Founder & CEO of John Craig Clothier
Nothing is more important to H. Craig DeLongy than his family. His professional title is Founder and CEO of John Craig Clothier, his favorite titles are husband, dad, and G-Pa. He and his wife, Suzanne, of 45 years raised two children, Blair and Brant. Blair is married to Alvaro, an attorney in Naples, and they have two children, Carter Finley and Emma McKinley. Blair is the Vice President of John Craig Clothier. Brant, an avid golfer, is a Business Broker in Winter Park. For the DeLongy’s, the best evening on the town, meal at home, or vacation is one spent with family.
One of the founding partners in Champ’s Sports, Craig has spent most of his life studying trends, fashion from A to Z, and understanding what it takes to make a business both successful and long-lasting. He is a student who had dedicated himself to a life of learning: from others, from successes, and from failures. Craig opened the first John Craig Clothier on Park Avenue in Winter Park, Florida March 2, 1996 with the goal of offering the best selection of high-end men’s clothing, accessories, and footwear.
Since 1996, John Craig has expanded its footprint and currently have five John Craig stores: Park Avenue in Winter Park, Third Street South in Naples, The Waterside Shops in Naples, Sawgrass Village in Ponte Vedra Beach, and Harbourside Place in Jupiter. In 2009 Craig opened Current by John Craig, a contemporary men’s boutique, next door to our original John Craig on Park Avenue.
On November 22, 2019, Carter and Finley joined the retail family on Third Street South in Naples two doors down from John Craig. Carter and Finley, named after Craig’s first grandchild, is an upscale resort casual store and the only of our seven stores carrying clothing for both men and women.
John Craig continues to receive numerous awards including the Esquire Best of Class, MR Magazine’s Uptown Downtown Award, Best of Orlando, Best Men’s Store in Naples by Gulfshore Life, Best of Ponte Vedra, and Best of Winter Park. John Craig continues to achieve industry-wide recognition on The Esquire Retail 100. This prestigious list recognizes America’s finest menswear specialty stores.
While his success can be attributed to many things like no detail big or small going unnoticed, knowing when to take risks as well as knowing when to play it safe, and surrounding himself with a wise counsel of others, the true secret of Craig DeLongy’s many achievements goes back to family. Everyone who works for Craig is his family for life. Turnover within the company is low and longevity is high. The customers who shop at John Craig, Current, and Carter and Finley love the family atmosphere and count the people working there as trusted friends and confidants who happen to double as personal style consultants. Each and every day in every one of Craig’s stores people gather and transact. Clothes are sold, but more importantly, stories are told and lives are touched. With every new employee and customer, Craig’s family grows.
132 South Park Avenue, Winter Park, Florida 32789 | P: 407-629-7944 | www.JohnCraigClothier.com
@JohnCraigClothier @CurrentByJohnCraig @CarterFinleyByJC
