who have been here the longest. What a nice group to be associated with,” he says. “We are always willing to step up and do whatever it takes for our customers to get the job done or assist the community in any way we can.”
Kennedy Glass, 730 New Jersey St., not only services the community with glass services related to automotive, residential, commercial and showers, it also offers 24-hour emergency service as well supporting neighboring local businesses through lawn maintenance and snow removal.
Marty doesn’t see the “big-box” stores or other similar local stores as competition but rather an incentive to work harder. “Several of the big-box stores send customers to us, and we do the same,” he says. “The big-box stores have always made our family business perform at a competitive edge to meet or exceed our quality of work. The staff is always up to change and challenges.”
However, Marty does think his business is unique: “I believe our business is set apart from others because of our ability to work as a family unit [and]provide a high quality of customer service to our customers and community by providing good products,” he says.
As far as the business remaining a part of the Kennedy family, Marty says the brothers have no plans for an ownership change of the business in the near future.
Another unique local Lawrence favorite is Ernst and Sons Hardware, Brewing Supply, 826 Massachusetts St. Started by Phillip Ernst and a partner in 1905, now-owner Rod Ernst, Phillip’s grandson, began working for the hardware store at 12 and took over ownership in 1973.
Gregg Anderson, early employee and longtime friend of the local downtown hardware store, believes giving back to the community is essential to the longevity of generational businesses. Rod has been doing it for years, though in other ways while also providing a quality business to the community. “His employees are almost exclusively college kids who need income,” Anderson says. “I was the first guy he ever hired as a college kid, which led to an eventual career in sales management in the hardware industry.”
Although Ernst brushes it off casually, “Well, they’re usually the ones coming in for work,” Anderson considers him an “unsung hero” who continually supports young college students who need a hand making their way through school. “Rod is generous by nature,” Anderson says of his friend.
A staple in the community for more than 100 years, Ernst and Sons hasn’t changed a whole lot over the years. Although the town has gotten bigger and things have changed, older merchandise still sells, Rod explains. “We have a lot of repeat customers. A lot of times, I have what they’re looking for.
“I suspect I carry some old stuff they [big-box stores] don’t carry,” he continues. “I’m an old-fashioned hardware store; box stores just carry stuff that moves. Sometimes I can give them more help than going to a big-box store. Those big stores, that’s a big walk.”
But older items are not the only things Ernst and Sons carries these days. Trying to get Ernst to branch out and expand the business, Anderson convinced him to begin selling beer- and wine-making supplies in 2015. “It’s become a nice part of his business,” Anderson says.
Turns out, Ernst and Sons is currently the only store in town to carry these supplies. “Beer and wine make it a destination store,” Anderson says. “People drive there specifically for that. It’s kind of a cool market, not an immediate-gratification crowd.”
Rod has also added kitchen supplies and housewares to his repertoire, and he’s widely known as the “last-resort spot” for stuff no one else has because he’s been around for so long. Ernst and Sons has drawers full of old parts, old-school hardware pieces and old door trim and finishes, among many other things.
And Rod is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to getting old hardware no one else can get. “Rod finds stuff other people can’t get,” Anderson says.
“It’s a lot different than it was years ago, demographics have changed,” Rod laments. “We’re fortunate to have a viable downtown, which is unique in the country. There are no hardware stores in downtown anymore.”
And Ernst and Sons is the last one in downtown Lawrence. “It’s a treasure for the city to have something that’s seen so much history,” Anderson says.
Rod says he has no plans to hand over the reins to a younger generation or to retire anytime soon. “I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I retired,” he laughs.
Indeed, doing business in this country has dramatically changed in the last 100 years. Big-box stores have all but taken over. But Lawrence is still unique, with its quaint downtown atmosphere and small-town charm. So what is it that keeps this town’s small-business climate intact, at least for now?
“Interacting directly with the owner gives a feeling of security that the business is in good hands and that, should any issues arise, they will be addressed to your satisfaction,” Downtown Lawrence’s Zogry explains. “Longevity also means a larger, more loyal customer base and probably less debt for these business owners so that they can weather any downturns in the economy. Starting up a mom-and-pop shop is tougher every year as rent and property taxes increase.”
