This Day In Norwood History-August 22, 1963-New Orent Brothers Store Opens In Norwood Center

After more than a half-century in Norwood, Orent Brothers is still on the move.

From a humble beginning in Orent Brothers Clothes Shop on Guild Street, which opened here for the first time on October 12, 1912, Orent’s has grown and prospered with the Town. This week the firm opens at its own Washington Street location in the center of Norwood opposite the Common. The number of employees has increased from the original three which staffed the Guild Street store to nearly 20 in 1963.

Orent’s this week is moving for the second time inside Norwood. In 1927, Louis Orent made the move from Guild Street to the more spacious and centrally located Washington Street address at the corner of Vernon Street.

Now the firm is moving 40 once again. This time Orent Brothers is locating in its own building. The 8,000 foot structure offers twice the space of the Washington Street store and constitutes the best that modern architecture can provide.

It is completely air-conditioned and sprinkled. There is adequate Municipal parking in the Talbot lot at the rear of the new structure, with entrances on Washington Street and in the rear.

“The building, inventory and land investment which we have made in the new Orent Brothers store indicates the confidence’ we have in Norwood,” said Louis Orent in an intreview with the MESSENGER.

The Dean of Norwood merchants, Mr. Orent is backing up his investment with the experience gained over more than 50 years of successful business operation here.

When the original Guild Street store opened in 1912, the population of Norwood was some 8500. Norwoodites now number well in excess of 25,000.
Louis Orent is well known as the Dean of Norwood merchants. As President of Orent Brothers, he heads up a commercial enterprise which has grown and prospered with the Town. Vice-president of the concern is Louis’ son Malcolm, who joined the firm in 1946 after serving four years with the Army.
In his comments on the interior of the new store, Louis Orent stated that all departments, men’s and women’s clothes, luggage, men’s gifts, women’s teen age and students’ departments, will be enlarged substantially.

A new department, men’s shoes, has been added at the new store and the student department will be treated separately and given special attention, he said.

“It has been our policy to handle only better quality merchandise, only brand names,” said Orent in describing his extensive inventory.

“We always consider quality first — then price,” he explained, stating that the price is often forgotten when the quality does not hold up.

At the November meeting of the Norwood Chamber of Commerce last year, Louis Orent was honored with the presentation of a plaque commemorating 50 years of outstanding service to the community.

The plaque, the first of its kind ever presented by the Chamber reads in part, “. . . a tribute to a devoted man in I rendering 50 years of out-1 standing service to his Commnunity ”

Mr. Orent observed that it is no accident that a business stays in operation for 50 years. “There certainly is a large turnover,” he said, noting the small percent of businesses across the nation which remain in operation that long.

Norwood’s growth has aided the firm of Orent Brothers and in turn Louis Orent has become one of Norwood’s outstanding citizens.
His civic pride has compelled him to outstanding leadership in many fields. He was the founder of the Norwood Community Chest, President of both Rotary and Chamber of Commerce as well as President of Temple Shaare Tefilah.

He is an honorary life trustee of the Norwood Hospital, a member of the Greater Boston Advisory Board of the Salvation Army, President and Treasurer of the Norwood Salvation unit, and a director of the Norwood Cooperative Bank.

At the new, enlarged Orent Brothers store, the basic premise of service and congeniality coupled with fine quality merchandise at comparable prices will continue to bp the creed of the firm.

Brand names which are on sale at the new store include Botany 500 Men’s Clothes, Hart Schaffner & Marx and J & F Clothes, Arrow, McGregor, Jantzen, Interwoven Pendleton, Stetson, Mallory, Hickok, Swank, Levis, Alligator, Baracuta, Rob Roy, Botany, and Mighty Mac.

Women’s clothes brand names include Garland, TNT CandyJr., Ship ’n Shore, Jantzen, Pendleton, Mojud, Barbizon, Luxite, Seampruf, Rolfe, Playtex, Maidenform, Grandoe, and Handcraft.

Orents offers two types of charge accounts, the first is a 30-day account with bills due and payable within 10 days of the billing date, and the second is called a ‘3 pay plan, with % paid at the time of purchase, % in 30 days and the remainder in 60 days.

There is no carrying charge connected with either type of account. Charge account application blanks and self-addressed stamped envelopes are available at Orents for those who wish to take advantage of this service.