DANBURY — Ben’s Vacuum Mart, which was opened by Benjamin Speglevin in 1954, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.

Since its foundation, Ben’s Vacuum Mart has sold numerous quality vacuums and even does home installation service work for central vacuums, which most stores don’t offer. Though they are in bigger standing now, Ben’s Vacuum Mart had small beginnings.

Jill Speglevin-Austin, who now operates the business launched by her father, said when Ben started the business following the Korean War it was a door-to-door operation, "you know, knocking on the doors."

Many women were initially home in the mid 1950s, but when that shifted and more women entered the workforce, "he had to shift his business and ended up opening up a little store,” Speglevin-Austin said.

Originally located on Liberty Street, the store became a household name. The business is still located in Danbury, now at 9 Keeler Street.

As Ben started getting older, he realized he needed a successor. Luckily for him just as fast as the problem emerged, so did a solution.

“It ended up where I needed a job and he needed some help and we hit it off working together and he taught me a lot,” said Speglevin-Austin.

After many years of working with her father and learning the business, Speglevin-Austin finally reached a point where she felt she was ready to take the reins and her father agreed. After stepping down, Speglevin took a step back and let his daughter run the business.

Even after agreeing to step down, however, her father couldn’t fully stay away, and it became routine for him to sit in the store.

“Yeah, he did step back a little to let me do my thing,” Speglevin-Austin said. “Plus, he was getting older, he ended up with Alzheimer’s so a lot of times he would sit here and just greet the customers and after a while kind of became a mascot for the store.”

Under her leadership, Speglevin-Austin helped bring in a variety of different products and even helped the store overcome a major development: the internet. Like many businesses, the internet’s booming popularity took them by surprise. Speglevin-Austin knew they would have to adapt or be left in the dust.

By creating a website and making their store more accessible, she was able to bring in new business and maintain the business they already had.

Much like her father, as Speglevin-Austin gets older, the possibility of retirement creeps into her mind.

“I don’t have any children and my immediate family isn’t interested so I have a feeling I’ll probably either end it with retirement or sell it,” said Speglevin-Austin.

If she does sell, she said, she hopes to give it to someone who can expand it and bring new fresh ideas much like she did with her father. Though she has a long way to go towards retirement, she can’t help but look back at how far she’s come.

“To be able to watch him and learn you know it was invaluable,” said Speglevin-Austin. “To be by his side for so many years in this business was one of my greatest honors.”

Vacuum Mart is open Tuesday through Thursday, 9:30 am-7 pm; Friday, 9:30 am-5 pm; and Saturday, 9:30 am-3 pm* (June 1-August 31, the shop closes at 1 on Saturdays). The store can be reached at 203-478-1004. For further information, visit bensvacuummart.com.

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Intern Jack Kobrock may be contacted through editor@thebee.com.