227 Comments
https://paxlovid1st.shop/# buy paxlovid online
ways to treat erectile dysfunction
rybelsus generic: semaglutide – Buy semaglutide
http://rybelsus.icu/# rybelsus cost
ed meds pills drugs
ivermectin 50mg/ml: stromectol shop – order minocycline 100mg online
clopidogrel bisulfate 75 mg: check clopidogrel pro – cheap plavix antiplatelet drug
buy minocycline 50 mg for humans: stromectol 1st – minocycline 100 mg pills online
buy paxlovid online paxlovid price paxlovid covid
buy clopidogrel bisulfate generic pills п»їplavix generic
http://stromectol1st.shop/# minocycline coupon
indianpharmacy com
http://clopidogrel.pro/# Clopidogrel 75 MG price
best cure for ed
Buy semaglutide: semaglutide – cheaper
http://stromectol1st.shop/# stromectol price uk
Online medicine order
stromectol pill: stromectol cream – ivermectin 6mg tablet for lice
more: buy rybelsus – Semaglutide pharmacy price
minocycline capsulas: stromectol 1st – stromectol medicine
stromectol ebay cheapest stromectol order minocycline 50 mg
buy rybelsus semaglutide Buy semaglutide
ivermectin ebay: stromectol 1st shop – stromectol liquid
http://stromectol1st.shop/# buy ivermectin cream for humans
reputable indian online pharmacy
к чему снится что укусила змея за
руку мужчину во сне знаки зодиака про подруг заговор на зависть
28 июля 2003 какой знак зодиака к чему сниться
лук крупный репчатый лук
minocycline 100 mg without doctor: stromectol shop – order minocycline 100mg online
paxlovid india: paxlovid shop – paxlovid generic
http://stromectol1st.shop/# ivermectin where to buy
reputable indian pharmacies
п»їpaxlovid: check this – paxlovid covid
more more cheaper
Let the hottest girls fuck you uninhibitedly during phone sex. You can also watch them live on your screen while they talk to you at no extra cost. This is real cams show entertainment at the highest level.
paxlovid pharmacy: shop – paxlovid india
stromectol australia: stromectol fast delivery – ivermectin 3mg pill
Plavix generic price: plavix price – antiplatelet drug
order Rybelsus: cheaper – cheaper
stromectol ireland cheapest stromectol ivermectin buy nz
http://stromectol1st.shop/# ivermectin 200 mcg
п»їlegitimate online pharmacies india
https://stromectol1st.shop/# ivermectin buy
indian pharmacies safe
paxlovid covid: best price on pills – paxlovid covid
п»їplavix generic: clopidogrel – п»їplavix generic
paxlovid pharmacy: buy here – paxlovid price
орта азия реферат, орта азия мәдениеті мәңгілік
ел көшесі үстел теннисі үйірмесінің бағдарламасы, үстел теннисі туралы мәлімет натрий хлорид 0 9 цена,
физраствор 200 мл цена астана
1xbet 1xbet официальный сайт 1хбет
пинап казино: пин ап – пинап казино
1хбет: 1хставка – 1хставка
http://1winbrasil.win/# pin-up
pin up kz
пин ап: пин ап казино вход – пин ап
пин ап официальный сайт: пин ап зеркало – пинап зеркало
cazino slot casino siteleri en iyi casino siteleri
пин ап вход: пин ап вход – пин ап
casino siteleri: guvenilir casino siteleri – canl? casino
1хставка: 1xbet – 1xbet скачать
pinup az: pin-up – pin up 306
пин ап: пин ап вход – пин ап вход
пинап зеркало: пинап зеркало – пин ап официальный сайт
canl? casino: casino sitesi – dunyan?n en iyi casino siteleri
http://1winci.icu/# пинап зеркало
пинап казино
casino siteleri: casino oyunlar? – h?zl? casino
пин ап: пин ап вход – пин ап вход
pin up pin-up casino giris pin up 306
пин ап вход: пин ап – пин ап вход
pin up 306: pin up – pin up casino
pin up azerbaycan: pin-up – pin up
пин ап: пин ап официальный сайт – пин ап
https://1wintr.fun/# canl? casino siteleri
пин ап казино
пинап кз: pin up – пинап кз
https://1winrussia.online/# 1хбет
пин ап казино вход
dunyan?n en iyi casino siteleri: dunyan?n en iyi casino siteleri – canl? casino
pinup az: pinup az – pin up
pin up azerbaycan pinup az pin-up
pin up casino: pin up 306 – pin up azerbaycan
pinup az: pin up azerbaycan – pin up azerbaycan
You can expect a young sympathetic click here horny lady. I’ll get you going! Give me your horny cum! I am looking forward to you.
