Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Al Blanton
When Rusty Richardson accepted the Alabama Retail Association’s 2026 Gold Retailer of the Year award on November 5, he could have spent his time reflecting on decades of business success.
Instead, he talked about the people.
He thanked his wife, Elizabeth, who had nominated him for the award without his knowledge. He told stories about employees who had become like family, recalled decades-old friendships, and thanked the community that has supported Bernard’s Store for Men for generations.
“We love this town. We love this place. We love this store. And we love all of you,” Rusty told the crowd gathered in downtown Jasper for the award presentation.
Founded in 1949 by Bernard Weinstein, Bernard’s has been a fixture in downtown Jasper for 77 years. Rusty was just 16 when he began working for Weinstein in 1974.
“Bernard told me, ‘Do your best to treat everyone nice and kind, and all the rest will take care of itself. Treat everybody the best you possibly can,’” Rusty told the Alabama Retail Association.
Following Weinstein’s unexpected death in 1980, Rusty continued managing the business before purchasing it in 1988. Through the years, he has worked to preserve the values on which the store was founded while building a legacy of his own.
Today, Bernard’s serves customers from Jasper and surrounding communities, offering everything from everyday apparel and tailored suits to tuxedo rentals for weddings, proms, and other special occasions. Services such as expert fittings, complimentary alterations with purchase, gift wrapping, and local delivery add to the personalized approach that has defined the business for generations.
During the award presentation, Walker County Chamber of Commerce President Linda Lewis praised Rusty, Elizabeth, and the Bernard’s staff for maintaining that tradition.
“Whether it’s fitting a student for his first prom tuxedo or helping someone get dressed for a job interview, Bernard’s brings back that wonderful, old-fashioned customer service,” Lewis said. “That’s something we don’t see very often today. It’s really rare.”
Lewis also recognized the business’s commitment to the community, including its participation in the Chamber’s Groundhog Job Shadow Day, which introduces students to local businesses and career opportunities.
“Bernard’s is a classic example of what happens when a business operates from the heart,” she said.
Jasper Main Street Executive Director Mike Putman echoed that sentiment, recalling the Richardsons’ support for efforts to revitalize downtown Jasper.
“When we started downtown revitalization about ten years ago, Rusty was on board from day one,” Putman said.
Putman’s relationship with the Richardsons extends well beyond their shared involvement in downtown. He described Rusty and Elizabeth as dear friends, and shared that the couple were his children’s godparents.
It was one of several lighthearted moments during a ceremony that felt as much like a gathering of friends as a formal award presentation.
Rusty’s own remarks offered perhaps the clearest illustration of why Bernard’s has remained such a meaningful part of the community.
He began by recognizing Elizabeth, whom he first met when she came to work at the store wrapping gifts during the holiday season. He credited her with being an essential part of both his life and the business.
“I’d like to thank Elizabeth for being my rock,” he said. “She keeps me out of the ditch, because I would definitely have been in a ditch a long time ago without Elizabeth!”
He then turned his attention to the employees who have helped sustain Bernard’s through the years.
Among them is Glenda Odom, whose career in Jasper retail began in 1974 at Weinstein’s, another family-operated business downtown. When that store closed in 1986, Bernard’s needed a bookkeeper. Rusty recalled sitting in his familiar chair, reviewing responses to a classified advertisement, when he opened Glenda’s application.
“I said, ‘Hallelujah!’” he remembered.
He called to offer her the job, and when he asked how soon she could begin, her answer was simple: “How about Monday?”
Four decades later, Glenda remains a cornerstone of the business.
“She’s been the glue that has held us together,” Rusty said. “I don’t know where we’d be without Glenda.”
The relationships at Bernard’s have also become multigenerational. Glenda’s granddaughter, Macie Barrett, began helping at the store by wrapping gifts when she was just 11. Her friend, Hannah Alexander, eventually joined the team as well. Rusty praised the two young women for their attentiveness and dedication, joking that they regularly tease him about his own tendency to overlook details.
He also recognized Mason Bates, who joined the store approximately a year ago, and longtime friend Steve Gillott, who returned to Bernard’s following a 35-year career with UPS. Gillott had briefly tried retirement-era landscaping work, but one particularly demanding day spent laying 23 pallets of sod convinced him to reconsider.
“He came to me and said, ‘I’m finished with that. Have you got a job?’” Rusty recalled. “I said, ‘Yes! Come on!’”
The stories drew laughter from those gathered, but they also revealed something central to the store’s longevity: at Bernard’s, employees and customers are more than transactions or names on a schedule. They are people whose lives have become intertwined with the business.
That philosophy was among the qualities recognized by Alabama Retail Association President Rick Brown, who presented Rusty with the award.
“Rusty represents the very best of retail,” Brown said. “He learned from Bernard the value of treating people right, and he has spent decades putting those lessons into practice. His impact on Jasper extends far beyond the store’s doors.”
Brown also praised Bernard’s reputation as a shopping destination for residents of surrounding communities, describing its continued success as a testament to Rusty’s ability to connect with people.
The presentation concluded with a proclamation from Governor Kay Ivey recognizing November 5 as Retail Day in Alabama.
Yet for Rusty, the greatest recognition appeared to come from the familiar faces gathered around him.
Throughout his remarks, he acknowledged friends, fellow business owners, church members, city leaders, and community organizations that have played a part in his life and in the life of the store.
“We’re all friends. We’ve been good friends for many years. Y’all support us, and we lean on each other,” he said. “I appreciate you all, and I love you all. Elizabeth and I both do.” WL
