IA Fall 11

IJA Jeweler
The Official Newsletter of the Iowa Jewelers Association
Volume 22, Number 4
Fall 2011
2011 Design Contest Winners Announced
Inside this issue…
President’s Message
2
Board of Directors
2
Associate Ads
The IJA Annual Jewelry Design Contest
was held at the Renaissance Savery Hotel
in Des Moines, as part of the 2011 Annual
Conference. And the winners are...
2-7
Annual Conference
Highlights
Best of Show &
People’s Choice
4
created by:
Brian Fanning
Legislative Alert
4
Brad Huisken’s
“Train the Trainer”
6
Associate
Membership Details
6
IJA Member Benefits
7
Thanks to our
Conference Sponsors
8
Calendar of Events
JA Winter Show
January 22 - 24, 2012
Javitz Convention Center
New York, NY
www.JA-NewYork.com
Brad Huiken’s “Train the
Trainer” Course
February 27-29, 2012
Holiday Inn I-35W
Bloomington, MN
Davenport, IA
Brian Fanning from Doland Jewelers in
Davenport, IA was a big winner by not only
obtaining the overall Best of Show, but also
the People’s Choice award and Second
Place in Level 2 (materials of $1,000 -$2,999) of
the Professional Category.
April 21 - 23, 2012
Navy Pier
Chicago, IL
www.smartjewelryshow.com
created by:
Dan Grunwald
Mason City, IA
Dan Grunwald from Grunwald & Kiger Fine
Jewelers in Mason City, IA was a Second
Place winner in Level 3 (under $1,000) for
his14k white and yellow gold pendant; with
bezel set diamonds, one bezel set pear
shaped amethyst at top and center stone is
a 6.83 ct. locoxanite and long onyx bullet.
Third Place Level II
created by:
Noel Fiscus
Ankeny, IA
Fanning’s piece was a 14k white and yellow
gold, emerald and diamond ring.
Noel Fiscus of Fiscus Diamond Jewelry in
Ankeny received Third Place, also in Level
First Place Level II
2 ($1,000 -$2,999) , for his 14k white gold,
created by:
custom initial pendant with a 3 prong set
Connie Tharp
RBC 0.30 ct. diamond.
Ankeny, IA
Connie Tharp of Fiscus Diamond Jewelry in
Ankeny received First Place in Level 2
($1,000 - $2,999) for her men’s 18k two-tone
ring with a .63 irradiated Caribbean blue
diamond.
First Place Level III
created by:
Derrik Hills
Ankeny, IA
www.iastraining.com
Smart Jewelry Show
Second Place Level IIl
Derrik Hills, also of Fiscus Diamond Jewelry ,
received First Place in Level 3 (under $1,000)
for his 14K white and star sapphire engagement ring; weighing 4.3 dwf.
Other designers who placed were:
Third Place Level III
created by:
Jaimi Kiger
Mason City, IA
Jaimi Kiger from Grunwald & Kiger Fine
Jewelers in Mason City, designed a twotone pendent set with one fantasy cut rutilated quartz and 3 - .05 ct. diamonds, in
Level 3 (under $1,000) of the competition.
The Best of Show piece will be displayed
on the front cover of the 2012 Annual Membership Directory. Congratulations to all
participants in the 2011 Contest - what an
excellent show of talent!
(Continued on page 4)
Madison Jewelry Expo
September 29 - 30, 2012
Madison Marriott West
Middleton, WI
www.madisonjewelryexpo.com
www.federatedinsurance.com
Ph: 800-533-0472
Fall 2011
IJA JEWELER
IJA OFFICERS & DIRECTORS
From the President. . . .
Chuck Kuba, G.G.
President
Iowa Jewelers
OK, so here I sit trying to compose a letter
right after a move to a new location and
smack in the middle of our busiest season.
Still, I felt it was important to let you all
know how honored I felt to be elected
President at our Annual Conference in
August and how much I appreciate the
support from many of you as well.
