Second Generation Continues Schaefer Legacy Serving The Community
By Mike May
The Schaefer family has been taking care of the health of Wellington residents since nearly the birth of the community. Family patriarch, the late Chuck Schaefer, founded Schaefer Drugs, which has been recognized as Wellington’s first retail business.
“The UPS delivery guy always said it was Wellington’s first business,” said current owner Lauren Henley, Chuck’s daughter.
Schaefer Drugs is not your ordinary drug store. Instead, it’s a unique community institution within Wellington’s business sector. At a time when other pharmacies, doctors, hospitals, even supermarkets, were many miles away, Schaefer Drugs was there to take care of Wellington’s early pioneers.
Founded in 1979, Schaefer Drugs remains in operation today by being true to its roots and providing the type of personalized service that people want but can’t easily find.
Interviewed for a 2010 story in Wellington The Magazine, Chuck recalled his memories of starting his landmark business.
“When we opened Schaefer Drugs in 1979, there was no shopping center,” he said. “Wellington didn’t even have any stop lights. We were out here by ourselves. I can say with 100-percent certainty that people were happy to have a drug store nearby. That’s when I knew we had made the right move at the right time.”
Chuck and his wife Susan owned and operated Schaefer Drugs from the outset until Chuck’s death in 2020. At that time, Lauren and her husband Jay Henley took over daily control of the 6,000-square-foot store, the same size as its footprint back in 1979.
“The size of the store has not changed since the store first opened,” said Lauren, 48, a 1994 graduate of Wellington High School and a 1998 graduate of Stetson University.
The personal and professional service at Schaefer Drugs that started with Chuck and Susan Schaefer continues to this day with Jay and Lauren Henley.
“Chuck was a success because he worked hard and always put his customers first,” said Jay, 52, who grew up in Fort Myers and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1996 from Evangel University in Missouri and his master’s degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2000. “He had the foresight to see Wellington before it was Wellington.”
Back then, Susan did the books for the store, and Chuck did the rest.
A special part of Chuck’s unique job description was being willing to personally deliver much-needed emergency prescriptions to a customer’s home at any time of day or night.
Sadly, Chuck’s passing was followed a year later by his beloved wife Susan in 2021.
Now, the present and future of Schaefer Drugs is in the hands of Jay and Lauren. Fortunately, they are willing and able to provide the same customer service as the founding generation.
The generational transition at Schaefer Drugs started years before Chuck passed away.
Both Lauren and Jay started working at Schaefer Drugs in 2009. Lauren was the store’s chief financial officer, and Jay worked as a manager. During the next 11 years, they learned about the ebb and flow of any given day in the life of Schaefer Drugs.
Now, Lauren is the owner. She oversees human resources, inventory, purchasing and in-store compliance. Jay is the chief operating officer. His main job is to build and maintain the store’s strong relationships with its customers. He also meets on a regular basis with dozens of local doctors who write prescriptions for their patients.
“I keep local doctors aware of our inventory and new drugs being introduced,” Jay explained.
According to Jay, the main reason why Schaefer Drugs is still in business is because of the ability of the ownership to make changes and adjustments to the business model as needed. That ability to go with the flow started with Chuck and Susan and remains with Lauren and Jay.
The difference between Schaefer Drugs and the competition — mostly national chain stores — is that the staff at Schaefer Drugs has a strong, personal relationship with the customers. The store’s 18 employees are willing to do whatever it takes to make every customer happy.
“At Schaefer Drugs, we have a strong level of customer service,” Jay said. “We know our customers’ names, the names of their family members and the names of their pets.”
Another great example of customer service started in 2000.
“Chuck started a service known as compounding,” Jay explained. “Compounding means that we can customize and personalize a prescription for humans and pets. We can customize the form of medication, the flavor and the exact dosage. The form of medication can be a capsule, liquid, cream, pellet or a troche. We continue compounding for our patients to this day.”
Another key to success is the word-of-mouth communication that takes place among the business’s roster of customers.
“I appreciate their willingness to go the extra mile to help me find the right solution,” one customer said.
“Their pharmacists know me by name and always go the extra mile to ensure I get the personalized care I need,” added another.
As part of Schaefer Drugs’ ability to remain current, the business has a web site, as well as a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.
While Schaefer Drugs is open six days a week and closed on Sundays and major holidays, Lauren and Jay never forget about the business. “We’re always on call,” Jay said.
While Lauren and Jay Henley are fully committed to continuing the work started by Chuck and Susan Schaefer, the next line of succession for the business could fall to Lauren and Jay’s two daughters, 22-year-old Olivia and 18-year-old Kiersten.
Olivia is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and she works for Edward Jones. Kiersten will graduate from the King’s Academy in May and will then head off to college. While both girls have not expressed that much interest in the family business, Jay still has hope. “You never say never,” he said.
When Lauren and Jay do have some down time, they enjoy attending Family Church on Sundays, spending time at home with Olivia and Kiersten, and playing pickleball.
“We both love to play pickleball,” Lauren said.
Moving forward, Schaefer Drugs is in the same “pole position” within Wellington’s business community as it was when the store first opened in 1979. It was a unique institution back then, and it remains that way today.
Schaefer Drugs is located in the Wellington Plaza at 12797 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite C. For more information, call (561) 793-0151 or visit www.schaeferdrugs.com.
