“It’s been a journey to get here, but we’ve arrived, and here we are,” said St. Croix Shop manager Victoria Knight at the Friday, May 4, soft opening their new, permanent location at 268 W. Maple Road in Birmingham, just a couple of doors east of where their temporary, ‘pop-up’ shop had been.
“We’re in an Albert Kahn historic building that had once been a bank and, with the full support of our corporate, property-owner’s, contractor’s, and city of Birmingham’s crews, we’ve come full circle as part of this community’s evolution, now serving clients – many of whom are bankers and businessmen, themselves – and embracing all of Birmingham.”
stcroixshop.com
248-816-1390
268 West Maple Road,
Birmingham, MI 48009
Drs. Ruvayn and Sara Rubinstein with their three children
Energy is flowing at the chiropractic office of Drs. Ruvayn and Sara Rubinstein on Crooks Rd., south of Big Beaver, in Troy.
Lively music plays as patients greet one another in the open treatment area accented with orange décor, sleek chiropractic tables and a bright-orange wall of framed photos of happy patients, including children who’ve been successfully treated for ailments ranging from asthma, allergies, ear infections and headaches to immune system – and even ADD — difficulties.
“I don’t like the atmosphere of being in a doctor’s office,” Ruvayn, as he likes his patients to call him, says. “Though we do have private treatment rooms, our open room here is so efficient.”
He adds, “People who may have been nervous can see other patients limp onto the table and then happily get off of it.”
They also see Ruvayn perform a technique or adjustment and then proclaim, “Power’s on!” as he gives the treated patient a pat on the leg (a final check restoring balance) and moves on to the next client.
“And,” adds business partner and wife, Dr. Sara Rubinstein, “patients who see each other here regularly enjoy the social aspect and often become friends.”
Ruvayn and Sara, the practice’s general manager, have known each other their whole lives.
“I was friends with Sara’s brothers,” says Ruvayn. “Her father was a chiropractor and so was mine.”
“Sara and I are a good team,” Ruvayn states.
“The best part,” says Sara, “is getting to watch miracles together.”
“There are actually eleven chiropractors in our immediate families!” Ruvayn exclaims. “There was never anything else I wanted to be…except maybe, like a lot of kids, a baseball player.”
Ruvayn was home-schooled and worked every Friday as a secretary at his father’s office.
“I saw the way patients respond to a drug-free lifestyle. And when I was thirteen, my father taught me how to adjust him, to use his own effective technique.”
“I moved to Israel to school and started adjusting the kids there,” he says, “including preventing a fellow student from needing back surgery.”
The Rubinsteins decided to put their education, philosophy, skills and experience into their own practice as soon as they could.
“We graduated in June of 2014,” says Ruvayn, “and signed the lease here in July.”
Ruvayn did his own marketing and brand development.
“I picked the best brains for my logo, which includes a rendering of an aligned spine, and really got myself out into the community.”
“Ruvayn is an exemplary member of the Troy Chamber,” said Jessica Minnick, director of communications for the Troy Chamber of Commerce. “Not only does he champion new business as a leader for one of our business development groups, but also he educates the surrounding community about health and wellness at the workplace.”
Ruvayn said it was a six-month process to come up with the word “thrive.”
“ ‘Thrive’ is a good word! We have a mission to make sure all men, women and children have the ability to thrive through life – and not just survive,” Ruvayn said.
Sterling Heights resident Garret Urbaniak, a wedding disc jockey for over 23 years, could barely get out of the car and walk to his house due to extreme pain and stiffness present in his lower back after a long night of working at a wedding.
“I had to use a cane to make it,” he says. “A chiropractor I’d been working with gave me adjustments before and after gigs and told me I had arthritis that would never go away, and that I had to live with it.”
“Luckily, I found Ruvayn. After two treatments, everything was great, and I have no trouble doing gigs. I can work 4, 5, 6 weddings with no pain at all!”
“Ruvayn is an amazing, friendly guy – the kind of guy you want to be around,” says Urbaniak. “I’ve referred many friends, and they all are extremely happy with the entire ‘Thrive’ experience.”
The Rubinsteins offer chiropractic care for patients of all ages, including pregnant women and babies.
“Birth can be very traumatic for some infants,” Ruvayn explains, “with forceps, vacuum extraction, rushing the process…and sometimes a doctor, during a C-section, might even pick up a baby by its head, causing subluxations, misalignment.”
“Chiropractic allows the body to function as it was designed to function, from birth. People are going to hurt themselves, but they recover quickly with chiropractic care.”