Other officers elected were:
Willie McGivern (1st Vice President) of
McGiverns Fine Jewelry & Gifts in Davenport; Steve Copler (2nd Vice President) of
Copler Fine Jewelry in Cedar Rapids; Will
Doland (Secretary) of Doland Jewelers in
Davenport; and Noel Fiscus (Treasurer) of
Fiscus Diamond Jewelers in Ankeny.
Gayle Hellberg continues on the board as
Past President and Carrie Nelson of Nelson Jewelry in Spencer was elected to
serve a three year term. You will be getting a call from one of these folks or one of
the other board members on the list. My
hope is that you will agree to serve on one
of their committees and to participate in
the 2012 Annual Conference as well.
In the meantime, we have held our first
board meeting and are well under way in
PAGE 2
President
the planning process for this year and
beyond. Watch for some rather dramatic
changes that we all feel will stimulate
participation and solidify the organization. We’ve been around for a long time
and are financially strong. But, we all
need a kick in the pants every now and
again or we will stagnate. In college I
was taught that a business needs to reinvent itself every ten to twelve years or it
would die a slow death.
Some years ago, I was fortunate to get to
know Dr. Norman Vincent Peale who
many of you may remember wrote “The
Art Of Positive Thinking”. He was a
minister from New York and quite a
national figure, including the favorite of
many presidents. He told a couple of us
young lads, and I quote because I never
forgot it, “It’s always too early to quit.”
Any of us who have survived running an
independent jewelry store can hold that
saying in high regard and need to teach
it to other generations entering the business. Hopefully, the Iowa Jewelers Association can play an active role
Please let me or one of the other board
members know if you have ideas to improve the organization or even if you just
have concerns. We’re enthusiastic about
the future and ready to meet the challenges head-on.
Sincerely,
Chuck Kuba, G.G.,
President
CHUCK KUBA
Iowa Diamond
(515) 246-8070
1st Vice President
WILLIE MCGIVERN
McGiverns Fine Jewelry & Gifts
(563) 355-4362
2nd Vice President
STEVE COPLER
Copler Fine Jewelry
(319) 366-5999
Secretary
WILL DOLAND
Doland Jewelers
(563) 326-1847
Treasurer
NOEL FISCUS
Fiscus Diamond Jewelers
(515) 964-9098
Past President
GAYLE HELLBERG
Hellberg’s Jewelers
(641) 752-3675
Directors
STEVEN GINSBERG
Ginsberg Jewelers
(319) 363-3563
JAIMI KIGER
Grunwald & Kiger Fine Jewelry
(641) 423-5116
NANCY KUHL
J.H. Revell Jewelers & Goldsmiths
(563) 359-8856
CARRIE NELSON
Nelson Jewelry
(712) 262-1309
ALAN YEGGE
Artisan’s Jewelry Design
(515) 243-4112
Sales Representatives
LAURIE BROWN
Trollbeads/Metalsmiths Sterling
(402) 657-4033
IAN STRACHAN
Iowa Jewelers Supply
(515) 243-3189
Executive Director
NANCY FISCHER
P.O. Box 6192
St. Cloud, MN 56302-6192
(320) 654-6775 or (800) 669-8547
Fax: (320) 253-3324
Email: info@IAjewelers.org
Website: www.IAjewelers.org
Fall 2011
IJA JEWELER
PAGE 4
Annual Conference Highlights
The 2011 IJA Annual Golf Outing and Conference held
August 19 - 21 in downtown Des Moines proved to be a
success; a great time was had by all.
The Friday Golf Outing was held at the Ankeny Golf &
Country Club and it was a beautiful day for golf. Seventeen golfers enjoyed a day out of the store and some of
them even golfed quite well.
Then, it was off to the Traveler’s Social! This gathering
of jewelers and travelers was held later that night in the
President’s Suite at the Renaissance Savery Hotel. As
always, there was plenty of food, fun and laughter.
