True Tales: This Thief’s A Real Rodent

Published

17 years ago

July 2, 2008

One morning before Christmas, one of our sales associates mentioned that a strand of black pearls was missing. This was a strand that was usually displayed in our window showcase and fell in the price range that did not have to be secured in our vault at night. With the volume of sales that we had experienced during the holiday season, we thought they may have been sold. The bust was redisplayed and nothing more was thought of it. A few days after the New Year one of my associates noticed a hamster leisurely walking beside one of the showcases. After he was caught and returned to the pet store that is located next to us, we found his home. It was nicely decorated with some shredded paper and 60 of the 64 black pearls that had made up the strand. We are not sure where the other four pearls are … and we don’t think we want to know.

CHRIS S.,
WILMINGTON, NC

Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration

After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.