John Stollenwerk Jr. chats family, his father’s legacy, and what sets his footwear company apart.
Tell us a bit about your family. How many kids do you have? And what are their ages?
My wife, Mary, and I have five boys —John (20), sophomore studying real estate at Ole Miss; Edward (17), senior at MUHS; Jim (14), eighth grader at St. Mary’s Visitation; and Peter and Paul (12), sixth graders at St. Mary’s Visitation.
I spent much of my childhood in Elm Grove and wanted the same experience for my family as I had. We have lived in Elm Grove for over 18 years.
We’d love to hear more about Solwerk. Why footwear? And what sets Solwerk apart?
My father owned Allen-Edmonds Shoe Corp, so I spent a lot of time around footwear. He sold the company, so I decided that I would stake out and start my own company: Solwerk. Solwerk offers a line of men’s footwear that we call Active Business Casual. We have a patent-pending cushioning system called One Tec. This unique system gives superior cushioning comfort compared to other men’s dress casual shoes. With calfskin uppers and classic styling, Solwerk provides appropriate footwear so our customers can dress professionally and be comfortable all day.
What are your favorite spots to frequent in Elm Grove?
We like to frequent all the great businesses in Elm Grove. Our kids’ favorite spots are Chocolate Factory, RJ’s Ice Cream, and Nona.
