New Ulm Furniture owner Ben Pieser site in the storeroom showroom. Pieser, 75, says demands of running the business have become too much, and the will be closing after a going-out-of-business sale.

NEW ULM — After over 76 years, New Ulm Furniture Company is closing.

Friday, it was announced the furniture store’s sale starting Monday, Jan. 3 would be a closing sale.

Owner Ben Pieser said the store would likely remain open for the next eight weeks as the last of the inventory sold.

Pieser said the reason for the closure is partially due to age. For 53 years Pieser has worked six days a week, dressed impeccably in a suit and tie, but he cannot continue to run the business.

“I am 75 years old and I can’t continue working 65 hours a week,” he said. Pieser said he also wanted to spend more time with family including his wife, kids and grandchildren.

Pieser’s six-day a week work schedule is a holdover from when his parents operated the store.

New Ulm Furniture was founded by Richard and Sara Pieser in August 1945 after Richard was discharged from the Army.

New Ulm Furniture was originally located at 204 N. Minnesota Street. Pieser said his father thought it was important customers have free parking and in those days, Minnesota Street had meters. In 1959, the business moved to its current location on German Street.

Richard and Sara worked long hours to get the business running. For years, the store was a two-person operation. Ben said when he was born, he and his mother were brought home by the store’s delivery man because his father could not take time off from the store.

Sara Pieser would continue working in the store until her death at age 92. Ben said his mother was selling furniture two days before her death.

New Ulm Furniture was a family business from beginning to end. Ben’s daughter Betsy Pieser joined the store in 2007 after a career in retail management. She represented the third generation of the Pieser family to work the furniture store. Joshua Pieser cleans the store with a crew from Enterprise North.

Ben and Betsy agreed that many of the employees have become like family. Several worked with them for decades. John Shikoski, Deb Fortwengler, Sue Schindle, Mike Schmidt and the late Bea Klinker each worked with the store for over 25 years.

The close connection with staff and customers was another reason New Ulm Furniture endured for so long.

Pieser said his favorite part of the business is the personal aspect of it. Visiting with people who come into the store is great. He’s built many long friendships.

“It’s nice to work with people and to make them happy and make their home attractive,” he said. “Some people have no idea what to do with it.”

The furniture industry saw many changes over the last 76 years. Pieser said the biggest change is the wider range of choices. There are many different types of furniture.

“Sofas use to come in one color,” he said. Now they come in any color with a variety of fabrics. Some are taller and others are shorter. How and where people buy furniture has also changed. The internet has impacted the mom and pop furniture stores.

New Ulm Ulm Furniture was a rarity in that it was a mom-and-pop store that was able to thrive for 76 years. Asked how the store managed through all these changes, Pieser said the store always had a large selection.

“People want choices,” he said. “We’ve always had personal service. It’s not a big box store. We’re always pleased to help.”

After decades in business in a small town, many of the customers are friends and very loyal.

Pieser said his father gave great credit terms. Several customers commented their family was able to furnish their home because of affordable credit.

Over the last few days, the employees have been marking everything in the store for the big sale. Some of the items have been in the warehouse for years. The experience has been emotional for everyone involved.

The announcement the store will be closing has hit many in the community hard. The extended closing sales is also a chance for longtime customers to come into the store one last time.

Betsy Pieser described the closing sales as a long Minnesota goodbye.

Betsy said she loves hearing customers talk about how their parents or grandparents bought from New Ulm Furniture and that grandpa was the first person to set a loan for them. She anticipates hearing many stories like this over the next few weeks.

Though the store will be closing in a couple of months, the Pieser family will remain in New Ulm. Betsy plans to expand her travel business, The Details, along with other business projects.

New Ulm Furniture Co. going out of business sale begins, 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 3. Prices are slashed storewide.