The Rubinsteins are certified doctors of Worksafe, a free back safety and ergonomic program that reduces workplace injuries.
“I love going out into schools and workplaces to educate about chiropractic,” says Ruvayn. “We have a one-hour program that employees and employers – including General Motors, Weyerhauser, Medilodge and other companies – have really enjoyed.”
The doctors also enjoy educating people through information on their website and YouTube videos.
“True chiropractic is all about prevention,” Ruvayn says. “We are getting many referrals of people who not only want to heal, but who want prevention of pain and injury and maintenance of wellbeing, who always want their ‘power on!’”
Thrive Chiropractic
2133 Crooks Road
Troy, MI 48084
248-574-9355
As Victoria Knight, manager of mens’ fine apparel store, the St. Croix Shop, precisely folds (with a layer of crisp tissue) a newly arrived, handcrafted sky-blue men’s cotton luxury polo shirt, she warmly greets a customer who, while on a walk downtown, stops in.
Introducing himself as “Tom,” he shares that the spring wardrobe display of coordinated separates that he saw through the window attracted him.
“This is why I’d so strongly urged that it was time for us to leave the mall setting after 24 years and to become part of the Birmingham community,” states Knight. “We came to Birmingham TO our clients. They run businesses here, they dine here, and they enjoy the community, which we wanted to be part of.”
And Knight has been enthusiastically welcomed into Birmingham’s community.
Richard Astrein, long-time owner of Astrein’s Creative Jewelers and a committee chair member of Birmingham’s Principal Shopping District, was “ecstatic” about the move.
“I thought St. Croix Shop was a great fit for the district,” Astrein said. “Downtown Birmingham is an exciting place. There’s a lot happening here. In a mall, you might have more traffic or even more business but, with costs per square foot, are you going to make more money?”
He adds, “I’ve been a customer of St. Croix Shop for a long time. Their sweaters and shirts wear so well! I particularly like the ‘quarter-zip pullover.’ I recently went through my closet and counted 28 St. Croix sweaters! It will be great having them just down the street.”
Ingrid Tighe, executive director of the Principal Shopping District, had worked with Knight and St. Croix Shop in her previous position at The Somerset Collection and, Knight says, has been a great support.
“The Birmingham Shopping District is thrilled to welcome St. Croix to our downtown,” said Tighe. “This luxury menswear store is a nice complement to the wide selection of retailers we have in Birmingham. We look forward to St. Croix’s continued success in our community.”
Knight and her weekend assistant, Michael Hill, were determined to open the Birmingham store as quickly as they could, after leaving The Somerset Collection this January.
“We packed on a Friday, unpacked on Saturday and, by Wednesday, we opened,” Knight says. “We didn’t mess around!”
Their move was to a 650 square-foot, temporary “pop-up” location four doors down from the 1300 square-foot spot that will be their new home at the end of April.
“The sequence of events was amazing,” shares Knight. “I found my dream spot on Maple Road and, working things out with the property owner – who also happened to own the “pop-up” spot we were able to land in – we will soon be in the perfect, permanent location.”
Meanwhile, with creativity, a great staff, and a passion for St. Croix’s products, Knight has created a space where customers can enjoy a unique, boutique shopping experience.
“These luxury clothing items speak for themselves,” Knight says, “but it is our job to educate shoppers and to provide a ‘Wow!’ experience. Once people realize how these clothes are created – and that most are machine-washable and American-made (sweaters are Italian-made), with details like lay-flat collars and hand stitching, and that they last 40-50 years! – they often become customers for life.”
“One of my greatest pleasures,” adds Knight, “is providing service to generations of families as they continue to shop at St. Croix Shop – or even come in wearing a timelessly styled, handcrafted sweater or shirt that’s been passed down to them.”
In addition to sharing the company’s background and the acumen of its founder, master knitter Bernhard Brenner, Knight and her staff think creatively when there is a logistical problem or issue.
“I’ve been a customer of Victoria’s at St. Croix since 2010,” says Allyn McManama. “Her abilities in sales are matched with her shrewd business sense.”
“For example,” he says, “when major road construction commenced in front of the store location, she took the initiative to…alert all current customers that her store would waive all shipping fees for orders placed with that store in exchange for this inconvenience.”
“She even,” he continues, “provided an alternative route for customers to avoid construction and traffic to the store.”
Victoria smiles as she recalls such challenges.
