If the “boss man” decided to abandon his business on short notice, most of us would get to work updating resumes and looking elsewhere for employment.
Former bookkeeper Rose Zeilman took a different approach.
Zeilman knew that medical professionals, students and many others in Bluffton had been depending on Scrubs Plus as their go-to resource for work clothes for years. Instead of cruising the classifieds when the former owner moved without warning, which likely would have been the easier option, she stepped up and took the reins.
“It sort of just fell into our lap, and the first year was really hard,” Zeilman said. “But we are going to make it work.”
Scrubs Plus has been open for about a decade, but Zeilman has dedicated the last two years to revamping the store with the help of her family. She noted that her daughter, Tenaya Adams, is a registered nurse and a veteran – someone who knows a thing or two about scrubs and uniforms.
“We’ve done a lot of remodeling and cleaned out a lot of the clutter. People used to say it looked like a thrift store,” she said. “It’s much more streamlined now. We may not necessarily have what you want, but we can get it for you.”
As the manager, Zeilman does alterations and repairs herself and makes specific custom orders for her patrons regularly.
“It makes more sense than going online to buy these things. If you order through us you don’t have to pay for shipping, and the product is the same price most of the time,” she said. “We do a little bit of everything here, including embroidery.”
The store even hits the road on occasion to offer shows and samples for large business clients such as hospitals, schools and universities.
Scrubs Plus supplies scrubs, lab coats, school uniforms, chef and kitchen attire in addition to other specialty items like local, handmade I.D. clips for nurses, and some of the basic medical supplies that doctors and medical students use on a daily basis.
The clothing racks inside are loaded with options, from bright, colorful prints to standard white lab coats. An inventory sale is planned for November, and Zeilman is looking forward to stocking up on new fall styles.
Scrubs Plus is located at 142 Burnt Church Road and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and closed on Saturday and Sunday. Although orders cannot be placed online currently, you can view some of their inventory by visiting scrubsplusmedical.com. For more information call 843-290-7036 or email rose_scrubsplusllc@yahoo.com.
Shae Dalrymple is the assistant editor of the Bluffton Sun.
