GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - A business dealing with locks and safes might not be high on the list of survivors in the "new economy," but don't tell that to the employees of Hoogerhyde Safe & Lock.
With 85 years of business in West Michigan, the west-side fixture at 1033 Leonard St. NW last month earned the Best Longstanding Business Award from the city's Neighborhood Business Association. Hoogerhyde employees have weathered a quickly evolving industry that has moved from working with basic key or dial locks to being able to navigate and sometimes break into highly advanced electronic safe technology.
Hoogerhyde has quadrupled its sales in the past dozen years while doubling its number of employees and making a conscious effort to carry American-made safes. This year, the firm is enjoying a 10 percent increase in sales, more often than not breaking monthly sales records.
The plummeting number of new retail ventures during the recession has taken a toll on the commercial sector of Hoogerhyde's business, owner Tom Ziemer said, but on the other hand, the economic downturn translates into a booming market for residential security. The combination of more frequent break-ins and an increased distrust of banks means more people are keeping their investments a lot closer to home, he said.
Continue reading article from the Grand Rapids Business Journal.