Everyman's Page - Granite Marble & Bronze - August 1919

It was Samuel Johnson who said: “Few things are impossible to diligence and skill.” The truth of this statement is depicted in the flourishing retail monument firm in Philadelphia, which is operated under the name of John M. Gessler's Sons.

In 1868 John M. Gessler, now deceased, opened a little monument shop in Philadelphia, just at the time when the retail monument industry in this country was in its infancy. Mr. Gessler worked zealously and earnestly to make a success of his work, and at the time of his death his business was fairly well established.

When his father died, John M. Gessler, Jr., who was born in Philadelphia in 1875 and was practically brought up under the wing of his father's monument shop, was attending the Lauderbach Academy, preparing himself for the University. Being forced to change his plans, he left the Academy and took up the business just where his father had left off.

The education which he had received up to that time proved a great asset to him, and he found his task easier because of the knowledge of the business which he had picked up now and then when in his father's shop. Thus, by working diligently and applying skill to his work, Mr. Gessler increased his father's business, until today the firm of John Gessler's Sons is one of the largest and most progressive retail monument firms in the country.

Mr. Gessler himself states that his progress was very slow at first, but like the tortoise, steady plugging has brought him out on top.

When asked what he considered to be some of the hard business problems of the retail dealer of today, Mr. Gessler said: “If all dealers would figure their overhead charges and then persist in asking the right price, the greatest difficulty would be overcome. Slashing of prices will cause the downfall of any business and until it is done away with the industry will suffer. A man who really wants a monument is willing to pay the right price. It is only those who do not want to buy who use the increase of prices as an excuse.

“I attribute my largest and best sale—the Finkenauer mausoleum—to the fact that I figured the work carefully and then insisted on my price of $45,000, which I succeeded in getting. Of course, good salesmanship also plays an important part in every sale. In this particular case I met with strong competition and was forced to use my selling knowledge and ingenuity to the utmost extent. 

“Every dealer should have set standards of art for his memorial work. In my opinion, plain, artistic work will meet the requirements of every case.”

Mr. Gessler is a staunch believer in organization and says that he contributes much of his success in business to his affiliations with the monumental organizations. Through them he has broadened his perspective of life and business, and feels that he has derived unbelievable benefits from these affiliations. 

“The education which the retail dealer can obtain through organization is the one thing that will help put the monument business on a higher plane,” said Mr. Gessler, when asked about this subject. “Through organization the dealer learns that in order to make a success of his business he must closely apply himself to his work by being constantly on the job; that he must give his closest personal attention to all the details of his work, inside and out; that he must keep his books care fully and figure costs strictly and he must not fail to give service. These are truly essentials of success to the retail monument dealer, and organization will help him attain them.”

Mr. Gessler is affiliated with the Masons (including Blue Lodge, Chapter, Commandery, Consistory, Mystic Shrine), Odd Fellows, Artisans, Manufac turers’ Club, Ocean Yacht Club, Philadelphia Home Defence.

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