“That’s part of what makes us so unique,” she says. “Our customers are like family and so are the members of the St. Croix Shop company. Bernie, our founder, works very hard to make the best product, and we all have the passion to share that product – and unparalleled, individual service – here, now, in Birmingham and through our seven other boutiques in the U.S.A.”
Angela Marino is already getting calls about her homemade tomato sauce, and it is only April.
“Every time I see someone at a family event,” laughs Marino, who generously makes hundreds of jars of Italian pasta sauce every summer to share with family, “they say, ‘I only have two jars left!’ or, ‘When will you be planting – or picking! – your Telly’s tomatoes?’”
Marino, a Troy resident, has been growing tomato plants from Telly’s Greenhouse on John R., just north of Big Beaver Road, for over twenty years.
“I wouldn’t buy my Roma tomato seedlings from anywhere else!” Marino exclaims. “Telly’s truly cares about every plant and every customer.”
George Papadelis, owner of Telly’s Greenhouse, recounts the start of the business, celebrating its 40th year.
“Our next-door neighbor here on John R.,” he shares, “was a woman who had greenhouses in the ‘50s and ‘60s and grew things for markets. There was a large ditch between our properties that my father offered to fill in but, stubbornly, our neighbor refused.”
“When she passed away, my dad bought her property in 1977 – to fill in the ditch – and he said, ‘Why don’t we fix up one of the greenhouses so you and your brother can grow plants?’”
That spring, George and his brother, Mark, then ages eleven and ten, sowed seeds and grew and sold their plants (Mark Papadelis is the owner of Telly’s Tree and Shrub, a separate, adjacent business).
“We made a thousand dollars,” George says, “and we used the money to travel to Greece.”
George continued to work the business throughout his teens.
“There was no time for spring sports in high school but, if my friends needed money, there was always work for them during our season.”
When George went to college at the University of Michigan, he’d return home to work weekends and vacations at the greenhouse.
“I did well in college and planned to go to medical school. I told myself that, after graduation, I’d take one year off and, with no sports or school, I’d try just working at the greenhouse before starting the medical school process.”
He did just that and decided to remain with the business.
“Being at Telly’s is still a little like being a doctor,” George concedes, explaining, “You have to really know your stuff and know what’s new. You’re always helping people.”
“And,” he chuckles, “you’re always worried: ‘Is it warm enough for them (the plants)? Is it wet – or dry – enough? You and your staff are hard-working and disciplined and committed to the plants and to your customers.”
And, if Telly’s customers tell him about a plant they’d like to have, George makes sure he gets it for them.
“Ever since the start,” says George, “we’ve always offered different plants that customers request, ones more unique and interesting than regular ‘bread-and-butter’ ones – though we offer those, too, of course.”
“We’ve got an ornamental kale here,” he describes, “and it’s not formed as one large head. It’s on a stem with a floret at the top, and it can be in a vase, like a cut flower and looks like a rose. It’s called ‘crane’ and is very striking and beautiful.”
“There are a thousand or so things that we have that you don’t find at just any garden center, and that’s why people shop at Telly’s.”
“I’ve been buying plants from Telly’s for 30 years,” says Troy resident Craig Smith, “and this year, I told him I’d like to grow cucamelons, a tiny, edible vine fruit that tastes like cucumbers with a touch of sourness. Of course, he got me growing them.”
“And George has been providing the most beautiful seasonal flowers and plants for my parish for years, including palms for this year’s Palm Sunday.”
Smith, who is a master gardener and leads gardening activities for children on Saturdays at the Oakland County Farmer’s Market, adds, “George always donates the plants and seeds we use for the kids,” Smith says, adding, “and he’s extremely generous with his time, too.”
“When my home was in the Troy Garden Walk, George came over and helped me prepare by advising unique plants for eye-catching areas of the garden. There’s no other place in this world I would buy from.”
George’s staff is also known for being able to advise customers.
“I’ve got the greatest crew in the world,” George says. “They truly know the flowers and plants, from planting each of thousands of seedlings into their final pots and labeling them in our Shelby Township greenhouse to their care in the stores.”
“Most of our staff have been here for years and have become very knowledgeable about what we sell, including over fifty new garden annuals and perennials, as well as herbs and vegetables, succulents, specialty plants for bonsai and fairy gardens, and so much more.”
“Plus,” he adds, “I’m so fortunate that my mom and dad, Niki and Gust, still get their hands dirty helping out – and my son, Andrew will be joining us, full-time, after he graduates from M.S.U. this spring.”
