For many folks who decide to retire from a profession or trade to which they have devoted decades, moving on to the next stage of life can present some unknowns. Friends and family offer congratulations, followed by the big question, “So, what are you going to do with all that time on your hands?” That can often be a difficult question to ponder.
For Ray Huk, a resident of Granby for more than 40 years, the thought of relaxing and playing golf as much as he wanted sounded good, but the idea of doing nothing just wasn’t on his radar. After taking some time for himself and his family, he ventured out to meet the next set of challenges. Having been an engineer in his professional life, meeting new challenges, fixing things, solving problems and charging forward was right in his wheelhouse.
Over the years Huk developed interests and took up hobbies in woodworking, finish carpentry, golf club design and repair. It was only natural that he enjoyed these in retirement. He and a friend began designing and building decks for local friends and neighbors and Huk loved the aspects of design and construction of just the right decks to fit the needs of his customers. He also enjoys golf and spends time repairing and making clubs for fun and the enjoyment of his customers. Just to keep busy, he also helped his wife get settled in a new business, by completely gutting and remodeling her new office space. So much for settling down!
Not long ago, Huk volunteered to help a nearby friend who was closing a dry-cleaning business. As he helped, he learned about that business, became interested in how things worked, and moreover, how they might be improved. The dry-cleaning/tailoring business has suffered some downsizing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people now work from home, and the necessity for business clothing, and therefore dry cleaning, has waned. With several local dry-cleaners now defunct, there are fewer places to take clothes or curtains, etc., to be cleaned or altered.
Last March, an opportunity to acquire a dry-cleaning company in Granby came about, and Huk jumped at the chance. He and a business partner took ownership of the former Clothing Care of Granby, at 10 Hartford Avenue. Since then, Huk and his team have begun retooling the business, greeting new customers, and establishing their footing as they learn the ins and outs of their new venture. While the outside appearance has not yet been altered, Huk has plans to revitalize the site and create a place that locals can count on for professional service, reliable cleaning and tailoring and a friendly approach. His personality style, coupled with his desire to make things better, is serving the business well, even as his team overcomes the challenges that all new ventures encompass.
While we were reviewing his progress, a new customer arrived and announced that she had been referred by someone who raved about the service. Huk spent time discussing what the customer needed and offered suggestions about alterations and cleaning. He did an excellent job of answering questions and offering help, and quickly won the customer over. As our time together concluded, Huk said that his transition into the dry-cleaning business certainly was not normal for someone who spent their career as a quality engineer. Then again, who better than a self-proclaimed “fixer” to try something new, meet the challenge and work hard until things are “just right” for the people who use the product?
With the new Granby Garment Center, as it will be called, folks in town can look forward to a place where good customer service and reliability are not a thing of the past but of the future. Stop in and greet Ray Huk. He’s cleaning up in retirement and enjoying life at the same time!