For well over a century, Hansen’s Clothing has occupied the same plot of land near the corner of Grand Avenue and West 6th Street in Spencer, Iowa. The business was established in 1902 and nurtured by three generations of tailors; starting with Ole Hansen, who passed it on to his son, Elmore. Elmore’s son Duane was the third generation and ran the business until 2019.
The store has always been dedicated to the highest level of detail and craftsmanship, and each garment sold is made of only the finest materials.
Today the store is not owned by a Hansen, but the dedication to quality continues. Logan Wood bought the business in 2019 with his three partners: Josh Nelson, John Hass and Aaron Techen.
Wood honors the Hansens’ legacy of selling high-quality men’s clothing and has continued the work Duane started with a personal in-store and online shopping experience.
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When the business started in 1902, it was a tailor shop typical of the time period. The buyer would walk in, get fitted and pick a bolt of fabric, and Ole Hansen would make the suit by hand. As time evolved, and people wanted a simpler shopping experience, the Hansens started selling clothes that were ready to wear, right off the rack. But even then, they kept their focus on providing the highest quality. |
“When they introduced ready-to-wear clothing items to the store, they went only with the higher-end lines because that’s what their customers were accustomed to and expected nothing less from them,” Wood said.
As the decades passed, dress codes and clothing trends became more casual and the need for high-end menswear locally had dropped. So, in 2006, Duane Hansen took action to expand the store’s reach: he started selling clothes online.
“Duane was somewhat of a pioneer when it came to selling high-end men’s clothing online,” Wood said. “He was one of the first to do it.”
When Duane made the decision to take the business online, he sought the help of a local design and marketing firm to develop his website. Years later, Wood purchased the design firm and took on the task of promoting the Hansen’s Clothing online store. This was how he became acquainted with the owner and learned about the business before buying it in 2019.
Wood has always had an eye for design. Before buying Hansen’s Clothing, he owned a design marketing firm for nine years and he’s found some similarities between the roles. “With a custom suit, for example, you choose your fabric, your buttons, thread color, and everything else,” he said. “From a design aspect, it’s similar to creating someone’s website. There are so many different elements that go into the final layout.” Since taking over Hansen’s Clothing, Wood says that the most rewarding part of the job is creating a custom piece of clothing that is going to fit the customer just right. “Most of our customers have been wearing the same brands for many years and know exactly what they want,” Wood said. “A lot of these items can be hard to find, so it’s all about helping our customers locate or create what they are looking for.” |
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The commercial team at Northwest Bank has been helping Hansen’s Clothing thrive since long before Wood became one of the owners, and that support has continued to this day.
All of the company’s main accounts are with Northwest Bank, they use automated clearing house (ACH) services to make payments to their vendors, and they have a line of credit to finance their inventory.
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, commercial banker Paul Daniels helped Wood apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The extra funds, combined with their strong online presence, helped them continue to succeed during a challenging time.
“When many other men’s clothing stores were closing their doors because they didn’t have an online store, we were able to keep going,” Wood said. “Northwest Bank helped us continue to bring products into our store to sell.”
The current building was constructed in the late 1940s. Above the store was the Hansens’ living quarters: a two-story, single-family apartment with three bedrooms and two bathrooms that exists today but has been unoccupied since 2007.
Over the next couple of years, the apartment will be renovated into three apartments that will serve as short-term downtown rentals that can be reserved on vacation rental websites. The project has been named “Hansen’s Upper Story” and was recently awarded a $100,000 challenge grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA).
“Our focus for these rentals is to provide a place for people to stay downtown when traveling to or through Spencer,” Wood said.
The second floor of the building, which Wood calls the main floor of the apartment, will be renovated into two efficiency units while the top floor will be a larger, two-bedroom apartment.
“This allows us to effectively use a space that is currently underutilized in the heart of downtown Spencer,” Wood said.
Whether serving their small community in Northwest Iowa or their loyal customers all over the world, Hansen’s has established itself as a leader in high-end menswear. And Wood is committed to the old-fashioned service and intimate knowledge of fabric and style synonymous with Hansen’s Clothing.
“People feel confident in working with us because of the store’s long history,” Wood said. “The customers love to know that they’re supporting a small business in a small town instead of a big box store. People keep coming back for that personal service.”
Northwest Bank served the Hansen family when they were in charge and continues to serve Hansen’s Clothing under Wood’s leadership. To learn more about how we can help your small business, meet one of our commercial bankers today.
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