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Jan Vogelzang Finds His Calling in Entrepreneurship
Jan Vogelzang’s entrepreneurial journey was not an easy one. He had to quit several factory jobs before finding his true calling. Like many entrepreneurs, Jan needed encouragement, which came from an employer and his spouse, Clara, who had the foresight to budget for and purchase land.
Starting as a cabinet maker in the Bush and Lane Piano Company, Jan quickly rose through the ranks due to his skills and work ethic. However, his relationship with his boss, Walter Lane, became strained when Jan showed him an error he had made. Matters only got worse when Jan contracted tuberculosis and had to spend four months quarantined on his porch, forcing Clara to care for him and their family.
While Jan was at the Limbert Furniture Company, its plant manager asked Jan to build him a screen-sided porch. Jan completed the task in less than one-fourth of the time it took the workers from Scott Lugers Lumber Company to do the same job. The plant manager advised Jan to start his own business as he believed that Jan’s best years would soon be behind him. Clara agreed, and Jan started “moonlighting” as a carpenter while he worked for Limbert.
Finally, at the age of 41, Jan took a job at Nicodemus Bosch’s Western Machine Tool Works, working in the pattern-making department. Jan disagreed with his boss about the best way of doing things, but fortunately, the owner sided with him and replaced his supervisor. Three years later, many employees, including Jan, were laid off.
After being laid off several times, Jan decided to go into business for himself full-time. His first job was repairing a wardrobe, and then he built steps from a bluff on Lake Michigan to the beach below for Dr. Winter. Seeking help, Jan formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, but the partnership eventually unraveled, leaving Jan unsure if he had the physical stamina to be a contractor.
Clara, however, had saved enough money to purchase land on the east side of First Avenue, between 18th Street and 19th Street. With her encouragement, Jan began thinking about opening a hardware business instead of continuing carpentry work.
Jan Vogelzang’s story is one of resilience, hard work and finding one’s calling through perseverance. Next week, we will discover how Jan took the leap into entrepreneurship and succeeded in his hardware business.
