FROM OUR NOVEMBER ISSUE: MILESTONES-100 YEARS! BATES & THIGPEN, BATON ROUGE

It was 1924 when Jewell Bates and W. Thigpen opened a uniform shop on Main Street. The two worked together at a local department store and stayed on Main Street until 1965. Bates ultimately bought out Thigpen and brought his two sons into the business. Today, Brad Bates, Jr. (fourth generation) [above, left] is running the business, now 5,000 sq ft on Third Street.

How have they survived 100 years? Bradley Bates (third generation) [above right] weighs in. “We sell nice suits at reasonable prices (average $300 to $350 retail). We don’t mark them up three times or depend upon price promotions. We’re here for our customers no matter what, including showing up Christmas morning to provide suits for a funeral. My daddy and grandfather helped a lot of people in Baton Rouge. We still make uniforms for the fire department, police, post office, and EMS. We’re open nine to five, five days a week, giving us time to have a life and family.”

Bradley, who started at the store 50 years ago, is grateful for the time he had working with his dad, “a fine man and good person,” and cherishes numerous family stories. For example, when his grandpa ran the store on Main Street, a young LSU student stood outside looking longingly at shoes in the window. “I believe they were Bostonians at $12. My grandpa went outside and offered to help him, but the young man acknowledged that he couldn’t afford the shoes. My grandpa suggested he pay a little at a time, but the young man replied that he’s in the military, soon to be shipped overseas, and might not be coming back. ‘Well if that becomes the case,’ said my grandpa, ‘giving you shoes is the very least I can do.’”

According to Bradley, fourth-generation Brad Jr. wants to reinvent the wheel and modernize. “My carrier pigeon died so I had to get a fax machine,” he jokes. “And yes, we even have a computer. But I’m not giving up my bookkeeping on paper. Or our ledger from 100 years ago listing every purchase made by every customer: date, item, size, color and price.”

Interestingly, both Bradley and Brad Jr. have had training as mechanics. “In 11th grade, I took an hourly job in a service station and learned so much,” says Bradley. “Not just about cars but about dealing with people. Customer service is surely the most important thing we do, and the real reason we’ve survived 100 years.”