Tom’s Men’s Wear and Uniforms, 301 E. Main St., Alhambra, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, a plateau of achievement limited to a small group of city merchants.
-Photo by Jodi
When Tom Shulman bought out a failing man’s store at 112 E. Main St. 30 years ago he was really shooting craps with the future. Tom and pretty wife Alice were gambling that his kind of merchandising coupled with an abiding faith in Alhambra would turn out to be an economic winner.
He guessed right.
The Store grew and prospered. After outgrowing his old location, Shulman moved to 303 E. Main St. A few years later he bought out the corner store, consolidating the two locations into the present modern and attractive facility.
Shulman has always had faith in download Alhambra. Even during the worst of the recent tearups his optimism was unshaken.
Right he has been.
We are building a bigger and better downtown,” he said. “See if I’m not right“
Shulman was born in Russia. When he was only five years old his family moved to Mexico then to the U.S. where they settled in the Boston area. The senior Shulman was a carpenter. The urge to open his own business drove him to California and Alhambra. Shulman is not a golfer or a jogger. His main hobby, when not selling fashion clothing, is singing. Blessed with a marvelous voice, Shulman has participated in dozens of major Alhambra events.
He no longer spends all his waking hours at the store. He has turned many of the operational responsibilities over to his son, Jeff, and to Robert (Bob) Blaszak, general manager and 15-year employee. Rising through the ranks is yet another Shulman, 15-year-old Randy, who works part time.
Happy 30th Anniversary. Tom.
Published in the San Gabriel Progress, January 1984
Tom Shulman, owner of Tom’s Men’s Wear and Uniforms in Alhambra, is celebrating his 30th year in business.
“It has been my pleasure to serve the people of the San Gabriel Valley these past 30 years. Our customers are the finest and most faithful in the world. We are looking forward to serving them for many more years,” he said.
“When Tom’s first opened, in 1954, the San Gabriel Valley was not the busy place it is today. I have watched new neighborhoods become old neighborhoods, and be reconstructed again. It’s wonderful what is happening now in South Pasadena. Alhambra, and Pasadena.”
Shulman is originally from Boston, Mass. He first opened Tom’s Men’s Wear in a small store at 112 E. Main St. When a larger location became available at 301 E. Main, Tom’s moved there and began selling uniforms in addition to men’s clothing. Ten years later, Tom’s expanded to include the adjacent store, and added clothing for the big, tall, and portly man.
“I wish to thank all my friends for 30 years of patronage. I am looking forward to serving them for the next 30 years.”