pin up: pin up – pin up kz
https://1winbrasil.win/# pin up
пинап казино
пин ап вход: пин ап – пин ап вход
cazino: canl? casino siteleri – cazino
pin up 306 pin up azerbaycan pinup az
1xbet скачать: 1xbet скачать – 1хбет
pinup az: pin up – pin-up casino giris
пин ап вход: пин ап официальный сайт – пин ап
pin up: pin up – pin up
http://1winbrasil.win/# pin up azerbaycan
pin up
en iyi casino siteleri: canl? casino siteleri – dunyan?n en iyi casino siteleri
pin up casino: pin up casino – pin up azerbaycan
пин ап кз: пин ап кз – пин ап казино
pin up casino: pin up casino – pin up azerbaycan
пин ап зеркало: пин ап – пин ап официальный сайт
http://1winbrasil.win/# pin up
пин ап казино
pin up: пинап казино – пинап
1хбет 1хбет 1xbet официальный сайт
пин ап зеркало: пин ап зеркало – пин ап вход
пинап зеркало: пин ап вход – пин ап зеркало
en iyi casino siteleri: cazino – guvenilir casino siteleri
пин ап зеркало: пинап зеркало – пинап зеркало
1xbet: 1xbet официальный сайт – 1хбет
slot casino siteleri canl? casino en iyi casino siteleri
casino sitesi: slot casino siteleri – h?zl? casino
http://1winrussia.online/# 1xbet зеркало
пин ап казино вход
pin up: pin-up – pin up
пинап кз: pin up – пин ап кз
casino sitesi: dunyan?n en iyi casino siteleri – casino oyunlar?
1xbet: 1xbet официальный сайт – 1xbet
casino siteleri: guvenilir casino siteleri – casino siteleri
pin up azerbaycan pin up 306 pin-up casino giris
https://1winbrasil.win/# pin-up
pin up
pin-up: pin up casino – pin up
https://1winrussia.online/# 1xbet зеркало
пинап кз
пинап зеркало: пин ап зеркало – пин ап
пин ап пин ап казино вход pin up kz
Show the camsex girls your hard cock. They are keen to see it when they fuck themselves with the dildo. With Cam To Cam it gets really hot in front of the sex cam. Simply choose your blonde cam girls and switch on your live cam. Jerk off together and climax together. This is how sexcam sex becomes satisfying.
1хбет: 1xbet зеркало – 1хставка
Hello nice that you look in with me, an experienced MILF or live cams blonde and I know exactly what I want. I am 100% amateur, not a professional.
https://1wintr.fun/# casino oyunlar?
пин ап кз
pin up 306 pin up casino pin up azerbaycan
пин ап: пин ап зеркало – пин ап вход
пин ап: pin up kz – пин ап казино вход
casino oyunlar?: guvenilir casino siteleri – en iyi casino siteleri
https://1winrussia.online/# 1хбет
пинап казино
casino sitesi: casino siteleri – dunyan?n en iyi casino siteleri
pin up azerbaycan pin-up casino giris pin up
ed pills pumps for ed natural remedies for ed problems
http://drugs1st.store/# buy cheap prescription drugs online
buy medicines online in india: world pharmacy india – indian pharmacy
online pharmacy india: indian pharmacy online – indian pharmacies safe
mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa: pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa – buying prescription drugs in mexico
buying prescription drugs in mexico online: mexican drugstore online – best online pharmacies in mexico
cheap pills online tadalafil without a doctor’s prescription comfortis for dogs without vet prescription
https://mexicanpharm1st.com/# mexican pharmaceuticals online
Online medicine home delivery: reputable indian online pharmacy – Online medicine order
ed medication online: best male enhancement – the canadian drugstore
https://indianpharm1st.com/# india pharmacy mail order
http://drugs1st.store/# best over the counter ed pills
buy online pharmacy: drug medication – erection pills
pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa: mexican drugstore online – mexico drug stores pharmacies
legal to buy prescription drugs without prescription drugs prices best ed pills
https://drugs1st.store/# real viagra without a doctor prescription usa
http://mexicanpharm1st.com/# reputable mexican pharmacies online
buying prescription drugs in mexico pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa mexican mail order pharmacies
http://mexicanpharm1st.com/# п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
https://drugs1st.store/# ed trial pack
https://drugs1st.store/# male dysfunction
acheter médicaments en Belgique Cinfa Limmen medicijnen online bestellen:
eenvoudig, snel en veilig
medicijnen zonder risico te kopen Helvepharm Harelbeke medicijnen zonder doktersrecept online bestellen
пин ап казино пин ап казино бонусы пин ап
http://biznes-fabrika.kz/# Пин Ап Казахстан
