HomeColumnsPhillip Roth: The Toledo Fur Connoisseur

Phillip Roth: The Toledo Fur Connoisseur

Roth Furs is a family-owned business that’s been around for about 120 years and has spent the last 80 supplying the greater Toledo area with furs, leathers and cashmeres. Located 232 N Erie St. this business, owned by Phillip Roth, is one of Toledo’s staples.

Runs in the Family

Phil Roth, Roth Furs owner, started working for his father at the age of five. He remembers walking into the bright orange circular room, designed by his mother, filled with all kinds of furs and watching his father work – this is how he learned much of what he knows today. “I remember having to straighten nails for my father while he stretched the animal skin. He paid me 10 cents,” he chuckled.

As time passed, Phil knew that he would end up back at the family business, but, like many young adults, he wanted to explore the world. After attending the University of Southern California, he made his way to Columbia with his best friend.

In Columbia, Phil mined emeralds for 5 years and picked up some Spanish along the way. During this time in his life, Roth stated, “I wish I had gotten more education. Not necessarily by the books – although that is very useful and important, but technical education, like the kind of intricate training that plumbers and electricians receive.”

A change in Tech

Upon coming back to the business, Phil surrounded himself in the art of making furs. “I distinctly remember going to New York for a convention and my father told me to keep quiet out of respect for the professionals. But I became friendly with one of the workers who took me to the room where they were making buttonholes for coats. It took the guy 5 seconds when it used to take my father and I, 15 whole minutes!” Phil was able to see how technology changed from when his father was making coats to the time of the convention, a memory he holds dear.

Retirement? Not yet

With the help of his son, Al and grandson Andrew, retirement doesn’t seem to be in the picture for Phil at the moment. He loves serving the community and keeping his family business going! He loves his work and is there every day, faithfully, and has been for decades. Phil is proud to offer a secure, temperature controlled storage vault to properly control the environment of customers’ coats during Ohio’s warmer months.

For anyone interested in paying a visit to Roth Furs their hours are: Monday – Friday 10am-4pm and Saturday from 10am-3pm. For a special appointment time, call 419-248-3345.

Recent Articles