The Family Business: Meet the people behind 102-year-old A.J. Ugent Furs [Video]

MILWAUKEE — Behind the success of every small business, there is a family.

A.J. Ugent Furs has been in business for 102 years. While other siblings chose different paths, Rodney Ugent and his sister Lori Nashban took on the family business and have operated the store at 84th and Capitol for over 60 years.

“It was started by our grandfather, his two brothers, and a sister,” said Ugent.

“My grandfather’s mother in Lithuania was a seamstress, tailor, and specialized in furs. So, all the kids worked at that time doing fur work and tailoring. When they came to this country, that’s what they went into,” he said.

“In our family, as soon as you could walk or talk, you came here to do something,” said Nashban.

Fur coats, jackets, and a long list of other accessories are available in just about every color.

“People years ago were buying a classic …