pinup bet and casino
http://pinupzerkalo.fun/# пин ап
Пин Ап Казахстан: Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт – пин ап кз
пин ап 634: пины – pin up kz
https://pinupzerkalo.fun/# пинап казино
pin up win
http://sweetbonanzatr.pro/# sweet bonanza
pin up casino
sweetbonanzatrpro: sweet bonanza tr – sweet bonanza
https://pinup-az.bid/# pin-up casino giris
бонусы пин ап: Официальный Сайт – Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт в России
http://biznes-fabrika.kz/# пин ап 634
pin up win
http://pinupzerkalo.fun/# пин ап вход
https://pinupzerkalo.fun/# пинко
pinup bet and casino
sweet bonanza: sweet bonanza tr – sweet bonanza nas?l oynan?r
пин ап вход: pinco – пин ап казино
Официальный Сайт: пинап казино – pinco
пинап казино: пин ап казино – Официальный Сайт
sweet bonanza sweet bonanza nas?l oynan?r sweet bonanza
http://sweetbonanzatr.pro/# sweet bonanza nas?l oynan?r
pin up zerkalo
sweetbonanzatrpro: sweet bonanza oyna – sweetbonanzatr.pro
pinup az: pin-up – pinup az
pin up 306 pinup pin-up
пин ап казино: Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт – пины
https://pinup-az.bid/# pin-up
пины: пин ап 634 – Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт
https://pinup-az.bid/# pinup az
pinup bet and casino
pin-up: pin-up casino giris – pin up casino
https://pinup-az.bid/# pin up
pin up zerkalo
http://sweetbonanzatr.pro/# sweet bonanza oyna
sweet bonanza oyna: sweet bonanza tr – sweet bonanza tr
пин ап вход: pinco – пин ап вход
бонусы пин ап: пин ап вход – pin up zerkalo
https://biznes-fabrika.kz/# пин ап казино онлайн
pinup bet and casino
пин ап казино пин ап казино пинап казино
http://pinup-az.bid/# pin-up
http://biznes-fabrika.kz/# Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт
pin up zerkalo
sweet bonanza nas?l oynan?r: sweet bonanza tr – sweet bonanza
пин ап казино онлайн: пин ап казино онлайн – пин ап казино онлайн
sweet bonanza oyna: sweet bonanza oyna – sweetbonanzatr.pro
http://pinupzerkalo.fun/# Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт в России
pin up casino
pinco Официальный Сайт Официальный Сайт
http://sweetbonanzatr.pro/# sweetbonanzatrpro
sweet bonanza: sweet bonanza – sweet bonanza nas?l oynan?r
https://sweetbonanzatr.pro/# sweetbonanzatrpro
pinup bet and casino
pinco пин ап зеркало pinco
sweet bonanza tr: sweet bonanza nas?l oynan?r – sweet bonanza
http://sweetbonanzatr.pro/# sweetbonanzatr.pro
http://pinup-az.bid/# pinup
pin up casino
пинап казино: пин ап 634 – pin up kz
pin-up: pinup az – pin up casino
pinup-az bid pin up pinup
пин ап зеркало: пин ап – Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт в России
pinup: pinup az – pin-up
бонусы пин ап: пин ап – pinco
https://sweetbonanzatr.pro/# sweet bonanza nas?l oynan?r
pin up win
Пин Ап Казахстан: пин ап 634 – пин ап казино онлайн
https://sweetbonanzatr.pro/# sweet bonanza tr
cheap: shop – amoxil online
stromectol: stromectol best price – stromectol online
http://stromectol1st.store/# stromectol
amoxil 1st shop: amoxil – amoxil
https://amoxil1st.shop/# amoxil 1st shop
http://stromectol1st.store/# cheapest
Compare Prices: amoxil – Compare Prices
stromectol store: stromectol online – stromectol delivery usa
Patient Portal: Specialists – Urgent Specialists
stromectol best price: find bets price – good price
cheapest paxlovid: Visit store – paxlovid store
see a healthcare provider: See risks – cheapest paxlovid
http://stromectol1st.store/# find bets price
stromectol store: stromectol store – stromectol online
involves multisystem: licensed gabapentin – buy gabapentin
https://stromectol1st.store/# find bets price
paxlovid price: Pills Paxlovid – paxlovid store
http://gabapentin1st.pro/# Neurontin online
top-rated pills: cheap – amoxil online
good price: stromectol store – stromectol online
amoxil 1st shop: shop – amoxil 1st shop
https://semaglutide.ink/# Patient Portal
https://amoxil1st.shop/# amoxil online
cheap: amoxil 1st shop – amoxil 1st shop
licensed gabapentin: gabapentin pro – involves multisystem
stromectol delivery usa: stromectol store – good price
http://amoxil1st.shop/# amoxil price
amoxil 1st shop: shop – amoxil online
amoxil price: amoxil 1st shop – buy amoxil online
https://paxlovid1st.store/# cheapest paxlovid
вакансии работа на дому петербург удаленная подработка на выходные дни работа в интернете на дому без вложений и обмана
вакансии москва ищу подработку срочно для женщин