Edge Retail Academy is proud to announce Burnell’s Fine Jewelry as the recipient of the William (Wag) Wagner Business Excellence Award, the organization’s highest annual honor recognizing true business excellence in the jewelry industry.
This award celebrates retail jewelers who combine strong financial performance with exemplary leadership, engagement, and disciplined execution. In addition to the Wag Award, Edge Retail Academy also recognizes other retail jewelers this year for outstanding performance across key areas of their business.
Photo: Left to right: Kristi Regan, Owner; Nathan Regan, Owner; Sean Hamlin, Sales Manager; Erin Carson, Shop Manager, pictured at Burnell’s Fine Jewelry in Wichita, Kansas with the William (Wag) Wagner Business Excellence Award.
Founded in Wichita and known for award-winning custom design, Burnell’s Fine Jewelry has built a long-standing reputation for exceptional craftsmanship, curated designer jewelry, and deep customer relationships. The store has earned both state and national recognition over decades of service to its community.
Owned by Nathan and Kristi Regan, with Sean Hamlin serving as sales manager and Erin Carson as shop manager. Burnell’s Fine Jewelry distinguished itself through consistent execution, thoughtful decision-making, and a clear commitment to continuous improvement across all areas of the business.
Over the past year, Burnell’s Fine Jewelry achieved:
“I couldn’t be more excited for Burnell’s Fine Jewelry. This award is truly well deserved,” said Kevin Sweeney, business coach at Edge Retail Academy. “Nathan, Kristi, and Sean consistently show up as a unified, engaged leadership team. They are open to feedback, committed to growth, and relentless about execution. When opportunities are identified, they take action and follow through. That discipline and leadership is what drives results like this.”
More than results alone, this recognition reflects how a store leads and operates day to day and the meaningful, measurable improvements those practices drive across key performance indicators over time.
The award honors the legacy of longtime Edge Retail Academy business coach William “Wag” Wagner, whose unwavering commitment to service, loyalty, and practical, people-first guidance left a lasting impact on independent jewelers across the industry. Though Wag passed away in September 2018, his influence continues to be felt in the businesses, teams, and leaders who embody the standards this award represents.
Overall Best Store Performance Award
Recognizes the highest overall performance across key business metrics.
Recipient: Tyler Ross Jewelers (Franklinton, Louisiana)
Best Newcomer Award
Recognizes exceptional early performance within the first nine months of the program.
Recipient: Lamina of Vail (Vail, Colorado)
This announcement is part of Edge Retail Academy’s annual awards program, with additional recipients to be announced in the coming weeks.
This award celebrates retail jewelers who combine strong financial performance with exemplary leadership, engagement, and disciplined execution. In addition to the Wag Award, Edge Retail Academy also recognizes other retail jewelers this year for outstanding performance across key areas of their business.
Photo: Left to right: Kristi Regan, Owner; Nathan Regan, Owner; Sean Hamlin, Sales Manager; Erin Carson, Shop Manager, pictured at Burnell’s Fine Jewelry in Wichita, Kansas with the William (Wag) Wagner Business Excellence Award.
Founded in Wichita and known for award-winning custom design, Burnell’s Fine Jewelry has built a long-standing reputation for exceptional craftsmanship, curated designer jewelry, and deep customer relationships. The store has earned both state and national recognition over decades of service to its community.
Owned by Nathan and Kristi Regan, with Sean Hamlin serving as sales manager and Erin Carson as shop manager. Burnell’s Fine Jewelry distinguished itself through consistent execution, thoughtful decision-making, and a clear commitment to continuous improvement across all areas of the business.
Over the past year, Burnell’s Fine Jewelry achieved:
- Gross sales growth of 64%
- Gross profit growth of 52%
- Units sold growth of 18%
“I couldn’t be more excited for Burnell’s Fine Jewelry. This award is truly well deserved,” said Kevin Sweeney, business coach at Edge Retail Academy. “Nathan, Kristi, and Sean consistently show up as a unified, engaged leadership team. They are open to feedback, committed to growth, and relentless about execution. When opportunities are identified, they take action and follow through. That discipline and leadership is what drives results like this.”
About the William (Wag) Wagner Business Excellence Award
Now in its eighth year, the William (Wag) Wagner Business Excellence Award recognizes one retail jeweler annually for demonstrating true business excellence. The award honors stores that consistently pair strong financial and operational performance with exemplary leadership, deep commitment, team engagement, and disciplined execution.More than results alone, this recognition reflects how a store leads and operates day to day and the meaningful, measurable improvements those practices drive across key performance indicators over time.
The award honors the legacy of longtime Edge Retail Academy business coach William “Wag” Wagner, whose unwavering commitment to service, loyalty, and practical, people-first guidance left a lasting impact on independent jewelers across the industry. Though Wag passed away in September 2018, his influence continues to be felt in the businesses, teams, and leaders who embody the standards this award represents.
Additional Edge Retail Academy Awards
As part of its annual awards program, Edge Retail Academy will also recognize two additional retail jewelers for excellence in other key areas of business performance.Overall Best Store Performance Award
Recognizes the highest overall performance across key business metrics.
Recipient: Tyler Ross Jewelers (Franklinton, Louisiana)
Best Newcomer Award
Recognizes exceptional early performance within the first nine months of the program.
Recipient: Lamina of Vail (Vail, Colorado)
This announcement is part of Edge Retail Academy’s annual awards program, with additional recipients to be announced in the coming weeks.