Zickfield's store soon will mark 75th year

In today's bustling society, it's rare to find a business owner who remembers your name.

Shop owners see so many faces daily, the chance they recognize a repeat customer is slim.

But that's not the case at Zickfield's Jeweler and Gifts, owner Kent Zickfield said. There, he connects with his customers on a personal level and ensures his products are more than satisfactory. This is the result of placing 75 years of dedication into a line of work he finds rewarding, he said.

Being a jeweler is all Kent has done other than serving in the National Guard for seven years. Zickfield said his father, William A. Zickfield, instilled a passion for what he does.

"[Working for my dad], it was interesting," Kent said with a slight hesitation. "You're always harder on your children, and he pushed me to learn the right way how to treat customers, but it paid off in the long run."

Despite the early frustrations of learning the trade, Kent admitted it is all he's wanted to do, and he's passed that on to his children.

A third generation of Zickfields are beginning to incorporate themselves into the family business. William and his wife, Maxine, bought the store with William's brother-in-law in 1939. Within a year, William transitioned into running the entire store, and in 1978 he opened Zickfield's Gift Box with his son, Kent.

Kent estimated he was 14 at the time. In 1981, William died, and Kent managed both stores with his wife, Vicki. In 1994, he combined the Gift Box and Zickfield's into one central location at 29 N. Main St.

Maxine dedicated almost 70 years to bookkeeping at the store. And now, Kent's three children -- David, Wendi and William -- have all taken a share in helping operate the business.

Wendi is the newest to begin work at the jeweler. Since William's recent cancer diagnosis, she's stepped in to help the family, and said learning from her father has been a memorable experience.

"I admire the relationships he builds with his clients, and his ability to maintain them," Wendi said. "When people come in the store, they tell me, 'Oh, I remember your dad, or I remember your grandpa,' and that's amazing to me. Having people come back for 75 years is truly admirable."

Zickfield's has become a staple in downtown, and Kent said they have no plans to move.

"People expect us to be here," he said. "We have relationships here and a strong customer base -- this is just where we are."

However, keeping a business running for three-quarters of a century is no easy feat. Kent said there have been many changes over the years, and the store has continued to adapt.

"The times have changed," Kent said. "You have to change your marketing strategy, provide quality merchandise ... now it's digital marketing, reaching people online, something we never considered years ago."

Kent added that's one of the many benefits of working with his children -- they add a sense of youthful energy to the store, while he and his wife bring the experience.

"It's the greatest thing to go to work every day with my family. We all get along, enjoy each other's company and complement each other," he said.

Even after 33 years of operating the business on his own, Kent doesn't have any plans to retire. He did add, however, he wouldn't mind taking more time to travel with his wife.

When asked to impart some of wisdom to new business owners, Kent's advice was simple: Find a business that will always be in demand.

"Do your homework, get into a business that people have a demand for. It has to be a product or service people are looking for and want," Kent said. "You can't just create a demand out of thin air. That and accumulating enough capital to ride through the rough times, because that's going to happen, and you have to have enough capital to accommodate that."

The Zickfields are focusing on their family member's health for the time being, but with a little good fortune, they are hoping to celebrate their store's 75th anniversary beginning with the Downtown Christmas Open House on Dec. 5.

smaue@semissourian.com

388-3644

Pertinent address:

29 N. Main St.