Celebrating Schuil’s Original Matriarch: Gladys Schuil

While her husband Garry served as the “face” of Schuil Coffee since the company’s 1981 inception, Gladys stayed busy in the background building a strong and financially-sound operation. Not particularly keen of the spotlight, this is how she preferred it. She served decades in this role, and family members, former co-workers, and friends remember her as strong-willed, sweet-natured, and hardworking.

The 1990s brought on the technology boom in many industries, and Gladys saw the benefit of going digital early on. Although many advised against it at the time, Gladys invested time and capital, overhauling Schuil’s operations with a suite of Apple products and teaching herself and others how to operate the hardware. Through her passion for innovation and dedicated leadership, she ushered in Schuil Coffee’s digital age—an accomplishment unheard of for a small Midwestern business at the time.

In short, Gladys was a deliberately understated force to be reckoned with. That is what we always hear from those who knew her. While working alongside Garry to grow Schuil Coffee into one of the largest specialty coffee roasters in the Midwest, she also served as a dedicated mother of four and grandmother to many more. We now have the privilege to carry the Schuil Coffee baton, and we owe her a huge debt of gratitude. And on this Mother’s Day, we wanted to share her story with you as we salute Gladys’ legacy and honor mothers everywhere. Thank you for being our backbone!