Learning Buddies
Because of the incredible stories and innovations I read about in your magazine, I am constantly spinning my thoughts around change and new directions. Thank you for putting those ideas in my head and helping me dream! — Susan Eisen, Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry & Watches, El Paso, TX
Your magazine is the most informative magazine in our industry! We use it to teach and to show and train our staff. The surveys are very beneficial. I can’t say enough about what we learn from your magazine. Looking forward to all the issues in 2018. — Newt Starnes, Newton’s Jewelry, Flowood, MS
INSTORE is a great resource to keep current, share ideas and train newbies to our industry. Keep up the great work. We look forward to every issue!!! — Katherine Lesse, Abracadabra Jewelry, Ann Arbor, MI
Safety First
Would love to see an article about alternative metals and the safety implications. We’ve had a lot of customers that don’t know the risks of inexpensive alternative metals, and it feels like it’s something that isn’t talked about within the industry. After talking with our local hospital, which is not equipped to cut off tungsten, cobalt or titanium, we’ve stopped selling them. — Chris Wattsson, Wattsson & Wattsson Jewelers, Marquette, MI
No Worries
When folks come in and mention not trusting jewelers, we tell them not to worry about that. All the bad ones are gone. If they did not have a rock-solid business, the recession killed them and they are no longer a threat. There is room for all of us: mom-and-pops and the Internet. — Jo Goralski, The Jewelry Mechanic, Oconomowoc, WI
This article originally appeared in the February 2018 edition of INSTORE.
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Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson
When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren.
For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish.
"Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful."
The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing."
Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."
