This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.
Jewel-Craft Expansion Nearly Doubles Kentucky Facility
The jewelry repair company has reconfigured all departments and updated its systems and technology.

Erlanger, Ky.—Family-owned and operated Jewel-Craft is growing.
For the second time since it was built in 1990, the company’s home in Kentucky has undergone a major expansion.
The facility now measures 50,000 square feet, almost doubling its total area and adding 10 new offices for managers and administration.
The company said it used the 20,000-square-foot expansion to clear out the entire shop and lay out all departments in a more efficient manner; since the prior Jewel-Craft space was at capacity, it was not able to dedicate rooms to departments like enameling, customers service or data entry.
Now they each have their own room, which will help the departments run “seamlessly and efficiently,” Jewel-Craft said.
With all departments being moved during the expansion process, space was made for a new three-bay secure loading dock with semi-truck access as well as a large shipping and receiving area.
Jewel-Craft also noted that the additional space and upgraded technology has helped elevate its services by improving communication and expanding workspaces.
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New systems have been installed, like an improved polishing vacuum system and upgraded security entrances incorporated into the main level of the building.
A new camera system also is providing upgraded security and tracking work throughout the shop.
Added in the expansion are new employee areas, including a “smart-age” cafeteria, additional bathrooms, a fitness area, and an outdoor patio.
Jewel-Craft is a full-service business, providing comprehensive jewelry services to retail stores and shops nationwide. All stages of design, manufacturing, repair, and restoration are performed on site.
“There’s something that my grandfather and father always said: ‘You either grow or you die.’ We have kept that thought, to where we want to keep pushing forward, and we never did look back,” said COO, President and co-owner Benet Wesdorp.
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