Posted 10:25 pm Sunday, February 05, 2012
After 23 Years, Smiths Steps Away From Lifelong Business Endeavor
By CASEY MURPHY
Business Editor
Business Editor
For the Smiths, working at Baskins was a family affair.
Grover and Nancy Smith have worked in the Tyler store since it opened in 1988 and now, after 23 years, are hanging up their hat for retirement.
Their children Tres and Terri also worked at the store for several years and have since moved on to other jobs.
"We've had very special friendships formed, not just in the Tyler store but throughout the company," Mrs. Smith said.
Mrs. Smith, 68, was born in Nacogdoches and her husband is from Mississippi.
Smith, 75, held down three jobs while he was a teenager. He started working in retail after high school and has been in the business for more than 50 years.
"My husband is a true merchant," Mrs. Smith said. "That is what he enjoys the most. I've never seen him tired of meeting the people ... he enjoys merchandising."
She said he is from the "old school - you take care of the customers... you take care of their needs and the business will take care of itself."
Mrs. Smith worked in the banking industry in Nacogdoches and Jasper for 16 years. She planned to continue working for a bank when the couple moved to Tyler but ended up working with her husband.
BUSINESS HISTORY
Because Smith had known Don and Anita Baskin through his years in the retail business, the Smiths were asked to move to Tyler from Jasper to help run the store.
Mrs. Smith said they helped the Baskins build the Tyler store when it opened in 1988.
Baskin's representatives said Smith opened the store at 4530 S. Broadway Ave. and has managed it the entire time with Mrs. Smith by his side.
"She's been a real support at the store and I couldn't have done it without her," Smith said of his wife.
It opened as Baskins Department Store but has since evolved to a western store and the name has changed to Baskins. The Tyler store was the sixth Baskins location.
The Baskins chain of stores opened in 1972 in Trinity, with the service philosophy of "neighbors helping neighbors."
Each store offers more than 14 different departments and offers name brand boots, hats, jeans, work wear and gear for the ranch.
Including the Tyler location, Baskins has grown to 23 stores, mostly across East Texas, with nearly 300 employees.
THE SMITH FAMILY
The Smiths also had the help of their children to run the store throughout the years.
The Smith's son, Tres Smith, 42, started working with his parents at Baskins when it opened in 1988.
He graduated from Jasper High School on a Wednesday and began working at Baskin's Thursday morning, Mrs. Smith recalled. While working there, he attended Tyler Junior College and worked his way up in the business to be a buyer for the company until he left Dec. 31.
Their daughter Terri Mason, 48, also worked her way up to be a buyer for Baskins, working there from 1992 to January, 2011.
"It was a family affair," Mrs. Smith said. "It was run by the Smith family."
She said they treated it as a "mom and pop" store and built its customer base up as such.
The Smiths worked together every day. While Smith did the merchandising, she was "mama," assisting in all aspects of the business, she said.
Because of her banking career, Mrs. Smith mostly retreated to the bookkeeping part of the business at Baskins, staying in the background while her daughter and husband worked the sales floor.
Leaving is bittersweet for the Smiths.
They plan to travel and spend more time with their five grandchildren, who are all heavily involved in sports, Mrs. Smith said.
After retiring on Jan. 28, by Tuesday, the couple had already gone to two basketball games.
"We enjoyed it tremendously," she said. "We've not been able to do that sort of stuff" because of the hours they worked.
The Smiths closed the store pretty much every night, she said.
Although they will enjoy their time off, they will miss their longtime customers.
The Smiths saw the children of their customers grow up and have children of their own throughout the years.
She said they knew the children's accomplishments made in school and the store posted pictures of children who won barrel racing events and other activities.
"They've become more than customers," Mrs. Smith said. "We know their families."
Working anywhere that long, Smith said, "You get to know your customers and your co-workers very well."
