Gelzer’s Furniture celebrates their 100 year anniversary. Courtesy | Facebook

Hillsdale’s hometown furniture store is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. 

H.J. Gelzer, the original owner, purchased the building in 1923, and the store still resides there today.

Andrew Gelzer, the great-great grandson of H.J. Gelzer, said the leadership of Grant Baker, H.J. ‘s grandson, and his wife, Catherine, allowed the store to navigate the economic turmoil of the 2000s.

“It was really Grant’s wife Catherine who really got the furniture store through the Walmart era, through the recession, through the 2008 market bubble crash,” Gelzer said.

The Gelzers also own Gelzer’s Hardware. 

“My family has been in hardware since the 1800s,” Gelzer said. “They came to Southern Michigan in 1919. Before that, they were in Delta, Ohio, where they sold hardware. They left that area in 1918, because they saved German immigrants from a lynch mob and were essentially chased out of town.”

Even as consumers today lean more toward online shopping, Scott Gelzer, son of former CEO George Gelzer, said the store is continuing to prosper.

“Gelzer’s has seen Sears come and go, Montgomery Ward’s come and go,” he said. “Numerous other department stores that sell other things: the rise of specialty antique and gift shops, and Walmart to the extent it offers, yet Gelzer’s has persevered and been successful.”

Being a small business with a rich history has its benefits, Andrew Gelzer said.

“We have business relationships and business history going back a century now,” he said. “The relationships that we’ve been able to form over the years with our manufacturers, with our vendors, with our partners, allows our pricing to be competitive, even though we’re a much smaller operation.”

Mayor of Hillsdale and Manager of Gelzer’s Furniture Adam Stockford said its presence downtown does not increase the price of its furniture.

“Just because we are downtown does not mean our prices are more expensive,” he said. “Our prices are as good as Walmart or Amazon.”

Stockford also said being downtown allows Gelzer’s to be more involved in the community. 

“Gelzer’s is located right downtown and that really lets the store see the Hillsdale community,” he said. “Residents will come into the store to get a new mattress or recliner, or will just come in to chit chat.”

Scott Gelzer credited the longevity of the store to it being a small-town business that values its customers, despite technological advances.

“Gelzer’s has persevered through all of that,” he said. “The store still offers the basics: walk in, talk with a knowledgeable person, have a conversation, look at some items, read the boxes. Hold the item in your hand if it’s possible, sit in the chair.” 

Andrew Gelzer said its size allows Gelzer’s to provide a personal customer service experience.

“Every business is going to tell you that they give great customer service,” he said. “To a degree I’m sure that’s true with every business in the world, but with our business in Hillsdale, Michigan, it’s not just good service. It’s good service from someone that you know—you actually physically, personally know someone there.”

Stockford said in addition to great customer service, Gelzer’s is able to give back to the community in ways bigger stores would not be able to.

“Being a family-run business allows for us to give back and to be involved in the community,” he said. “We offer unique customer service and promote the culture of a small town in many ways.”

Andrew Gelzer said one way the business supports the community is through its genuine care for customers.

“We’re not out for the short sale. We’re in it for the long haul,” he said. “The community has figured out that we keep our word, and we’re very proud of that fact.”

The store will be celebrating 100 years with a centennial sale happening later this year, Andrew Gelzer said.

For now, Scott Gelzer said this is a time to appreciate the work put into the store’s life up to this point.

“The 100 year mark gives us a chance to really applaud longevity and sustainability and the quality of the store operation,” he said.