Zukin Realty, one of the biggest West Chester names, started with the late Stan Zukin — a staple of the borough.
Originally from March 2018’s “Family Owned & Operated Issue.”
The Zukin family trace their local business roots back to Stan Zukin’s first enterprise, Thatcher’s Pharmacy, started in the 1960s. “My dad knew everybody, because he filled their prescriptions,” remembers Stan’s son, Scott. “My youngest memories are of working in that drug store.”
Stan sold Thatcher’s in the late ’90s and used his connections to launch Zukin Realty, buying properties from people he knew. “If someone was selling their building, they’d come to my dad because they already had that trust,” says Scott.
After working as a cabinet maker in Philadelphia, Scott joined his father in 1998 because the realty business had grown so fast that it was difficult for Stan to keep up alone. “I told him I’d give him one year, and if it didn’t work out, we’d go our separate ways,” says Scott. “It wasn’t until about a year and a half in that we realized how much time had elapsed and we looked at each other and said, ‘Huh, I guess this is working.'”
Like any business partners, they didn’t always see eye-to-eye. “We’d have heated arguments about work,” Scott says. “But then I’d still be like, ‘You’re coming over for dinner, right?'”
Sadly, Stan Zukin passed away this year. He forged a nearly 400-unit real estate empire and left an indelible mark on the community. His legacy lives on through both his business and his family. “My dad was an old-school guy,” says Scott. “He did a lot of deals by handshake, so we’ve had to delve back through them, and I can see my father through the relationships he built.”
People often approach Scott, saying, “Your dad did this; your dad did that,” to which Scott replies, “I’m running the business exactly the way my dad did — I’m doing it my way.”
An Influence in the Early Days of “The WC Press”
Letter from the Editor by Dan Mathers.
Originally from February 2018’s “I ♥ WC” issue.
In my years running this magazine, I’ve experienced countless cases of residents working to better this borough. Before we ever launched a color issue, Stan Zukin went out of his way to introduce himself to our team, and when it became clear that we were intent on creating something that would enhance this community, Stan set up a meeting.
Knowing that, in order to establish legitimacy, The WC Press would have to grow beyond my spare bedroom. He offered us an office for a very fair price. He let us tweak the terms and cut the lease down to one year.
Most importantly, he promised to support our mission, and the full-page ads that Zukin Realty took for the first year of our publication were fundamental in helping establish this business.
Sadly, Stan Zukin passed away in January. He was an icon in our town. He will be sorely missed by the entire community.
