The owner, Lacey Coragiulo, works on a leather vest from Quil Ceda Leather, a store in Marysville that sells handmade and custom leather products, as well as supplies and tools. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
Quil Ceda Leather employees have become owners of a durable business more than once.
MARYSVILLE-In 2002, Lacey Coragiulo, who just graduated from high school, needed a job, any job.
"University is not for me. I tried it for a semester, but it didn't work for me," recalled Coragiulo, who attended Marysville Pilchuck High School.
On a reading board outside Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville, she saw an advertisement asking someone to cut out patterns and sell them.
"I have never touched leather before," Coragiulo said.
Despite this, she still applied for the job.
Today, Coragiulo owns the company and is a master at sewing and customizing leather fuel tank caps and saddle bags for motorcycle enthusiasts.
Coragiulo purchased the company, which is now nearly 90 years old, in 2017 and moved the store to its current location, located at 1355 State Ave. in downtown Marysville.
"We have made a circle," Coragiulo said.
Quil Ceda Leather sells handmade leather belts, pouches, wallets, sheepskin slippers and leather and suede clothing designed by local craftsmen. Shopkeeper Lacey Coragiulo sorts raw leather belts at Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
Shopkeeper Lacey Coragiulo sorts raw leather belts at Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
For DIYers, this shop stocks leather-elk, sheepskin, cowhide and raw hides, which can be used to make their own wallets, moccasins or drum covers. Leather craftsmen can find bookshelves full of tools, patterns, tool kits, and operating instructions.
Need help putting your creations together? Coragiulo or Jody Sears, who have been working there since 2006, can help.
Like Coragiulo, Sears had never touched leather before being hired. "I learned everything from Lacey," Sears said.
The shop also sells dried sage used to make Native American clothing and other items, beads made from bones and deer toes.
Oh, and cute deerskin baby shoes and short boots? Coragiulo's mother, Diana Hendrix, makes them every other Saturday and helps in the store.
A few years ago, "Vida" of the anti-child abuse cyclist organization discovered this store. A member of the anonymous non-profit organization recommended Coragiulo and her store because she designed a leather heat shield that protects her legs and limbs from the skin burns caused by motorcycle exhaust pipes. Wade said he It is required to be identified only by his road name.
"She sewed on all my patches," Vader said as he rode a 900-pound Electro Glide Harley Davidson. "Anytime someone needs leather goods, I will tell them to come here." Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville sells waste leather. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
Sale of waste leather pieces at Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
Two years ago, Quil Ceda Leather added custom embroidery to its menu. Customers can hear the clicking and humming of the 60-inch-tall machine while working in the background. On this special morning, the programmable embroidery machine was sewing a large color patch for a regional motorcycle club.
Coragiulo said that this service is also favored by local companies who want to embroider the company's name or logo on hats or hoodies.
Quil Ceda Leather was founded in 1932 by Austrian immigrant Mathias Jansha as a tannery. He named the Marysville company Jansha Tanning Co., which has been in use until the early 198s, when a group of employees bought shares in the retail portion of the company and renamed it Quil Ceda Leather.
At about the same time, they moved the retail store from its original location at 1355 Marysville State Avenue to a store on Northeast 88th Street in Arlington. (The tannery closed in 2010.)
In 2004, the owner of this group of employees announced their withdrawal, leaving Koragiulo to run the store on his own.
"The major shareholder came to me and said,'Do you think you can complete this work, or should we close it?'" Coragiulo said.
She watched the tailor in the shop modify the leather vest and clothes, shorten the sleeves and zip up. Baby leather moccasins are sold at Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
Baby leather moccasins are sold at Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
But Koragiulo has never worked on an industrial sewing machine. "There has never been a pattern," she said. Nevertheless, she tried it.
"I started to try. I sewed a patch on the motorcycle rider's vest. I started to make small bags for the store," she said.
"Now, I rarely deviate from the model. People will give me a picture of something and ask me if I can copy it."
She said the answer is usually yes.
She also learned business elements, including bookkeeping and inventory management.
In 2017, the third-generation owner of this store asked Coragiulo if he was willing to take over and acquire the store.
"So I did it," she said.
"Mike Warden, he is a third-generation boss. He always pushes me and says:'Try this,'" Coragiulo said. "I wouldn't do this without him, this is the last thing I want to do!"
Janice Posada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: @JanicePods. To talk with us, you can send us an email to newstips@heraldnet.com or call 425-339-3428 to introduce news and inquire about our news. If you want to share your comments, please send a letter to the editor to letters@heraldnet.com or send it via regular mail to The Daily Herald, Letters, PO Box 930, Everett, WA 98206. More contact information is here. Gallery owner Lacey Coragiulo sorts raw leather belts at Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville. (Andy Bronson / The Herald) Sells waste leather pieces at Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville. (Andy Bronson / The Herald) In Marysville, Quil Ceda Leather sells baby Pimoccasins. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
Shopkeeper Lacey Coragiulo sorts raw leather belts at Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
Sale of waste leather pieces at Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
Baby leather moccasins are sold at Quil Ceda Leather in Marysville. (Andy Bronson/Herald)
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