Jon & Misty Nockels, Owners
Location: Yankton, SD (est. 1997)
Opening for Business in River City
After graduating from UNL-Lincoln, Jon and Misty Nockels established Four Seasons Fabrics in Misty’s hometown of Yankton in 1997, directed by Misty’s degree in fashion design and her talent and passion for fabrics and creativity. “This seemed like a nice place that a young couple could marry and start a family,” says Jon. “I went to Chicago to begin training with Bernina and their line of sewing machines. Continuous technical trainings are a must, and I have traveled all over the United States and Switzerland for Bernina each year to keep up with ever-changing and advancing technologies. Misty’s passion for creativity and my passion for technology is what has made Four Seasons Fabric a staple store in the Yankton area for over 20 years.”
“I Saw Your Show on PBS This Morning”
“We have always been big fans and supporters of public radio and television and know the importance that they hold in both our state and country. When we were first asked to underwrite, we immediately said yes, more so of being fans of public broadcasting than as an advertising standpoint.
For years now, usually on Saturday afternoons, people will stop into our store and comment that they found us or saw us on SDPB – sometimes even saying ‘I saw your show on PBS this morning.’ How far the reach stretches is what really impresses me. We have been so happy as underwriters for SDPB. It has exceeded our expectations in terms of payout for investment and we look forward to continuing our relationship with SDPB for quite some time in the future.”
Economic Impact of COVID
“COVID is like every other major disaster or adverse event in this world; you prepare for the worst and hope for the best. In our case, our business saw a substantial increase in the months of March through May. We were humbled, grateful, and taken a little by surprise. Suddenly, everyone at once was sewing and making masks. We are still selling sewing machines as quickly as we can get them in the door, and our fabric sales saw a huge boost from mask makers that require Quilt Shop quality fabrics which is the only quality that we carry. Four Seasons Fabric also donated fabrics and supplies to various groups and charities for mask-making in our community.
From a scientific and biological standpoint, we may be dealing with COVID for quite some time. We have had to make changes to the way we operate our store with respect to social distancing, the type of events that we can attend or hold, and we strongly suggest wearing masks in the store. We begrudgingly wear them while working, but following CDC guidelines, we know it is for the best to do so for everyone. The best way to combat this is if we are all on the same page.”
For underwriting information contact Liz Larkin • (605)677-5861 • Liz.Larkin@sdpb.org