Press Releases

Retail Jewelers Organization Reaches 1,000 Members

‘We are incredibly excited to have reached this milestone.’

Published

5 years ago

February 27, 2019

INSTORE Staff

NEWTON, IA — Retail Jewelers Organization is celebrating reaching 1,000 retail members in February.

RJO was founded in 1966 by jeweler Grant Johnson and 14 other independent jewelers in response to regional and national jewelry store chains threatening the livelihood of independent jewelry stores.

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With the firm foundation set by Johnson, RJO has grown both in depth and breadth, steadily gaining momentum to become a leader in the jewelry industry.

“RJO has grown into a nationally recognized name in the jewelry industry. We are proud of our roots, of our growth, and of our future in the industry,” said RJO CEO Sarah Streb. “We are incredibly excited to have reached this milestone. Throughout our existence our retail members, in collaboration with our vendor partners, have been the drive behind every decision at RJO.”

RJO Membership Coordinator Erin Sharp agrees with Streb. “RJO started amongst friends and that has not changed along the way. I love how supportive our members and vendors are, not only of RJO, but of each other. They all truly care about making sure RJO not only thrives but continues to flourish – and 1,000 members strong is a true reflection of that.”

“It is a testament to the strength of our organization,” says Streb.

“Driven by the forward thinking of our founders, reaching this milestone allows us to strengthen the foundation in which they built, providing annual dividends, educational support and collective buying power to further the success of all our RJO members.”

RJO has retail stores in every state in the U.S. except Hawaii. “I think that will be my new goal for 2019,” said Sharp.

For more information on becoming a member of RJO, contact Erin Sharp at 1-800-247-1774 or erin@rjomembers.com.

Wilkerson Testimonials

Wilkerson: “They Feel Like Family”

Newton’s Jewelers in Fort Smith, Ark., was a true institution. But after being at the helm for most of his life, owner (and descendent of the original founder) Kelly Newton decided it was time to retire. He chose Wilkerson to handle the sale. “I’ve known the owners of Wilkerson for a long, long time. I felt at home with them,” he says. The final retirement sale was just a “blast” and the Wilkerson sales team made it so very simple and straightforward, says Newton. Would he recommend Wilkerson to others? Absolutely. “They’ve done incredible work,” says Newton. “They feel like family.”