Business
While Skokie has become home to a lot of new, trend-setting organizations in recent years, some of its most valuable and memorable businesses have endured for generations and look to last generations longer.
In the late 19th century, when the local business landscape had not yet developed into the diverse landscape it eventually became, Skokie Mercantile opened for business. Through time, its name changed to Ace Hardware, but the same family owned and operated it until 1998, when Paul McGivern purchased the store. McGivern had previously run a tool store in Palatine while living in Morton Grove and decided he wanted to branch out to his own store. After doing some soul searching and research with Ace, he settled on the Skokie location now known as the longest continuously running business in Skokie.
Competition has moved into town since its inception, so Ace could not remain entirely static and hope to survive. “We’ve completely redone every department,” says McGivern. “We’ve added a computer system and an inventory-control system. But one thing that hasn’t changed are the faces, which is nice.”
Still the “Helpful Place” for local customers to obtain advice and tools for all their hardware needs, Ace Hardware has changed some, but only enough to remain the classic that has served the community for more than a century.Haben Funeral Home and Cremation Service makes up the oldest family business in Skokie, established in 1923 by the late Ray Haben. In those times, many funeral homes conducted services through a private home rather than a dedicated building, but Haben was one of the first buildings designed and constructed specifically to serve as a funeral home. By 1950, a new generation came aboard the staff of the funeral home. Ray’s grandson, John, became the third generation in the family business beginning in 1978, and the family’s traditions of excellent service during great times of transition and grief live on through the latest generation.
Despite shifts in the economy, Walton-on-Dempster has also weathered through as one of the longest-maintained businesses in Skokie, as it was founded in 1890. Leonard Marienau began working with the family business 36 years ago and continues to help the organization adapt to the new times while remaining loyal to both family and the business. “We’ve been a fixture here for a long time,” Marienau relates. “The competition has been so great that car franchises, a lot of them, have gone out of business here in Skokie.”
Experience may not be a guarantee for permanent success, but as the folks at Walton-on-Dempster have learned to adapt to times, chances seem high that it will remain a fixture for quite a while to come.
While Skokie continues to grow and expand in its variety of businesses and services, residents have shown a dedication to some of the services that have endured the tumultuous times that any community must face occasionally. Room remains for the new businesses to make an impression, but, fortunately, not necessarily at the cost of some of the great businesses that helped establish the Skokie of today.
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