Family Business: Cavaliers passes down to Joe Ross

August of last year, Joe Ross took full possession of Cavaliers from his father, Doug Ross, who worked in the store for 50 years.

Cavaliers was originally founded by George Renaker and Joseph Bullinger in the 1950s. One of Bullinger's children who was an artist actually designed the Cavaliers logo before the store ever opened, Joe Ross said, adding he drew it at the kitchen table, writing the name of the store and presented it to his father, saying, " Here is your logo."

The logo hasn't changed since, Ross added.

Doug Ross said that he started working at Cavaliers in 1968 when he was a college student studying secondary education at Northern Montana College, now Montana State University-Northern, and needed a part-time job. A friend told him to apply at Caveliers.

Bullinger retired in 1972, and in 1974, his career changed, Ross said, when George Renaker offered to sell him a share of the business.

"They made me an offer I couldn't refuse," Ross said. "I had nothing. I was 24 years old, fresh out of college, no assets of any sorts, but I borrowed everything that I could borrow and put it all together."

Ross said that after he bought in, he and Renaker and Renaker's son Tom formed a corporation owning the store.

"And the rest is history," he said.

Ross said that the store took off like a rocket. He added that when he first began working at Cavaliers, it was still at its original Third Avenue location. In 1981, he said, they found a new location for the store and closed a deal on the property where the store currently sits at 321 Third St.

In 1996, Ross said, his partner of 22 years, Tom Renaker, retired. After that, he was the sole owner of Cavaliers before his son Joe bought the store.

Joe Ross said he has been back in the store for the past 18 years. Before that, he said, he had left Havre to work for an architecture firm in Las Vegas, but after living there for a while, he decided that the big city was not the place he wanted to raise his daughter.

He moved back to Havre, working different jobs around town including working at a computer company.

"One day, it clicked in my head that (Cavaliers) is where I should be," Ross said.

He recalled that it was over Thanksgiving dinner when his dad asked him when he would come and work for him. Ross said it was funny because he actually had been planning that same day to ask his dad if he could work with him.

Ross said they figured it out and he came into work in January 2001. He said he wasn't thinking of buying the business immediately, but now it is time.

"It's just time, he's got 50 years in," Ross said, "I think it's probably time for him to have some fun."

When he left Havre, Ross said, he had no interest in coming back and working in Cavaliers. He wanted to find is own way, he said.

He liked working as an architect, he said, but he actually gets to do sort of the same thing working in Cavaliers, building people's outfits, building people's wardrobes - it is still design but in a different way.

Ross added that he can look at what people have bought in the past and can make suggestions accordingly for an outfit.

Doug Ross said his favorite thing about the store is its customers, the people who have been coming into Cavaliers for generations as well as the people who more recently have had their first experience in the store.

"Havre has been great," Ross said. "It's a place that's kind of off the beaten path, but still, everybody treats everybody so nicely and friendly. Our store, in no way, would have been a success without our customer base."

He added that this community customer base is what the store has enjoyed since the time the store first opened.

Joe Ross said some of the customers have been coming to the store for generations, with grandparents and great-grandparents coming in at some time in the past.

He said the fun part for him is that he grew up in the business. He remembers climbing around the store and playing, past employees, and knows people who have been coming to Cavaliers for generations.

People come to Cavaliers because they know him and his father, Ross said.

"It's been good for us," Ross said. "The whole Hi-Line is taking care of the store and we try to take care of the Hi-Line"

Doug Ross said Cavaliers is special and that there are not many stores like it left in small town communities.

"We've maintained the mentality to take a step up," Ross said. "Don't jeopardize quality, we might sell a few less things, but the quality is there and we stand behind everything."

Joe Ross said he remembers one of his dad's customers who came to Cavaliers on a regular basis and would call his father his "dresser man."

The customer had a shirt that he eventually turned into a quilt, taking it all around the world, Ross said.

Doug Ross said that, at one time, when he was in Butte, he ran into the customer. The customer invited him into his house and introduced him to all of his friends.

"He wanted everyone to know about Cavaliers," Ross said.

Joe Ross added that, over the years, the customer has begun calling him his dresser man.

"The quality and reputation you build up over the years is really important to the store, and to maintain that same kind of mentality continuing down the road, you have to be that kind of person," Doug Ross said.

He added that he and his wife, Becky, will still be living in Have, being part of the community. He said he still believes in the community and would like to tell everyone thank you for everything that they have provided Cavaliers over the years.

Doug and Joe Ross both said some big changes have happened over the years, but what they have seen trending is men's style is currently casual but fitted.

"Thank god leisure suits have gone away," Doug Ross said.

Joe Ross said he has seen Cavaliers carry everything, from Ocean Pacific style to Levis fashion.

Doug Ross said even at one point, with all the variety in jeans, Cavaliers even had an area of the store that was called the Jean Shop, which had designer jeans wall-to-wall.

Joe Ross said Cavaliers custom-fits everything for the customer.

Doug Ross added that the do about 90 percent of the alterations in store. If they can't do the alteration in store, Ross said, they have a "very talented" lady who helps them.

"She does a great job," Ross said.

Joe Ross said that people are willing to spend a little more for a custom suit rather than buying suits off the rack.

"And once you've done that, that's all you want because nothing fits like that," Ross said.

Doug Ross said Cavaliers has access to a wide variety custom suits in practically any price range.

Ross said people don't think about it in a small community, but people can find great suits in Havre.

Joe Ross said a few customer have asked if they will change. Ross said style will always change but the core of the store will remain the same.

"Our whole business isn't driven around fashion, it's driven around the people. We just happen to have nice clothes," Ross said.

He said it has been very special working with his dad after the 10 years he was in Las Vegas and not seeing him every day.

He added that a downfall of that is they tended to fall into a business relationship, although now that Doug Ross has retired he is excited about doing things with his dad outside of work.

"It's been a pleasure for me to watch Joe," Doug Ross said. "He has always been part of the business because he is a part of the family, but to watch him grow in this business and understand the philosophy behind Cavaliers and what it really means and it has been great. Having your son with you doing the same you're doing, being on the same page as you, working as hard as you, he has a future in this business and definitely has a future in Havre, Montana. Cavaliers has a future."