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Given the wide reach of Alterations Express, many customers assume it’s a national corporation. But the company can trace its roots back to one man: Egidio Rondinelli. 

“My great-grandfather was a tailor who came over from Italy,” says Jen Rondinelli, head of marketing and advertisement for Alterations Express. 

The family business traces its humble beginnings to the first-generation Italian-American and tailor who worked at Bond’s Clothing in downtown Youngstown, Ohio. In 1994, the family acquired the Alterations Express brand, the signature ‘Pants Hemmed While-U-Wait’ service and the tagline “America’s Tailor Shop.”  

“The idea was to put alterations and tailoring in the forefront of the business and make it a professional environment that prioritizes customer experience,” Jen says. “It really resonated with customers.” 

Today, Alterations Express is still run by the Rondinelli family. While Jen maintains the marketing and advertising side of the business, her brother and father co-own the company. The close family dynamic also extends into the Rondinellis’ relationships with the staff at all the locations.  

“I think we as a family really pride ourselves on and prioritize letting our employees know that when they’re working, we’re working,” Jen says. “We know how important our families are to us, and we know how important our business is to their family equally.”

A Success Story 30 Years in the Making

Alterations Express is now celebrating 30 years of offering top-of-the-line clothing alterations. After the Rondinelli family opened the doors of their flagship Youngstown location in 1994, the tailoring and alterations company quickly blossomed. By 2000, the family had opened two more locations in Youngstown. The following year, they branched out to their first Pittsburgh location, which led to eight more locations opening throughout the Pittsburgh and Greater Cleveland areas.  

“We really feel like being in a city like Cleveland has allowed us to grow and be as successful as we’ve been,” says Jen.

The most recent location opened in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, in 2018. With the upheaval the COVID-19 pandemic brought, the company has remained focused on building back stronger than ever by maximizing the services offered at its current locations.  

“I think we feel grateful to still be here and have success and still be able to employ all the wonderful people we employ,” Jen says. “We’re poised for growth in the future. We’re in a really healthy spot and excited for the next 30 years.”

Experts in Their Field

While Jen, her brother and her father can claim ownership of the company at large, much of the success of Alterations Express can be attributed to the talented employees and managers.  

“They’re the face of the company and the reason why our customers keep coming back,” Jen says.  

Every seamstress and tailor employed at Alterations Express is the best of the best in their field. The specializations of the managers at each location reflect the type of clothing alterations that the location most often handles.  

"We like to build the store around our managers and what their strengths are,” Jen says.

The diversity of communities in the Greater Cleveland and Pittsburgh areas gives Alterations Express a unique and wide range of talent, many of whom have vast experience as tailors and seamstresses.  

“Our success at finding seamstresses and tailors and talent we really credit to the amazing immigrant communities in all the spaces we’re in,” Jen shares. “I always say that we would not be here and as successful without the wonderful people who have chosen to have a career with us.”

Many Hands Make Light Work  

The skills and dedication of employees across all Alterations Express locations have allowed the business to offer a broad range of tailoring services. Spring typically is the busiest season, as customers prepare for prom, graduation and spring weddings. Recently, though, there’s been a shift — at least on the bridal side — toward fall being a busy time.  

“Our business really follows wedding trends,” Jen notes. “But we’re happy about fall being busier, because it balances our business out.” 

Of course, Alterations Express is known for walk-in alterations, which are offered on every service except for bridal dress fittings. With walk-ins, customers have the convenience of being able to pop in whenever it suits them, rather than having to find time to schedule an appointment.  

“It maximizes that convenience factor and allows them to have that superior level of service,” Jen says.  

The turnaround time is also quick — just four days — though one-day, two-day or three-day services also are available for an additional fee. Alterations Express also offers a “Pants Hemmed While-U-Wait” service during which customers can come in, try on pants and wait for 20 minutes while the service is completed. 

“It’s a great aspect of our service model that customers love and we’re really proud to still be able to offer,” Jen says. “We’ll see people leave the mall and come to us immediately because they love their pants and want them hemmed right now so they can wear them tonight.” 

If you’re a bride, however, Jen encourages you to call and get on the appointment books as soon as you get your dress — or even before. Once you come in, you’ll be paired with an in-house bridal expert. Six to eight weeks is the typical turnaround time for bridal alterations.

“A lot of our managers are the in-house bridal seamstresses,” Jen says. “Their schedules fill up quickly, and brides are clamoring to get in.” 

A Seamless Community 

The primary values that all Alterations Express locations model their service after are “fast,” “professional” and “affordable.” The company has led the charge in ensuring that the in-store experience of tailoring is a private, welcoming and inviting atmosphere.

“Prior to us getting our start, it was always dry cleaners who would have one or two tailors in the back of their stores who would do clothing alterations,” Jen recalls. “It wasn’t very professional because you were in a dry cleaners, so it was loud, hot, and you don’t feel very comfortable.”

Alteration Express’s emphasis on professionalism — along with the ease of the alteration process — has certainly kept customers coming back. The Rondinelli family has succeeded in positioning the brand as top-notch in terms of special services as well as skill of the employees.  

“We really put that professional foot forward, and we want customers to come in and be dazzled by the professional service,” Jen says.  

This approach does not differ across locations or even across state lines. All managers and employees of Alterations Express view themselves as one large team who are all tackling a heavy workload and working together to get the job done. If employees at one location find themselves booked and unable to take a walk-in customer on a certain day, they will always refer the customer to another location that can complete the project in the promised turnaround time. 

“We don’t like to think of ourselves as segmented,” Jen says. “In any location, it’s all the same company, and we want to make sure our customers are getting that service.” 

At the end of the day, the customer always remains at the heart of the company. Each move the company makes, from location expansions to additional services offered, is decided with the convenience and satisfaction of the customer in mind. The results are not only a successful and ever-growing company, but also a unique bond with each person who comes into Alterations Express.  

“We’ve been a part of people’s most special occasions, from graduation to wedding days to everything in between,” Jen says. “We’ve been a part of customers’ lives for such a long time, and that has been really special to see people over and over again.”