The William “Wag” Wagner
Business Excellence Award
William “Wag” Wagner
1966 - 2018
The William “Wag” Wagner Business Excellence Award
Edge Retail Academy endeavors to support independent jewelry stores, to achieve business excellence.
We created this award to honor our Business Advisor, William “Wag” Wagner who passed away in 2018. The Award and $1,000 prize are intended to recognize one stellar jewelry business each year.
award goals
To acknowledge business excellence from independent retailers.
To honor the memory of our long-serving Edge Retail Academy Business Advisor, William (Wag) Wagner whose service, loyalty and advice went well beyond the expectations of our clients, his work colleagues and our company.
Don Broyles Calvin Broyles Jewelers
“ Wag was a unique individual. He had an incredible work ethic, excelled at whatever he put his mind to and had an incredible ability to connect with people. Wag could crunch numbers, sell and make your business better by helping you focus on what was important. Congratulations to all the recipients of the William (Wag) Wagner award, that live up to his standard. ”
Stacy Wagner “ Wag loved seeing his clients succeed in improving their businesses. He pushed them to achieve their goals, always providing encouragement with a reassuring hand. His clients always knew he would be there to support them … He was passionate about their success! " Thank you, to The Edge Retail Academy for paying tribute to Wag by establishing this annual Business Excellence Award in his honor and helping keep his legacy alive! ”
2019 Wag Award Winner
Cindi and Dean Rottermond
Rottermond Jewelers
Rottermond Jewelers, a two-store Michigan chain founded in 1984, is renowned for its unparalleled inventory, top-notch customer care, and expert custom jewelry design.
Edge Retail Academy President David Brown commented “Cindi and Dean are very focused on diligently reviewing business metrics and applying best practices to make meaningful improvements to their store’s financial health. In 2019, this focus paid off; Rottermond increased sales by 22% and gross profit by 31%, while reducing their aged inventory by 20%.”
Cindi Rottermond was excited to learn about winning the award. “Wag was an important early advisor as well as close friend to us. We are very touched to be honored with an award honoring business excellence that is named for one of our most trusted advisors.”
2018 Wag Award Winner
Sophie Shor and Lucy Zimmerman
Roman Jewelers
Roman Jewelers of Bridgewater Township, New Jersey is a family-owned retailer of more than 30 years with a passion for designing custom jewelry across 4 generations.
Edge Retail Academy Business Advisor, Sherry Smith, has worked with Roman Jewelers for 2 years. Sherry commented “Sophie and Lucy were very open-minded to implement industry best practices. They focused extensively on improving the margins of their sales team through a new compensation plan.”Roman Jewelers found their gross profit increased 16% in one year with the new plan.
Sophie Shor was excited to learn about winning the award. “My daughter Lucy and I never would have believed we were capable of accomplishing our margin goals without the guidance of Sherry and the Edge Retail Academy. They have made a measurable impact to our business.”
for more information on the award, please contact Edge Retail Academy.