b'TOM DIXONThe second floor, which was designed by architecture firm La Dallman, also features an outdoor patio.One of the archival recreations was a spray pin that won a Diamondswork with my dad.International Award for Best Brooch Design in 1957. The originalCharlie recounts growing up and spending time in the store play-handmade one-of-a-kind brooch featured diamonds set in platinuming Minesweeper on the computers and messing around with packing and was valued at $4,200 at the time. Gem Platinum remade it in 2024.peanuts in the back office. Throughout Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers now 126-year history, theLike Tom, he has a core memory of knowing he wanted to join the retailer has merged businesses, movedfamily business from a young age. locations, opened additional specialtyFrom the age of 12, Tom would take boutiques with the brands it carries, andCharlie to the Experimental Aviation remodeled its now one main storefront.Association Airshow to sell Breitling We survived two world wars, thewatches. It was the airshow experience Great Depression, the Great Recession,that cemented it for him. the Spanish flu, and were going to con- Hes just been a great mentor. I tinue to be here and thrive, Tom says. think the way hes approached it, letting me call a lot of the shots, has been THE NEXT GENERATIONSgreat, Charlie says. TURN He adds that while he is experienced In 2017, Toms eldest son Charliein marketing, watching his father work joined the family business.at shows like Centurion and JCK helped The third generation of the Dixonhim understand the jewelry side of the family to run the store, Charlie hasbusiness. expertise in digital marketing. Its crazy sometimes to watch him He was the stores vice president ofTom (left) and his eldest son Charlie Dixon, whom he named president ofdo it because hes done it [for] so many operations and, in 2023, Tom promotedSchwanke-Kasten Jewelers in 2023 years. Just being able to wrap orders him to president.from Roberto Coin, to show me the I think its brought us a lot closer together, Tom says on workingropes in that regard, hes really been inspiring, Charlie says. with his son.While the two have new titles nowCharlie is president and Tom I have really taken the approach of, I dont know how to do thisis now chairmantheir everyday duties havent changed much. because my dad died on me, and I didnt have that opportunity toIts a small business, so the titles, at the end of the day, are kind of Continued on page 2018 RETAILER HALL OF FAME 2025'