Best of the Best: Security on a Roll

Published

13 years ago

August 26, 2010

Eileen McClelland

Best of the Best

[dropcap cap=W]illard “Bode” Boedeker, owner of Bode Estate Jeweler in Daytona Beach, FL, has always had an active imagination. Daydreaming about his future while walking past jewelry store windows as a kid led to his pursuit of a career first as a watchmaker, then a jeweler. — EILEEN MCCLELLAND[/dropcap]

[componentheading]THE IDEA [/componentheading]

[contentheading]Easy Security[/contentheading]

Forty-seven years in one location, in a two-story art deco-style building two blocks from the beach, gave Boedeker ample time to think and unleash that active imagination. After decades of removing jewelry from three wall cases every day, storing it in the vault and then removing and displaying it again in the morning, Boedeker had a revelation. He had long used shutters on his seven exterior windows both for extra security and for protection from tropical storms. “I was putting on the shutters for my whole building outside when I thought, why not have a shutter made to cover those cases?”

Best of the Best: Security on a Roll

[componentheading]THE EXECUTION [/componentheading]

[contentheading] Roll it Out [/contentheading]

“I called my shutter people and they said they had never done a job inside, but they came up with a plan that worked.” Boedeker asked that they install a piece of beveled mirror across the top of it so it would elegantly hide the shutter when not in use. “It’s just so classy because you can practically not even see it,” said Boedeker. The project, including the motor-driven Fiberglas shutters, the mirror and electrical work, cost about $3,500. Items in the shuttered cases are insured, but individual items must not exceed $250 in value. So 75 percent of Boedekers inventory still goes into the vault each night.

Best of the Best: Security on a Roll

[componentheading]THE REWARD [/componentheading]

[contentheading]Minutes a Day[/contentheading]

Would Boedeker say this idea has saved him a lot of time?

“Oh, golly immensely, because it took us a good 45 minutes every morning and every night to pull everything out. It’s one of the best things I ever did for the shop. This is so worthwhile. It saves wear and tear on the jewelry and it’s so convenient. I wouldn’t be without it, really.”

[componentheading]DO IT YOURSELF[/componentheading]Boedeker suggests calling any home-shutter business, particularly those that specialize in new-home construction jobs and explaining the project. “It’s in a normal casing like you would have in a window or a door; we just made it a little bit fancier.”

Don’t forget to run the idea by your insurance company.

Call Boedeker at (386) 255-4726 for additional information. He has his building and his business on the market, preparing for retirement, but still is open noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for now.

[span class=note]This story is from the September 2010 edition of INSTORE[/span]

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”