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June, 2006
Reny family loves people, places of Maine
BY TANYA MITCHELL
Aside from being responsible for the creation of a successful chain of small, Maine-based department stores, the Reny family may be much like yours - especially if you love the state you're in.
R.H. Reny, Inc. Vice President John Reny (who is also the son of Reny's Department Store founder Bob Reny) has fond memories about his family's favorite local vacation spot.
John remembers spending his summers with his family at his late grandparents' camp on Damariscotta Lake, and enjoying all that life on the lake has to offer, including boating and fishing.
These days, he said, the family is still no stranger to the Maine outdoors.
"My brother Bob and his wife, they like to bike a lot and go out in their boats," said John, noting that his brother and sister-in-law are also into kayaking.
Another of John's brothers not only enjoys the outdoors, it also serves as his place of business.
"My youngest brother Mike is a lobsterman, so he's out on the water all the time," said John.
Just as Maine people have a reputation for their sense of community and strong work ethic, so do the Renys, especially when it comes to the family business.
The most important thing John said he has learned from his father's experience over the years is that if you treat people well, they'll do the same for you. That's the philosophy under which Bob has done business since he opened his first store in Damariscotta during the fall of 1949.
When his father returned home to Maine after serving in the Navy during World War II, John said, he moved from Biddeford to Damariscotta. It was there that Bob got a job working in the local Senter's Department Store for a businessman named Murray Senter, who owned several stores that were located primarily in the Bath and Brunswick regions. At that time, Bob also rented a room at the Senter family home.
"He lived there at the house and took his meals there, as people often did in those days," explains John during a recent telephone interview with No Umbrella.
After some time, Bob grew more comfortable in the retail business and asked for a raise.
"Murray Senter said sure, and then he raised the rent by the same amount," said John. "Then my father decided this wasn't working, and that he had to go to work for himself."
From there, Bob took out a $5,000 G.I. loan to open that first store in Damariscotta, a space that was located directly across the street from his former employer.
Business went well enough for the first few months, John said, but the winter months proved hard on the business that depended largely on the patronage of the area fishing communities.
"In the winter time, everyone starved because they couldn't fish," John said.
Bob had one employee working in the store, and soon he could no longer afford to pay her.
Rather than ride out the winter and hope for the best, however, Bob decided to take his store on the road - literally.
"He packed up his car with sneakers and jeans and he went door-to-door," John said. "He didn't sell much, but he made a lot of friends."
Bob spent the winter months roaming the region, getting to know the locals and sharing news that he had gathered throughout his travels.
As it turned out, making a lot of friends didn't hurt - especially when the springtime weather put the locals back to work.
"When spring eventually came back around, all of those people came up to Damariscotta to see Bob Reny just because they remembered that he took the time to come and see them," John said.
Today, there are 14 Reny's locations across Maine, including the newest store, which opened in Saco last fall. There are also plans in the works for expansion at both the Bridgton and Belfast locations.
While the Reny's chain continues to steadily grow, John said the key to the success of his family's business has been to stay small enough to keep in touch with the needs of its customers.
"We're small enough to know what our customers want because we see them every day and they're our neighbors, rather than what may be the case with a big national chain that thinks they know what everyone wants," explained John. "People in Omaha aren't necessarily going to want the same things as the people around here."
And, as the Reny family sees it, "the people around here" are key to the continued survival of their business.
"Maine's just a nice place," said John. "The people are friendly, and the towns that our stores are in are good places to do business."
*sidebar*
This reporter joined Swanville resident Michele Webber on one of her many trips to the Belfast Reny's on a typical Saturday last month. And as my subject and I were about to find out, the store is truly, as their ads claim, "A Maine Adventure."
Upon walking into this store, visitors are greeted by reminders that spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner - it was collapsible lawn chairs, stacks of coolers and colorful beach towels as far as the eye could see. And of course, a sprinkling of lobster, moose, and lighthouse-related paraphernalia was present to cater to the tourism crowd, some of which may visiting our state for the first time and wish to take a piece of it back home with them.
The customers themselves were also a large part of the atmosphere, as the store doubled as a community center. During our shopping trip, Michele and I constantly met up with other shoppers standing in the aisles talking about local current events, mutual friends and their families.
As for Michele and I, this experience was both functional and fun.
After spending about half an hour checking out everything from camping gear to galoshes, we arrived at the home and garden section, where Michele made a wicked good find in a bin full of the classic pink flamingo lawn ornaments.
"You don't get much more Maine than this," she commented.
Then I opted to take a trip to the toy section, as my son's first birthday was just around the corner. After some discussion with Michele regarding which items would be best suited for my little man, I decided on a set of stackable animal blocks and a squishy fire truck that carried a big grin in its grill. Coincidentally, Michele pointed out that I had the same toothy smile as the fire truck, so we decided to document that in a photograph for posterity (I am sure my son will thank me for that someday).
We were finally able to drag ourselves out of the store, only to find the line of lawn chairs that were set up on the sidewalk outside - also known as a good opportunity to take a load off after a busy shopping trip.
Michele said it best as she kicked back in a particularly comfortable lawn chair.
"This was a good time. When can we go again?"
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