IJA Jeweler - IA Jewelers Association

IJA Jeweler
The Official Newsletter of the Iowa Jewelers Association
Volume 26, Number 3
Inside this issue…
2015 Design Contest Winners Announced
President’s Message
2
Board of Directors
2
Associate Ads
Inside
Conference
Highlights
3
Retirement News
6
River Bandits
Registration Form
Inside
IA Jewelers Day at
the Cubs and
River Bandits
Calendar of Events
IJO Show
July 25 - 29
Nashville Music City Center
Nashville, TN
RJO Show
August 1 - 3
Renaissance Grand Hotel
St. Louis, MO
IA Jewelers Day at the
River Bandits
August 2
Game Time: 5:15 p.m.
Modern Woodman Park
Davenport, IA
www.IAjewelers.org
SMART Jewelry Show
April 10-12, 2016
Navy Pier
Chicago, IL
www.smartjewelryshow.com
8
The IJA Annual Jewelry Design Contest was
held on June 27th in Altoona as part of the
2015 Annual Conference. The competition
categories coincide with the Jewelers of
America competition held in January each
year during the JANY-Winter Show. Best of
Show & People’s Choice winners received
an engraved plaque; all other winners
received a certificate. The winners, by
category, are:
Women’s Jewelry up to $2,000
First Place &
Best of Show
Noel Fiscus
Fiscus Diamond Jewelry
Ankeny
Description: 14k two tone 4 piece ring with 1
7x5 oval opal; 2 5x4mm pear shaped opals
and 2 round diamonds at .08 ct tw.
Women’s Jewelry $2,000 - $5,000 Cont.
Second Place
Bernie Benavidez
Master Jewelers
Rochester
Description: Center diamond & small melee
natural ring with 4 center accents of
irradiated fancy yellow diamonds; 2.27 tcw.
Women’s Jewelry over $5,000
First Place
Bernie Benavidez
Master Jewelers
Rochester
Description: 2.62 ct irradiated yellow
diamond pendant accented with (8) .20 ct
natural white diamonds; 4.22 tcw.
Silver Jewelry all price ranges
Second Place
Crystal Doland
Doland Jewelers
Davenport
First Place
Randall Patterson
Ginsberg Jewelers
Cedar Rapids
Description: 14k white gold rutilated quartz;
10 ctw diamond pendant.
Third Place
Will Doland
Doland Jewelers
Davenport
Description: 14k white gold, black jade
.18ctw diamond pendant.
Women’s Jewelry $2,000 - $5,000
First Place &
People’s Choice
Jaimi Kiger
Grunwald & Kiger Fine
Jewelers, Mason City
Description:14kt yellow gold & sterling silver
bracelet set w/5 fantasy cut blue topaz & 5
oval citrines w/4 bead set diamonds in the
clasp.
Description: Pink quartz, 34ct sterling silver
ring.
Second Place
Connie Tharp
Fiscus Diamond Jewelry
Ankeny
Description: Sterling silver
commissioned baseball necklace.
The Iowa Jewelers Association would like to
thank all participants for entering their design
in the 2015 contest and encourage you to
start thinking about your design for 2016!
Congratulations to all; what an excellent
show of talent, creativity and fine
workmanship!
Summer 2015
IJA JEWELER
From the President. . . .
Noel Fiscus
President
Iowa Jewelers
As I start my duties as President of the
Iowa Jewelers Association I would like to
start by thanking those who joined us at
the 2015 annual conference and golf
outing in Altoona. The golf outing started
out with intermittent showers, but ended
with a peak at the sun on the beautiful
Otter Creek Course in Ankeny. Conference speakers this year, had a wide range
of topics from business succession, marketing ‘how to’, diamond certification
and store security. I’d also like to personally congratulate all the winners of the
jewelry design contest (see front page).
The craftsmanship and creativity of the
pieces were quite impressive.
The Saturday awards ceremony and
banquet is always the highlight of the
weekend and this year was no exception
as Willie McGivern presented the President’s Award to none other than Nancy
Fischer, who has served as Executive
Director of IJA for the past 15 years and
recently retired (see article on page 6).
