There is a unique feeling for a man when he dresses up for a special event and catches his reflection in a mirror and thinks, “Yes, this is exactly right.” There is a quiet confidence that comes from knowing you look sharp and stylish, whether that feeling originates from a new suit which perfectly hangs on your frame, or a dress shirt and slacks for a night out. Marc Maslauski, owner of Jim Herron Ltd. in Springfield, understands that men’s fashion is about more than just clothes.

“I love retail, because it is different every day. There are quite a few people in this country, I’m sure, who drive to work and they’re not really excited. But I like to be here,” said Marc with joy in his voice. “I like to be here almost more than I like to be home. It is where I feel at home.”

Jim Herron Ltd. has built its reputation on a foundation of quality clothing and genuine connection with customers who seek more than a well-tailored suit and snappy tie. They want a shopping experience.

“I love the interaction with my customers. I like making them feel good,” explained Marc. “I like it when they come back and say, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe how many compliments I got on that jacket. It is great. Thank you so much for pushing me into that.’ That’s the kind of stuff I love.”

“I could have gone to work for the state years ago and I’d be retired by now with a pension, and I could play golf every day,” continued Marc. “But I’m sure I’ll do this well into my 70s, because I like it.”

The commitment to excellence is evident not just in Marc’s personal philosophy, but in the very merchandise that distinguishes Jim Herron Ltd. from its competitors.

“We have some of the finest fabrics from all over,” stated Marc. “All over the country and all over the world.”

From fairways to fashion

Jim Herron Ltd. was originally established in 1975 on Columbus Day by founder Jim Herron, who built the store’s reputation for quality menswear in the heart of downtown Springfield. The current location of the business, in The Gables on Plaza Drive, represents a strategic evolution in its history of nearly five-decades, explained Marc.

Marc’s journey to ownership began more than three decades ago, though his path to men’s fashion was anything but conventional.

“The reason I wanted to be here is I came from the golf world. I played college golf at Carbondale,” recalled Marc. “Then I got in the PGA apprentice program, and it didn’t really work out for me. I was kind of banging around.”

It was his background in golf that ultimately opened the door to his future career.

“He (Jim Herron) knew I had some good experience working in pro shops and he needed somebody,” said Marc. “It worked out great. I figured it out once I got here. I liked it, I was good at it, and I could sell people from being in the golf business.”

Marc came to Jim Herron’s store in February of 1991, and his talent for the business became evident almost immediately.

“I was manager after I worked here six months. It didn’t take long,” noted Marc. “I worked for Jim for 15 years.”

The business was eventually acquired by Marc in 2006 after years of working alongside Jim. His decision to purchase the store was driven by both loyalty and a clear vision for its future.

“I wanted to buy it, because Jim had done a lot of things for me, but he was getting a little older, and I don’t think he was really taking care of the store. He didn’t have the energy that he used to,” explained Marc. “I thought for the quality and sake of the store, I needed to take over.”

Marc’s natural affinity for fashion and attention to personal appearance made him well-suited for the business.

“I’d always buy myself nicer clothes,” said Marc. “I went to public school and a lot of guys were showing up in sweatpants, but I always liked to look nice.”

After taking ownership, Marc made a bold decision to relocate the store from its longtime location downtown to the west side of Springfield.

“My customers always said, ‘We’d see a lot more of you if you were closer to where we live. We hate coming downtown.’ Springfield’s not that big,” Marc noted. “It shouldn’t be that big a deal to come downtown.”

The relocation has proven to be a strategic success, opening new opportunities for growth.

“After I moved out here, every single week, I meet somebody I’ve never met before. I have a new customer,” added Marc with confidence. “We’re still building our clientele, which is great.”

Building the wardrobe experience

The evolution of Jim Herron Ltd. mirrors Marc’s ambitious vision for what a modern menswear store should offer. The journey began modestly when the store first opened at its current location.

“When we first moved into The Gables, we just had one space. It was roughly 200 to 300 square feet. Then, I needed a spot for the tailor shop. There’s about 300 square feet in the back,” recalled Marc. “I brought my chief tailor and I said, ‘Listen, is this big enough?’ And she said, ‘It is bigger than the first tailor shop I’ve ever worked in. I’ll make it work.'”

The store operated in that limited footprint for a little more than a year before opportunity knocked.

“We were only one side of the building for 13 months after we opened up here in January, and then the following April the other side opened,” explained Marc.

The expansion allowed Marc to address what he saw as a significant gap in Springfield’s retail landscape which was quality footwear with exceptional service.

“When we expanded, I wanted to do something different that I really thought we didn’t have. We had one shoe store in town, but I didn’t like the reports,” explained Marc. “I would send people there and they said they didn’t get very good service. I’ve always liked shoes. I’m like, ‘Let’s get into the shoe business. While we’re at it, since there’s four lady stores in this development, let’s put in some lady shoes too, because they probably don’t have any place to buy shoes in this town either.’”