Jewelers were updated on pertinent information affecting
their store and the industry as a whole. Traveler’s set up
display tables to visit with jewelers about their products
and services and the Professional Design Contest entries were judged and on display for all to see.
And, there was plenty of time in between for relaxing at
the President’s Social, sponsored by Mike Meacham of
All American Insurance. Some attendees also took
advantage of the Iowa State Fair and worked that into
their social schedule.
At the Annual Meeting, election of new board members
and officers were held. Chuck Kuba received the gavel
from outgoing President Gayle Hellberg, as he assumed
the role of the new board President. Carrie Nelson, from
Nelson Jewelry in Spencer, was elected as a new director for a three year term on the board.
Saturday and Sunday proved to be very informative.
Jewelers attended a panel discussion by Michael
Couch, MCA Gems and Scott Stebbing from Stebgo
Metals, Inc. as well as presentations from William
Brauch from the Iowa Department of Justice, Craig
The Iowa Jewelers Association is in good hands!
Jankowski, Federated Insurance and Michael Bird, our
keynote speaker, who is President of Spindustry, a new
media strategy and development firm in Des Moines.
(Continued from Page 1)
Planning is underway for the 2012 Design Contest, so start the creative juices
flowing ~ it is never too early to get your piece started.
If you have any questions about the 2011 or 2012 contests, please call the IJA
office at 800-669-8547.
LEGISLATIVE ALERT
EMPLOYEE POSTING
As of January 31, 2012, most private
sector employers must post a notice of
employee rights under the National
Labor Relations Act at their worksites.
The 11-by-17-inch NLRB notice is free
and can be downloaded and printed in
multiple languages from their website
at www.nlrb.gov/poster, ordered via
mail by completing the form at this
same web address, or by calling
(202) 273-0064.
The Agency believes that the poster
will help employees as well as employers to better understand the law and
avoid misunderstandings. It is similar
to other workplace postings that
describe workers’ rights to a minimum
wage, a safe workplace, and freedom
from certain types of discrimination.
For further details about the posting
and the NLRB’s jurisdiction, please see
the question and answer section located at http://www.nlrb.gov/faq/poster.
Questions can be directed to
poster@nlrb.gov.
Fall 2011
IJA JEWELER
PAGE 5
Thanks to all our Associate Members - Suppliers, Manufactures and Sales Reps!
Your support helps keep IJA strong.
For information about placing your business card here, call
the IJA Office at 800-669-8547.
Fall 2011
IJA JEWELER
PAGE 6
“Train the Trainer” comes to MN
Brad Huisken of IAS Training and frequent speaker I’d recommend your Training Program to any jeweler. Please feel free to give out my name; your
at retail events around the world is bringing his
program has been a great boost to our staff this fall.
“Train the Trainer” course to Minneapolis.
John F Laughter
This seminar is exclusively for retail jewelry owners,
John Laughter Jewelers
managers, sales managers and sales trainers for
the great price of $795.
A Sales Manager/Trainers Job is: “To provide the
“Train the Trainer” Course
leadership, knowledge, training, incentives and
February 27 - 29, 2012
consequences in order to recruit, hire, train, and
maintain a successful staff.”
Holiday Inn Bloomington I-35W
th
1201 West 94 Street
This course gives the sales manager/ trainer these
Bloomington, MN 55431
tools. "If people don't implement this information
into their businesses they are idiots."
Mr. Huisken believes that the sales manager/trainer
Darin Schmitz
has the toughest job in the store. He/She has to do
Capital City Loan & Jewelry
a great job of leading their staff in order to maximize every selling opportunity.
Mr. Huisken stated; “This course will allow Retail
Huisken says, “I hear from retail store owners ‘I
Store owners, managers and sales trainers to give
have trained my staff and they just aren’t doing it.’
their staff the help that they need in order to maxiThis is specifically why I developed this course – to mize the productivity of individual salespeople
give the sales manager/trainer the tools, knowlalong with maximizing the sales and profits of
edge, experience, and confidence to go back to
the store.
their store and really make a difference in producing positive results on the sales floor.”
