It's no wonder that pawn shops of repo men do well in a down economy, but a formal attire business? That's the situation with President Tuxedo, which is opening a new service center and headquarters in Sterling Heights.
The 40-year-old business now employs 150 people in communities across metro Detroit. Thirty of the 50 jobs at the Sterling Heights facility will be new hires.
Robert Gafa, the co-CEO of President Tuxedo, says his company has been able to build on its long-standing reputation as a local business, drawing repeat business and attracting word-of-mouth referrals.
"We have increased wedding registrations, even though marriage licenses are down," Gafa says.
President Tuxedo invested more than $2 million into the new facility, which will handle dry-cleaning, warehousing and distribution for all of the firm's stores. The service center will also house the corporate headquarters, facilitating training of store managers. Gafa and his partner Robert Brannan chose Sterling Heights because the 24,900-square-foot building fits the company's needs and is close to the freeways.
Gafa expects business to increase, despite the economic travails. He points out that people still want to look nice for their weddings, proms, etc.
"When it comes down to the most important day of their lives, they still want to get dressed up for it," Gafa says.
Source: Robert Gafa, co-CEO of President Tuxedo
Writer: Jon Zemke
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