Being bored in the winter, one local merchant says, isn’t such a bad thing after all.
Originally from near Johnstown, Pa., John Behory began his life’s work in electronics as a sub-contrator for IBM. He moved to upstate New York and started as an electronic technician for Macintosh Laboratories, where he was a national service manager. He and his wife, Carole, followed his work and settled in Greene, where they raised three children Mark, Debbie and John III.
One winter roughly 20 years ago, John says he was bored, so his wife bought him a leather tooling kit to keep him occupied; that’s where his story of being a cobbler began.
Behory began to teach himself the trade of leather working. Being a fan of motorcycles, Behory says he needed a pair of chaps and decided, with his wife’s sewing expertise, he could make a pair on his own. Behory started small, making family and friends items such as belts, wallets and purses. Over time Behory said he took a courses to better his skills.
Behory’s son Mark had always wanted to own his own business, and one day at church, the timing was right. “A friend at church owned a cobbler shop and was looking to sell it. Mark was able to apprentice him for a month and decide if the business was something he was interested in,” said Behory. After a short time, Behory says, he helped his son go into business, which at the time was to be operated solely by Mark. “We had to put the house up for collateral, but we did and got the loan for the shop,” said Behory.
Following a short layoff, Behory says he jumped on the bandwagon and became partners in the business. “We worked together from then on,” he said.
The Village Cobbler has been owned by the Behorys since 1990. They over the cobbler shop on American Ave. that had been in business for over 50 years. After 10 years of being on American Ave., the business was moved to the corner of American Ave. and South Broad Street. “We were told if we moved, our business would increase and over time we have seen some change,” said Behory.
Starting in mostly shoe repair, the business has now expanded into other venues such as a professional leather cleaning shop. The wallets, purses, chaps and other items are on retail as well as a full line of leather jackets and other motorcyclist needs.
Being the only cobbler shop in Chenango County, Behory says, has it advantages and disadvantages. The business, he explains, has seen its ups and downs and has began to feature items to meet the needs of a changing society.
Mark ventured into his own business just recently, and since John, Carole and their dog Beasley (the official shop greeter) have maintained the business and have kept it as a family run operation.
Behory says when he is not busy in the shop he and Carole enjoy riding motorcycles, and he likes to deer hunt. The Behorys are active church members as well, and John is the head elder and on the board of trustees for the Christian Missionary Alliance. “I wear many hats,” he said.
Editor’s Note: People in the Chenango community perform extraordinary feats under extraordinary circumstances every day. Oftentimes they go unnoticed or unappreciated; “Chenango Stories” puts the spotlight on those people whose compelling stories you might not otherwise hear. If you know someone who is interested in telling their “Chenango Story,” contact Jill Osterhout at 337-3075 or e-mail: josterhout@evesun.com.