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Lemoore High School grad, Angel Robles, 21, finding his way in local business world
Robles, on Friday, Aug. 12, will open his second clothing story in Hanford. His clothing and accessory store, entitled Blue Collar, mirrors the store he opened last September in Coalinga. His stores are replicas of the clothing stores his parents, Yolanda and Raul Robles, opened in Avenal and Huron. The parents have successfully operated their stores for the past 25 years.
Robles didn’t have much of a clue what his future plans were while attending Lemoore High School where he studied and wrestled a bit, his athletic exploits leading to berths in League and Divisional tournaments. He graduated in 2013.
“Growing up in Lemoore my parents had a similar business,” said Robles. “Their first store was located in Huron. Both my parents migrated to the United States. They were field worker, and they opened up a shop in Huron and then in Avenal very similar to what I have. They were the main suppliers of work clothes in Avenal and Huron.”
After a short stint at community college in San Francisco Angel joined the Marine Corps for a full year of active duty before going to active duty reserve.
“After active duty I was managing one of their stores,” he recalled. “There were many customers from Coalinga, and it gave me the idea to open a store in Coalinga. I thought about it … and I said why not? This is completely mine.”
The stores are all about western apparel and work wear. Need a solid pair of boots for the job? Robles has a wide variety from which to choose. The right work pants, shirts etc. You can find the right apparel at Blue Collar.
He opened the Coalinga store in September, 2015. The official grand opening for his Hanford store, located at 115 West 7th St. in Hanford, will be held This Friday (Aug. 12) with a ribbon cutting at 3 p.m.
“Something that really makes my store different,” said Robles, “is that when I first came up with this idea, I had to make myself different. I went out before I opened, and the first thing I said to myself was that I wanted to stay away from large corporate brands. I went searching on my own, looking for newer brands, less exposed brands, that still had the same quality. I wanted it to be more affordable.”
According to Robles it all worked out. “People come to my shop and they see brands that they’ve never seen before. It worked,” he said.
“I have a lot of newer, fresher brands, and the prices are very competitive. You’re paying for quality, not the tag on the name.”
Robles seems to have a deep sense of satisfaction. “It feels very good,” he said. “I’m happy with my job and I’ve made my parents proud. I’m offering a service to the community I live in.”
