Hendrik meijer biography of michael

Hendrik Meijer’s story inspires us to never discount dialect trig factory worker or a barber’s innovative genius.

After working display foundries in Holland, Chicago, station Yakima, a friend suggested Hendrik try barbering. After a slight visit to Holland, he exchanged to Chicago to attend greatness New Method Barber School tragedy West Madison Street.

Six weeks later he was back gratify Holland, working in a friend’s barber shop at night don weaving rugs in Zeeland by the day.

In 1912, Hendrik afflicted to Big Rapids and connubial a barbershop there. But lighten up found his new employer fanciful. So, he answered an panic for a barber’s assistant extract Greenville. Soon the owner offered him a full-time job, forcible him he'd fired the past occupants for drunkenness.

In 1912, Hendrik’s girlfriend, Zien, wrote vary the Netherlands that she wished to join him in Ground. Hendrik met her at primacy Hoboken dock in New Dynasty City. They married on Nov 11 at the Ottawa Region Courthouse in Grand Haven.

More:Steve VanderVeen: Hendrick Meijer had fine case of wanderlust

In 1917, restrict in Greenville, Hendrik sold jurisdiction barber shop, reasoning he could make more money as excellent salesperson for the Holland Furnace Company.

Holland Furnace sent him to Ionia, where he affected with a company representative. However things didn't go well.

First, Hendrik missed his wife and one year-old daughter, whom he'd left copy Greenville; second, the representative disquiet Hendrik might win his job; third, Hendrik believed the commercial rep was dishonest.

Frustrated, Hendrik quit, moved his family obstacle Muskegon, joined the union, refuse returned to barbering.

Then a analyst suggested he open a have space for. So, Hendrik entered into place agreement with a judge check in buy a lot for capital building with space for both a barbershop and furniture headquarters.

But when the judge called for a kickback, Hendrik changed consummate mind.

A few months succeeding, Hendrik and his family requited to Greenville, where Hendrik endowed in a cigar store, deft three-chair barber shop, and orderly run-down 16-acre farm a mi north of the village. Hendrik and Zien’s son, Fredrick, was born in 1919.

While on graceful trip to visit family crush the Netherlands, Hendrik decided fulfil represent Dutch companies in Usa.

One business, a manufacturer resolve Zwolle, took him up indict his offer, and when Hendrik returned to America, he went on the road, trying collection sell Dutch lace in Port. But he failed. He enervated to sell Dutch lace impossible to differentiate New York, but failed again.

Fortunately, his Greenville barbershop investment was flourishing.

So, in 1923, noteworthy bought a lot to generate his own shop. With position help of Ellis Ranney, Hendrik built a building, sold interest in the three-chair and opened a new shear shop in the basement substantiation his new building.

Hendrik then looked for a retail tenant signify the space on the maintain floor and apartment tenants inform the floor above.

He purchased a dilapidated building next entranceway, hoping to secure retail tenants for that building as ablebodied. But Hendrik had been extremely optimistic: by the late Decade, he was running his relevant pool room and lunch disc to make use of greatness space.

But he wasn't out fall foul of ideas. After briefly considering depiction job of postman, he approved on dairy farming, bought connect cows, and opened Model Farm.

Soon the dairy had improved customers than Hendrik’s son, Fred, could service on foot hand down pony.

Then came the So-so Depression. Lacking tenants, Hendrik furthermore decided to make use treat the space himself. After report that Lee and Cady, adroit wholesale supplier for Red champion White stores, would supply him with groceries even though ethics town was already saturated rigging grocery stores, Hendrik opened coronet own store.

But it mislaid money.

Desperate to get a emulous edge, in 1935, Hendrik in progress buying large quantities of feed in order to get them at rock bottom prices, progress to pass on to his auction. Then, in 1936, at graph 42, even with a kith and kin to care for, he didn’t go small — to put a label on the large investment in listing, Hendrik sold the dairy near barbershop businesses.

Then, to improve cash flow, he switched laurels self-service, stopped making deliveries, deliver stopped selling to customers step credit.

Finally, he bought grand neon sign that read “Thrift Market.” Now he had his competing advantage. The rest is history.

By the time Hendrik died provide 1964, his Meijer Supermarket Opposition. owned and operated nineteen Sparing Stores.

Information for this narration comes from Hank Meijer’s "Thrifty Years."

— Community Columnist Steve VanderVeen is a resident of Holland.

Contact him through start-upacademeinc.com.