For more information:
Tributes…
Contact: Brad at IAS Training
Amber and Judy are doing a fantastic job and we
have really aligned our expectations and responsibilities since they came back from your training you are a genius. Yes! You can quote me on
that! :-)
Luisa Graff-Coleman, CEO
Luisa Graff Jewelers
Call toll free: 800-248-7703
Email: info@iastraining.com
Visit: www.iastraining.com
JOIN AS A TRAVELERS’ MEMBER FOR 2012
Membership includes All communications sent to retailers (newsletters and notices; Annual Directory and Conference information)
Security First! Alert Service; Lending Library; Opportunity to interact with other members, with IJA serving as a clearinghouse.
2012 Corporate Member - $150 (Inc. up to 3 sales reps)
Sales Rep - Dues only $50
Sales Rep - Dues & 4 business card ads $100
Associate - $75
(Bench Jeweler, Watchmaker,
Retired/Individual)
COMPANY
ADDRESS
NAME
PHONE
Please send completed form to: IJA, PO Box 6192,St. Cloud, MN 56302-6192
__________
Fall 2011
IJA JEWELER
PAGE 7
2012 IJA Member Benefits
Annual Conference
Lending Library
Join other jewelers from across the state to exchange infor- Offers in-store training courses via videotapes, DVD’s,
mation, learn about the latest industry trends, meet suppli- audiotapes and books for all store employees. Content
ers and sales representatives that support IJA, and network. ranges from product knowledge to sales skills to store security, as well as various bench techniques demonstrated by
Annual Membership Directory & Resource Guide Master Bench Jewelers.
Serves as a valuable resource to jewelers, includes a listing
of all members and calendar of events. This directory con- Quarterly Newsletter Service
nects you with other jewelers and suppliers.
Keep current on industry matters affecting your operation
as well as association events and benefits.
Design Competition
IJA sponsors the annual Professional and Apprentice/
Advanced Student design competition during the Annual
Conference. Best of Show winner will be featured on the
front cover of the Annual Membership Directory.
Scholarships
Federated Insurance
Through Security First! Alerts, members are notified immediately when a crime or robbery is committed, based on
member calls to report occurring incidents.
Offers Jewelers’ Security Plus, designed especially for jewelers. The full line of insurance products features inventory
coverage while in the store or during shipping, as well as
all insurance needs designed specifically for the jewelry
industry and the needs of your business.
FedEx Jewelry Shipping Program
Allows members to save on select FedEx Express® shipping and FedEx Ground® shipping services.
The association provides scholarships to members taking
GIA courses and the Jewelers Bench course.
Security First! Alerts
Trade Shows Connections
The Madison Jewelry Expo returns on October 1-2 at the
Madison Marriott West in Middleton, WI. Membership in
the association entitles you to pre-registration privileges at
this and many other shows.
Call us for more information at 1-800-669-8547.
I O W A J E W E L E R S AS S O C I A T I O N
P.O. Box 6192
St. Cloud, MN 56302-6192
320-654-6775 or 800-669-8547
Website: www.IAjewelers.org
Email: info@IAjewelers.org
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Your 2012
Dues Invoice
Has Been Mailed!
Thanks for supporting the Iowa Jewelers Association!
2011 Conference Sponsor
Federated Insurance
President’s Social
All American Insurance, Inc.
Golf Hole Sponsors
All American Insurance, Inc.
Door Prizes
All Ways In - Amir Cohen
Federated Insurance
Bauman-Massa Jewelry Company
Metalsmiths Sterling - Laurie Brown
Bertke Brothers, LLC
Quality Gold
Camelot Bridal - Rick Kupfer
Seiko - Craig Doerhoff
Federated Insurance
Stebgo Metals, Inc.
Metalsmiths Sterling
TrollBeads - Laurie Brown
Sarah’s Hope Jewelry
United Precious Metals
Stebgo Metals, Inc.
Trollbeads