Along with leading his staff as they organize, label and pot thousands of plants, all with soil that is organic, George provides — and often teaches – events and workshops such as: Succulent Garden Workshop, New Perennials for 2018, Bonsai Workshop, Early-Blooming Hellebores, and Every Garden Deserves a Rose, and he recently taught a Living Wreath workshop.
“All of my employees love plants and people. Yes, all the planning and preparation is a burden to bear. But the intense care for the business, the plants and our customers is what makes Telly’s good.”
Marc Secontine smiles as he recalls the day when, as a thirteen-year-old, he rode his bike through his Birmingham neighborhood’s streets toward his father’s then-downtown Birmingham store, The Varsity Shop.
“My dad had said, ‘Come on up, and I’ll buy you lunch!’ When I arrived, there were 150 cases of Adidas shoes for me to put away. By the time I’d finished, lunch turned out to be dinner, and my visit to the shop turned out to be a life-long career!”
Vince Secontine, Jr., started the shop in 1954, after retiring, at age 33, from teaching and coaching varsity football at Birmingham High School. Vince, who was also a former football player at the University of Michigan, created The Varsity Shop because he felt “southeastern Michigan needed a quality sporting goods store that provided both competitive prices and outstanding customer service.”
“And we’ve been able to continue those ideals for the past 64 years,” says Marc, who is the store’s managing partner, “and through our 2014 move to our current location at 623 South Adams, at Birmingham’s Adams Square Mall.”
When a boiler pipe broke in their building’s original location at Pierce and Merrill, where they’d been for 61 years, the family owners had planned to repair and reopen.
“But unexpected environmental factors and the costs of meeting ADA compliance prohibited the renovations,” Marc explains, “so we sold the building and have remained here at Adams Square.”
“We miss being downtown in our older, historic building,” Marc says, “but the parking situation is so much better here. Also, downtown shopping has changed. Instead of being leisurely, people now are ‘destination shopping,’ and our place is perfect for that.”
And, when former business neighbor and the owner of 220 Merrill offered Marc their wooden main door after their own re-construction project, the new location of The Varsity Shop was able to add and project a bit more of their former character.
“We’ve got lots of wood inside the store, too,” says Marc, “and locker room lights.”
“Sometimes I think of it this way: The old location was our Tiger Stadium, with its creaky basement, etc. And this new location is our Comerica Park. But my Dad would flip if he knew we had a big-screen T.V.!”
The store is divided into four main sections: High school products (varsity jackets; school sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats and caps, etc.), swimming wear and gear, college logo items, and a section for baseball and softball equipment and accessories.
“We have a family trade secret of breaking in baseball gloves, free with purchase. People from all over the country send us their gloves to break in, which takes two days and costs fifteen dollars.”
“We also have an in-store ‘home plate,’ where we can help analyze a player’s swing and size them for the proper bat,” says Marc who, as a former player, has a passion for baseball.
“One of our most important products,” Marc shares, “is our selection of Fox River socks. They have two different layers and wick moisture away. We ship them all over the country.”
“Towards the end of my dad’s life,” Marc continues, “my siblings and I were lucky to take turns spending evenings with him. One night, while my dad and I were watching a movie, he said, out of the blue and in his tough-coach way, ‘Hey! You’d better have those Fox River socks stocked on the counter!’”
“I looked at him and said, ‘Dad! You haven’t been in the store in over two years! We know the things we need to do!’”
“But, you know what? Every day, the staff makes sure those socks are stacked.”
Most of the staff members have been at The Varsity Shop for years.
“I’ve got one of the best crews we’ve ever had,” says Marc. “My people are kind, good-hearted, energetic, honest. My manager has been here for over twenty years. It’s a great family atmosphere.”
The Varsity Shop is a member of Sports, Inc., a wholesale buying group, and is able to provide prices that are competitive with chain sporting goods stores.
“But people know we’ve been in business for a long time; that we offer great value, service and quality merchandise; that we love our work,” Marc states.
“Where else can you get paid for talking about sports, wearing tennis shoes and team sweatshirts? And dealing with good staff and customers? All this, and more, that came with my first ‘free lunch.’”
Information:
The Varsity Shop
623 S. Adams Road, in Adams Square Mall
Birmingham, MI 48009
248-646-4466 thevarsityshop.com
Knight and her weekend assistant, Michael Hill, were determined to open the Birmingham store as quickly as they could, after leaving The Somerset Collection this January.
“And George has been providing the most beautiful seasonal flowers and plants for my parish for years, including palms for this year’s Palm Sunday.”
Recent Comments