Journey continues for family business in Dixon

DIXON – Nemer Kaleel arrived at Ellis Island from his native Lebanon in 1905, with nothing but his dreams.

The 17-year-old Nemer, who spoke no English at the time, left Beirut on a cattle boat and eventually settled in Spring Valley. He scraped up enough money to buy a horse and buggy, and the framework of a family business was born – Kaleel’s Country Peddler.

“Dad journeyed out to the Earlville, Troy Grove, Ohio, and Mendota area to peddle his merchandise,” said Nemer’s son, George. “He would leave the horse and buggy at a farmhouse, take the train, and continue his route.”

In 1939, the Kaleel family moved from Spring Valley to Earlville, the site of the family’s first storefront. The focus of the business was men’s clothing, and Nemer was ready to expand.

“I had just come home from the service, and Dad was looking for a store for me,” George said. “We bought the Earlville store, and it was open for 40 years.”

George’s brother, Mitch, ran a Kaleel’s in Mendota, and George and his wife, Mona, have run Kaleel’s Men’s Clothing in Amboy since May 4, 1956. Another brother, Louie, also chose the family business path.

In July 2014, the Kaleels established a presence in Dixon, but the operations quickly outgrew the site at 110 E. McKenney St., thanks in part to plans for the addition of a silkscreening and embroidery business.

Two more generations of Kaleels are running Kaleel’s Clothing & Printing at 704 N. Galena Ave. in Dixon. They started remodeling the former Oil Spot building last fall, and have been open at the new location for about a month.

George’s son, Mark, handles the clothing side of the operations, while his wife, Renee, and their daughter, Kiara, are in charge of the printing.

“When we got things started with the printing business, it had been done in the basement at our house in Amboy,” Renee said. “Kiara and I thought it would be fun, and we started it gradually.” The Kaleels bought out Scudder’s Printing, and they soon needed more space.

A majority of the printing business is for schools, businesses, and campgrounds, but Renee says they’ll print on just about anything, whether it be one item or 1,000.

Kiara, 22, graduated from Sauk Valley Community College amid all of the changes, and the timing worked well for her. She said she had always planned to work in the family business, and just settled into the new store with everyone else.

In what could be considered a tribute to Nemer, part of the business is back on the road. The Kaleels sell T-shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets at festivals, craft shows, and fairs. The colorful Dean Russo T-shirt line, many featuring animals, have been big sellers in the store and at special events.

While the printing business is growing, the core remains men’s clothing and accessories. The merchandise ranges from finely tailored suits and Van Heusen dress shirts to the Wrangler casual line and Carhartt work clothes.

As more of the apparel industry transitions from storefronts to websites, the allure of the Kaleels’ old-school niche becomes more enticing for some shoppers.

George said he’s never used a computer at his Amboy store, and he doesn’t think he’s missing much. He prefers to maintain an intimate experience for customers – the kind that can be hard to find in today’s retail world.

He’ll go through the store’s huge fabric books to custom-design the perfect suit or tuxedo. Customers still get catalogs, and many place special orders to get exactly what they want.

“We do a lot of weddings, proms, and rentals, and we can save people at least $50 a person on tuxes from what they’d pay at most other places,” George said.

Kaleel’s does its own alterations, which are free if the work is done on items purchased there. They’ll do them on other clothing, but there is a charge.

The business has a Facebook page, and a website is in the works, but the family business is still rooted in the belief that good service never goes out of style.

“People appreciate that there’s someone to wait on them, and actually help them pick out something,” Mark said.

George says he’s about ready to officially pass the torch to the rest of the family.

“I’ll probably do it for another year, but I think 60 years is probably enough,” he said.

But Mark said the little boy who went to his dad’s Earlville store every day after school, honing his fashion instincts, probably won’t be able to stay away for long. Judging by the way George’s eyes still light up when he looks at the fabric books, the Kaleels should be seeing a lot of the family patriarch at the workplace.

MORE INFO

Kaleel's Clothing & Printing is open at its new location, 704 N. Galena Ave. in Dixon, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Call 815-284-5033 to reach Kaleel's in Dixon, or find the Kaleel's Clothing & Printing Facebook page or go to kaleelsclothingandprinting.com.