DEMOTTE | Reaching the century mark in a family business now in its fourth generation is a rare feat, but the Lageveens have done just that.
A banner reading "Celebrating 100 Years of God's Blessings" fills the window of DeMotte Mercantile and Sell It Again at 821 S. Halleck St.
Over the years, it also was known as Lageveen's Department Store, and simply, DeMotte Mercantile, but there always was a Lageveen family member at the helm.
These days, the downtown storefront is largely a consignment shop filled with an eclectic mix of collector's pieces, whimsy and housewares that invite browsing. New furniture and mattresses are the retail mainstays.
"It's a nice mixture of consignments. We have interesting decor. It's the best of both worlds," said Nathan Lageveen, the current owner and fourth-generation family member.
Nathan said he still enjoys his father Art Lageveen's advice and company at the shop, where the elder Lageveen, 80, serves as a consultant.
In 1910, Art's grandfather purchased the existing shop in the unincorporated community that later would become the town of DeMotte. Art's parents, Arthur and Josina Lageveen, later bought it.
Like his father, Nathan has fond memories of growing up in the store.
"My first memories are when my father turned it into a minimall. He transitioned from a department store because he had to find a new niche," he said.
Art enjoys that his son continues the family business, which has adjusted to changing markets to survive.
"It's really gratifying. It feels good," Art said.
When shopping malls drew customers from the downtown, Art said he adapted to the minimall concept. When those renters moved out, he expanded on the consignment space.
"You have to look at another way of doing business," he said.
Art sat on the committee that worked for DeMotte's incorporation as a town in the late '60s. He would later serve six years as the DeMotte Town Council president and enjoyed a stint as the town's burgermeister during its Touch of Dutch festival.
The storefront is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. It is closed Sundays.
Peggy Fekete is the one employee who is not family.
"She's like family. She's been here as long as I have," Nathan said of his 10 years with the store.
Donna Lageveen, Art's wife, is the business's bookkeeper, and Nathan's wife, Tracy Lageveen, painted a wall mural and helps with display setup.
Nathan said the expansion of the consignment end of the business makes sense.
"It's helped us in this economy," he said, pointing to little upfront inventory costs.
With the economic downturn showing little sign of resurgence soon, Nathan said he expects he will stick with the consignment concept for a while.
"We get a lot of traffic, but I'm adaptable," he said.
One interesting aspect of being in business so long is evidenced in DeMotte Mercantile's checking account number with DeMotte State Bank -- it has only four digits.
