Many of us in the jewelry industry know and appreciate the Samuel Spil Company. As a family-owned wholesale jewelry supplier based in North Carolina, the company has carved a niche in the industry for carrying a wide variety of women’s, men’s and children’s jewelry that they describe as the “bread and butter” pieces for retail jewelers.
This year the company celebrates its 50th anniversary, a milestone many businesses, or marriages for that matter, ever make. Southern Jewelry News would like to pause a moment and highlight the hard work and tenacity it’s taken to weather 50 years in business.
There’s always a story behind true success, and the Samuel Spil Company is no exception.
Samuel Spil grew up in Poland just before the Second World War. His family knew of the grave dangers that faced their children and made a calculated move to send him to Cuba to escape persecution. At age 17 Samuel left Poland to join family in Cuba. The remaining family perished in Poland during the Holocaust.
Although Samuel was young and didn’t speak Spanish, he found his way in Cuba by selling jewelry. He carried several different lines and worked for different companies, but desired to open his own business. Nevertheless, he worked for 23 years establishing his jewelry career until he found himself at a political cross road once again.
In 1961, at age 42, Samuel Spil left everything he knew and came to the United States to escape the reign of Fidel Castro. He brought his wife and their three young sons, but nothing else. Everything he’d earned and established over the last 23 years had to be left in Cuba and he, once again, had to start over.
“Castro took everything my father had, but he was very adaptive and hard working,” recalls Morris Spil, president of Samuel Spil Company and son of Samuel. “In spite of everything he encountered in his lifetime he always had a great attitude. He didn’t walk around angry over what had happened to him, he just kept starting over.”
Samuel loved the jewelry industry and his passion was finding the right merchandise to help his retailers increase sales. He wanted to carry everyday items that would remain consistent sellers, and he always worked by the philosophy that the customer was right.
Starting in 1980 his three sons, Gabriel, Paul and Morris, joined the business. They had grown up working in the office and traveling with their father on sales calls. They had a good idea of what it truly meant to work hard and take care of the customer.
Today Morris heads up the day-to-day operations while Gabe, Linda and Robin handle the administrative side of the business. Paul Spil passed away in 2005, followed by his father Samuel, in 2007. But his legacy of adaptability and hard work live on in the business he created and his sons who run it.
Samuel Spil beat out two dictators and all the business odds to sustain his company for 50 years, and he managed to pass it down to his sons. It just doesn’t get any better than that!
Congratulations Samuel Spil Company from everyone at SJN. You can contact Samuel Spil Company at www.SamuelSpil.com or by calling 800-438-1714.
