Since he was 17 years old, proprietor Rob Ferguson has been working as a clothes salesman, climbing the retail ladder and earning reputations in high-end department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's. His secret to sales success?
"Give clients what they want," he said.
That method and mindset to his sales tactics launched a career in the field that's taken him all over the country on a career-driven journey that started as a teenager in San Francisco.
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GREG HAYES/Sun-Gazette
Northernlite specializes in American- and North American-made clothing, a hand-picked selection that owner Rob Ferguson contends is the
“finest luxury lines in the U.S.”
Now, Ferguson is the owner and operator of Northernlite Tailored Clothing, 190 Broad St., in Montoursville.
Carrying a blend of high-end clothing that consists of tailored suits, pants, shirts, ties, coats and shoes, Ferguson strives to fulfill his clients' desires.
"The nature of the business is request," Ferguson said. "You have to know what they (customers) want."
Given his vast experience across the spectrum in the designer clothing field over the years, Ferguson said he not only understands how to give his clients a personalized shopping experience, but contends he knows fabric as well as clothing construction.
Much of his resume includes a list of department stores that are specific to luxury clothing, he said.
"I've learned a lot from where I've come from. There's more than one way to do this. I know a lot about the business," he said.
When his previous employer decided to make a move in a direction that he believes would not have benefited many of his customers, he said his next move was either going to be in real estate or develop his own clothing business.
In April, Ferguson opened Northernlite, a career exploration that has taken him solo in clothing sales - and a business that he said began in his own living room.
Northernlite specializes in American- and North American-made clothing, a hand-picked selection that includes what Ferguson contends is the "finest luxury lines in the U.S."
Among the North American-made products, Ferguson said he carries items from such designers as: John H. Daniel, Hardwick, Lone Pine, Hardwick, Ballin, and Stuart and Laud.
"We carry more than just American made," he conceded. "We do carry other things. That gives you the ability to give you what you want - that's why I did this (open the store)."
While Ferguson believes in giving customers quality over quantity in what's immediately available in his store, the options do not end at what's seen.
Specialty store owners who over buy is what Ferguson describes as possibly having strong beliefs in fashion trends, which could be detrimental to business.
For that reason, the owner provides just enough for customers, but they also have the ability to choose from thousands of fabric options from which to create and construct what they envision for themselves.
"We can create for you whatever you want," he said. "There's too much available to you, and I'll make the effort. It's a lot of work, but it's very simple. I have a 'never say no' policy."
Ferguson has crafted a business that provides clothing that he said is designed to be wardrobe driven, where the quality of material will last for a lifetime and tailored to individual taste.
"Fashion has a million different faces," he said. "You don't want to put them (customers) in a box. You find what's applicable to you. You have your own sense of fashion."
For more information, visit www.northernlitesuits.com, or call 368-2844.