The addition of footwear also necessitated expanding more into accessories, to create complete style offerings for customers.

“We expanded our hosiery and our belt selection,” Marc noted. “A lot of guys like better shoes and perhaps want to buy a belt that matches them. That means I need to buy a lot of belts, because they have a lot of different kinds of leather textures and finishes to go with the shoe. For our guys who have a burnished toe shoe, he’s got to have the burnished edge belt. It has worked out really well. It is a side that’s still growing.”

The women’s shoe selection has proven to be another strategic success, though Marc acknowledges there is still room for growth and awareness.

“My ladies’ business is growing. There are still a lot of people who probably don’t realize we have some women’s selections,” observed Marc. “We work the social media and try to get the word of mouth the best way we can. If the lady has a good experience here, she’ll definitely tell her friends and then they’ll tell their friends, and it becomes a domino effect.”

A casual revolution

Marc’s ability to read and respond to shifting fashion trends has been crucial to the store’s continued relevance. The dramatic transformation in business attire over recent decades required significant strategic pivoting.

“It is incredible how over the last 30 or 35 years, how things have changed, and we’ve had to change with it,” observed Marc. “Guys like to buy pants now that they can play golf in and throw a sport coat on and go to a business meeting.”

The traditional suit, once the cornerstone of a man’s professional wardrobe, now occupies a more specialized niche in Marc’s inventory.

“Fashion these days has definitely changed. I sell suits for funerals and weddings,” stated Marc. “There are still some stockbrokers and a few people in the business world that like to wear a suit.”

“When things went casual, the store had to pivot. I hang (stock) half the amount of suits and sport coats, and I have half the amount of dress pants,” Marc explained pointing at a rack of suits. “Then, I’ve got a lot more casual pants, and we had to expand our sports shirts exponentially.”

Despite these changes in fashion trends and customer habits, Marc believes the true foundation of the store’s success remains unchanged.

“I think the reason Jim Herron Ltd. is so successful is the fact that we have intrinsic value here. We have the best service in town. We have the best tailor shop in town,” added Marc with a smile. “It is all about service during and after the sale.”

Making small business work

Marc is keenly aware of the challenges facing independent retailers in Illinois and believes state policymakers need to recalibrate their understanding of what truly constitutes a small business.

“They need to understand what an actual small business is. I think the criteria is anything that has 250 employees, or less. I think they ought to make that 25 employees or less. That’s a true small business,” observed Marc. “If you have 50 employees, I don’t think that really qualifies as a small business. If they really want to talk about small businesses and people starting small businesses from the ground up, then give them a leg up. Give them a low interest loan, ultra-low at 2 percent, just like they did during the pandemic to get them off the ground and give them a bunch of years to pay for it. That’s the kind of thing they need. I don’t need it now, but I sure wish I would have had it 20 years ago. It would have made things a heck of a lot easier.”

How to succeed

For aspiring entrepreneurs contemplating their own venture into retail, Marc’s advice is both practical and born from decades of experience.

“If somebody came to me and said, ‘I’m thinking about a store,’ I would just tell them make sure you do something in your store that is unique, and don’t be afraid to be a little bit nicer,” advised Marc. “There’s plenty of places to get cheap clothing. Make sure your stuff is well-made. Don’t be afraid to be better and have your own identity. If you own it and you can give them (customers) something different, I think you’ll find your niche because everybody’s got to find their niche.”

One of the unique retail lessons Marc has learned over his career, involves inventory and merchandise. He counsels new retailers now not to become overly attached to your stock of inventory.

“When I got into retail, I wish somebody would have told me that you can’t hold on to things too much. You get attached to your inventory,” explained Marc. “After a while, they’re just dollars on the shelf and you have to let them go. It took me a while to learn that. If it (merchandise) doesn’t work, if it is in the store for 45 days and nobody has really bought a piece of it, we need to get it out of here, try to send it back to the company, or just put it on sale and see you later.”

Marc has also come to recognize that different shoppers serve different, but equally important roles in the success of a business.

“Sales are a necessary evil. It is great because my sales customers are completely different than my regular customers,” noted Marc. “There’s people I only see when I have a sale. That’s okay, because I need everybody. I need regular customers, I need sales customers, and we have blowout clearance sale customers. I need them all.”

A nod to the past

Perhaps nothing speaks more to Marc’s character than his decision to preserve the store’s original name after purchasing Jim Herron Ltd.

“I know there’s some people that probably told me I should change the name. But he (Jim Herron) says to me, ‘I’m really glad you didn’t,’” recalled Marc. “I’m like, ‘You know, Jim, I didn’t want to. I want you to be able to drive by and see that your business was still thriving. That what you started back in 1975 is still around.’ Stores like this aren’t bought and sold very often and I think he’s very, very thankful that it is still called Jim Herron Ltd.”

“Everybody knows it is my store and my nickname is Mass,” added Marc with a smile. “Everybody’s like, ‘you know, I’ll just go down to Masses. He’ll take care of you.'”