(Ryan Pierce, Owner | Photo courtesy of Les Newman’s)
The first Les Newman’s opened their doors in Downtown Salem, Oregon, over 100 years ago in 1923, offering tough, reliable and durable workwear. Then, in 1999, after decades of serving the town of Salem, they expanded with a second location, selecting a rapidly growing mountain town with plenty of sunny summers and powder-packed winters: Bend. In 2005, the Salem location tragically burned down and in the aftermath of the fire, the owners decided not to pursue reopening that location, leaving Bend as the sole remaining Les Newman’s.
Les Newman’s is run by Ryan Pierce, the nephew of the previous owner, Greg Syverson. Pierce spent years away from the family business, managing a residential cleaning company in Portland for 14 years, and being the director of facilities and IT at a school/church for another three years. Pierce had run the Salem location until the fire, and said that, despite his time away after losing that location, “family is family, and we stayed close. The transition into running the Bend location was a smooth one.”
As the owner, Pierce has helped push Les Newman’s to new heights, helping expand their product line to attract a wider range of clientele, while still maintaining exceptionally high quality.
“The clientele we get at Les Newman’s really is a mix of Bend,” said Pierce. “Farmers, ranchers, hikers, construction workers, TDS cable guys, plumbers, you name it. Our stores started out primarily focusing on workwear, then we got into the outdoor space with hunting brands, and lifestyle came last. While the core of our clientele is still, in general, people whose jobs are both physically demanding and outdoors, our lifestyle brands have taken off more recently.”
In other words, Les Newman’s has expanded beyond workwear. As Pierce said, “We have the gloves, the jackets, the boots, the pants, everything you need for those physically demanding jobs. But we also ask ourselves, ‘what do you want to wear after work? On the weekends, on your days off? How can you maintain that quality, and transfer it over to lifestyle?’”
Pierce stepped in as owner close to three years ago now, and has maintained the philosophy that if he sells the product, it should be something he himself would want to wear. From durable Red Wing and Irish Setter work boots to the more recent addition of the Japanese selvedge denim brand Hiroshi Kato, Pierce and his crew of employees are passionate about the products they sell, because they use them, too. “Myself and my employees,” Pierce said. “We wear it, and we love it. We’re essentially brand ambassadors at this point, and we love talking about the products. Come to the store, ask me about our brands, take up five minutes or an hour of my time, and I’ll enjoy the interaction either way.”
Through their passion and knowledge of their products, the customer service at Les Newman’s shines. Whether a customer knows everything there is to know about their favorite brand, or they’ve never bought work boots before and don’t know where to start, the team at Les Newman’s prides themselves on making the shopping experience an approachable one for everyone.
To continue to keep up with the latest developments in the worlds of workwear and lifestyle fashion, Pierce is always on the lookout for new brands and products to potentially feature in his shop. From fashion conventions to getting recommendations from his friends via text, he’s always working to expand his product line and make sure his customers are presented with the best options possible.
Over the years in both Bend and Salem, Pierce has learned a lot about running Les Newman’s, but one of his biggest takeaways reflects a very positive feature of Bend. “Everyone here is mellow, kind and polite. Customers treat us with respect, communicate with us and work with us to find a solution. People don’t freak out on us when something they wanted happens to be out of stock. I was expecting worse, but people in Bend are pretty understanding.”
Looking at the future, Pierce has a focus on maintaining everything that is great about Les Newman’s, while also pushing into the digital space with website sales. He plans to keep expanding the product line, push for online sales, and maintain that time-tested customer service that keeps people coming back to the shop again and again. He hopes to keep the shop in its current location, and to see Bend develop the Central District.
“Les Newman’s is quality clothing and footwear that’s built to last, just like us,” Pierce said. “We’ve been here a while, and we don’t plan on going anywhere.”
