Utah Woolen Mills: A Small Business Success in the Big City
December 17th, 2009
Still standing after heavy pressure from the LDS Church to move to make way for the massive City Creek Center
by Jacob Hodgen
The story of Utah Woolen Mills is one of survival and adaptation. Located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, the family-run clothier has managed to survive changes in economy, fashion, and the textile industry for over a century.
However, for the last few years, the high end retailer has had more to worry about than a global recession. Utah Woolen Mills was one of small handful of stores standing in the way of the corporate dreams of the LDS Church, which had $3 billion dollars pressuring them to move to make room for the colossal City Creek Center.
In 2005, the Tribune interviewed an anxious Bart Stringham, patriarch of Utah Woolen Mills, who worried the LDS Church would try and bully them out of their prime location. A faithful Latter Day Saint himself, he told them, "We hope they'd never ask us to choose between our church or our business."
Four years later, construction on the massive City Creek Center is now in full swing--and somehow Utah Woolen Mills has once again outlived its other downtown colleagues.
the downtown odds after 100 years
This weekend I spoke with B.J. Stringham, one of Bart's sons, and asked him how he has managed to maintain a small business in an environment of billion dollar cityscaping.
"It was a difficult situation we found ourselves in," he tells me. Through a 30 year old bargain, Woolen Mills already had a lease with the LDS Church for another 60 years, but B.J. reports the developers still wanted them out. "We thought we would have to fight to retain our rights under the lease."
Fortunately for the Stringhams, they were able to successfully convince the powers that be that it was in the city's best interest for the classy clothier to stay. "Ultimately, the Church understood that our lease only reinforced our desire to stay in the place of business that has treated us well for over 100 years. When we agreed that Utah Woolen Mills would be a great fit for this project, we also agreed that we are both in it for the long haul."
B.J. happily tells me that the Church has recently extended their lease by an additional 20 years as a token of good faith:
"The resolution to our lease dispute has left us feeling very optimistic about the future. We are excited about the community in which we do business and we are confident that the current developments will only increase our opportunities for success. City Creek Center could be a fantastic boon to our local economy and could make downtown what it used to be."
"It is interesting to note that through all the development and money spent over the last three decades, that now the strategy is to recreate the small town feel that used to exist. Walk to the grocery store, walk to go shopping, being around other people, shopping at local mom & pop's. I'm happy to see that the Church, in-effect, is highlighting a small store like us, because we are traditional. We know our customers. We think of our customers when we buy. We service our customers who become our friends, we are reinforcing the belief that the old way is still a great way to live."
I ask B.J. what his secret is and how his small business manages to thrive, even as the city radically evolves around him. He offers me this advice, "Utah Woolen Mills' key to success would have to be no shortcuts, just hard work. We strive every day to create a comfortable environment for people to find things they will love for years to come. We will continue to provide the best old-fashioned service with the latest and greatest products.
To learn more about Utah Woolen Mills, visit their website:
http://utahwoolenmills.com/