Congratulations also go to J. Milton
Becker and H. C. Kirkberg who were both
inducted into the IJA Society of Fellows;
it was great visiting with family members
who were present to accept the award
on their behalf.
PAGE 2
IJA OFFICERS & DIRECTORS
President
here before you know it! As the vendors
stop by your store, give some thought
about what’s going to be the hot item
this holiday season.
Are you planning on attending the IJO
show on July 25th - 29th in Nashville or the
RJO show in St. Louis on August 1st - 3rd?
If you take one new idea from any conference you attend it just might make it
the best year ever. The knowledge you
can bring back to your store employees
can give your sales staff the confidence
they need to sell more and show your
customers the difference between buying
from an independent jeweler versus the
internet.
Our final summer member event is the
Iowa Jewelers Day at the River Bandits Sunday, August 9th at Modern Woodmen
Park in Davenport. A registration form is
included in this newsletter! Gates open
at 4:15 p.m. and the game starts at 5:15
p.m. Bring your staff for a relaxing Sunday evening at the ballpark, tickets are
just $14 and include a $5.00 gift card for
the concession stand. Register today and
join us for one last taste of summer.
Finally, as the salesmen do their fall runs
and come into your store, please thank
them for all they do for our profession
and the Iowa Jewelers Association. If
they are a Traveler or Associate Member,
really thank them for the time and monies that support our association. And, if
they’re not a member, why not encourage them to join; call the IJA office and
they will be glad to send out an informaIn the midst of the heat, it’s time to start tional brochure which includes an
thinking about summer engagement ring application.
sales and buying the right inventory for
Happy sales to you!
the fall and the holiday season. It will be
Noel Fiscus, President
NOEL FISCUS
Fiscus Diamond Jewelers
(515) 964-9098
1st Vice President
WILL DOLAND
Doland Jewelers
(563) 326-1847
2nd Vice President
NANCY KUHL
J.H. Revell Jewelers & Goldsmiths
(563) 359-8856
Secretary
JAIMI KIGER
Grunwald & Kiger Fine Jewelers
(641) 423-5116
Co-Treasurers
STEVEN GINSBERG
Ginsberg Jewelers
(319) 363-3563
BILL HAMMEN
Bill’s Jewelry, Inc.
(641) 236-1008
Past President
WILLIE MCGIVERN
McGiverns Fine Jewelry & Gifts
(563) 355-4362
Directors
ADAM CLINE
Iowa Diamond
(515) 246-8070
KATE DICKENS
Herteen & Stocker, Inc.
(319) 338-4212
TOM KELEHER
Keleher’s Jewelry
(319) 465-3640
CAROLINE NELSON
Carrick’s Hallmark
(712) 262-4145
Sales Representatives
DON FLOTTE
Variety Gem
(314) 560-5299
RICK KUPFER
Camelot Bridal
(800) 535-3501 Ex. 748
GREG O’DONNELL
Diamond Emotions/Endless Designs
(952) 334-1082
Executive Director
LYNDA PESCHL
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
Summer 2015
IJA JEWELER
PAGE 3
Annual Conference Highlights!
The 2015 IJA Annual Golf Outing and Conference was held The IJA Society of Fellows Award followed, which was eson June 26-28 at the Adventureland Inn in Altoona.
tablished to honor individuals who have made a significant
impact on the jewelry industry in Iowa. The 2015 awards
The group gathered Friday for the
were presented posthumously to J. Milton Becker of
annual Golf Outing held at the
Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny, Becker’s Jewelers in Mt. Pleasant and H. C. Kirkberg of
H. C. Kirkberg Jewelers, Inc. in Fort Dodge.
where 17 golfers enjoyed a Team
Scramble. Some golfed well, some Family members were present to accept the award on their
were in charge of shagging the
behalf.
ball, but none the less a great time
was had by all. The day wrapped up with the Traveler’s
Social and team awards!
Saturday it was back to business as the Board convened
for a morning meeting and jewelers spent the afternoon
attending presentations from Bob Hodges of BrownWinick
on business succession and Alicia Maxwell and Jon Liebl
owners of Maxwell/Liebl on business marketing.
The evening brought the Traveler’s Displays & President’s
Social along with the Annual Banquet & Awards Program.
