Nutter Clothing Company to Change Ownership as Scott Dobie Retires After 47 Years

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:  KYLE DESCHNER (507) 931-4340
or  ERIC WOOLSON (515) 681-3967
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2025

NUTTER CLOTHING COMPANY TO CHANGE OWNERSHIP
AS SCOTT DOBIE RETIRES AFTER 47 YEARS

St. PETER, Minn. – Nutter Clothing, a regional retail mainstay for more than a century, has begun the next chapter in its long history as current owner Scott Dobie retires after 47 years at the store and hands the keys to new owner Kyle Deschner.

“To be able to hold that torch and continue that legacy is an opportunity and an honor,” said Deschner, who also owns two independent stores in southeast Wisconsin – both named J. Robert’s Menswear – in Elkhorn and Janesville. Noting the Elkhorn store is 142 years old, he added, “We really enjoy what we do and being able to be a resource for communities that have had these stores for forever.”

Nutter Clothing Co., located at 320 S. Minnesota Ave., will hold a sale marking Dobie’s retirement and the change of ownership from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday.

Deschner and Dobie met during NW Buyers trade shows and would sometimes dine together. “When Scott was looking to retire, he said, ‘If you have any interest in buying the store, I’d like to sell it to you.’ I talked to my wife, Signe. We agreed it’s a great, great store and a great community, and we really wanted to come invest in St Peter,” Deschner said.

The Deschners are bucking a national trend that has seen thousands of independent men’s clothing stores close in the past six decades as multi-generational businesses aged out, workplace attire went casual, and big-box retailers pressured Main Street retailers.

Among Deschner’s goals are to continue expanding Nutter’s customer base, learning more about St. Peter’s history and traditions, and “really being there and growing with the town.” He will introduce some new clothing lines, products and price points while keeping most of the same products currently sold at the store. “We’re definitely interested in seeing what customers are interested in and what they’re looking for,” said Deschner, who was in the food and beverage management before becoming a clothier. “A big part of the time I’ve been at the store has been talking with the customers and understanding what they’d like. That’s also a big part of what I’m looking forward to.”

One service that the new owner will add is in-house tailoring, which will be done by Signe Deschner.

Nutter Clothing Company got its start in 1900 when two brothers opened the Haesecke Clothes Shop. James Nutter, an assistant cashier at First National Bank, bought the Haeseckes’ location and inventory in 1923 to open the Nutter Clothing Co. The store has been in its current location since 1936. Nutter eventually sold the company to businessman Harry Kramer. Greg Mead later became a part owner.

Dobie, who had worked for several apparel chain stores, went to work for Kramer in 1978. In 1985, Kramer sold the business to Dobie. During his ownership years, Dobie and 45-year employee Barb Moeller served generations of customers. “There’s one family, at least, where we took care of five generations. I sold Saints gear to the fifth generation,” he said. “Delivering the best customer care was very important to us, and I think that’s a big reason for the store’s continued success.”

Some customers drive more than 100 miles to shop at the store, including many from the Twin Cities who come to St. Peter to visit children attending Gustavus Adolphus College. Other shoppers visit after traveling to Mankato to see their Minnesota State University students.

Like any long-time business, the Nutter Clothing Co. has gone through a series of ups and downs, including weathering the 1980s farm crisis and Great Recession of 2008 and rebounding from heavy damage after a 1998 tornado ripped through St. Peter. “Somebody asked me one time what I was going to do during the Great Recession, and I said, ‘Well, I’m going to get up and go to work every day until the bank tells me not to show up,’” he said with a laugh. “That’s what I did and made it through.”

Ironically, it was the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced millions of Americans into isolation, that helped fuel the central business district’s resurgence. “I didn’t know if Main Street would ever come back. It struggled, but COVID drove it all back. All of a sudden, people wanted to keep the local person in business, so we noticed an uptick and several women’s boutiques opened after we didn’t have a ladies’ store for 15 years,” Dobie said.

Dobie said the time is right for him to retire from the profession he’s loved for so long. “My daughter-in-law, Meagan, worked for me for over 10 years. She took a job with the city, and Barb wanted to retire after 45 years, and so I decided it’s time. I’m 73 years old and at some point you have to say, ‘enough’s enough.’ But it’s been a great run, and I wish Kyle, Signe and their team nothing but the best as they carry on a wonderful tradition,” he said.

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