The Jewelry Design Contest was also held and entries
were on display for attendees to vote for the infamous
“People’s Choice” award.
During the Annual Meeting Adam Cline from Iowa Diamond
and Don Flotte of Variety Gem were nominated to a three
year term on the Board of Directors.
After dinner, President Willie McGivern addressed the group
and presented the IJA Presidential Award to Nancy Fischer
(see article on page 6). The award is considered the
highest honor of distinction given by the Association.
Pictured (L to R)
Willie McGivern,
Nancy Fischer and
incoming President
Noel Fiscus.
Pictured (L to R) Steve Estlund, Bruce Kirkberg,
Cary Kirkberg Estlund, Willie MGivern, and
Bill Becker.
After the awards were presented and a few words were said
by family members, it was time for Willie to make his exit
speech and hand the gavel over to incoming president Noel
Fiscus with a hearty handshake. Willie assured attendees
that they are in good hands and he looks forward to the next
two years as past president.
With that, Noel thanked everyone for coming and adjourned
the meeting with a final pound of the gavel.
A special thanks to all those who sponsored this event - from
Diamond to Ruby to Emerald to Sapphire to golf holes we
could not have done it without you!
Watch for details on the 2016 Annual Conference as they
unfold in the coming months.
Summer 2015
IJA JEWELER
PAGE 5
The “Associate” members throughout this newsletter have generously supported your association. Please express your
appreciation by supporting them. If you are interested in advertising in the “IJA Jeweler” newsletter, space is available for
your business card ad for only $100 per year. Please contact us with other membership options or questions at 800-669-8547
or info@IAjewelers.org.
Summer 2015
IJA JEWELER
PAGE 6
Fischer Retires After 15 Years as Executive Director
Nancy Fischer has served as
Executive Director of the Iowa
Jewelers Association for the past 15
years and recently retired. She is
well respected in the industry and
has had a profound impact on many
Jewelers over the years.
IJA President, Willie McGivern from McGivern’s Fine
Jewelry in Davenport, stated, “Nancy’s hard work and
dedication to the Iowa Jewelers Association has been
tremendous. She has been the glue that has kept this
Association so solid throughout her tenure. She will
be greatly missed by her peers and members of the
association. I wish her the best as she moves into the
next chapter of her life.”
As the final hurrah, Nancy was awarded the 2015
President’s Award at the IJA Annual Conference in
Altoona, on June 27th.
The President’s Award is given annually to an individual who has demonstrated both dedication and has
had an impact on the jewelry industry. It is considered the highest honor of distinction given by the
association.
Nancy and her husband Roger Taylor retired in
October of 2014 and have a long legacy of service and
association management with their family owned
business, A & N Convention Services. They sold the
business after 25 years and are now enjoying retirement to the fullest extent.
We thank you Nancy for your years of service, you will
be missed!
I O W A J E W E L E RS AS S O C I AT 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 REQUE STED
Registration Form Inside!
Iowa Jewelers Day at the
River Bandits - August 2nd!
Let’s Play Ball - Double Hitter for Iowa Jewelers
3rd Annual “Day at the River Bandits”!
Sunday, August 2nd vs.
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Game time: 5:15 p.m.
Gates open: 4:15 p.m.
Tickets: $14 each
(includes a $5 gift card for concessions)
Pack up your employees, family & friends and join us
at Modern Woodman Park in Davenport for fun, relaxation and baseball. Celebrate summer and join
fellow jewelry retailers and sales reps at the game you do not need to be a member to join in the fun.
A registration form is enclosed in this newsletter and
is also available on our website a www.IAjewelers.org.
Hurry! Registration deadline is July 30th!
Highlights from IJA Day at the Iowa Cubs
The tailgate party and Cubs game on Sunday, June
14th vs. the Colorado Springs Sky Sox proved
once again to be a great member event. 46 were
in attendance representing the states of Iowa,
Kansas and Minnesota.
Committee members Noel Fiscus, Fiscus
Diamond Jewelers and Tricia Heimke of Strac
Jewelry said a GREAT time was had by all. even
though the game was shut down for a bit from
the monsoon rains, it was still declared a perfect
day at the stadium.