Edge Retail Academy, the leading full-service business coaching firm for retail jewelers, is proud to announce that Burnell’s Fine Jewelry has been named the recipient of the 2025 William (Wag) Wagner Business Excellence Award, recognizing outstanding performance, leadership, and disciplined execution.
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%
“Winning the Wag Award means a great deal to us because it reflects the hard work our entire team has put in every day year after year”. said Nathan Regan, owner of Burnell’s Fine Jewelry. “Through our partnership with Edge Retail Academy, we’ve gained clearer insight into our performance and made more confident decisions based on our numbers. That guidance and accountability have helped us execute better and build momentum.”
“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)
About Edge Retail Academy
Edge Retail Academy empowers retail jewelers with expert business coaching and data-driven strategies. Backed by decades of jewelry industry experience and insights from Edge Pulse, its sales and inventory analytics platform tracking over three billion dollars in annual retail sales, Edge Retail Academy delivers real-time guidance to improve sales, inventory, profitability, recruiting, sales team performance, and retirement planning. The company also equips vendors with trusted sell-through and inventory insights that strengthen relationships across the jewelry industry. Its mission is simple: to transform good jewelers into industry leaders.
Additional information:
- Burnell’s Fine Jewelry website: https://burnells.com
- Photo of Burnell’s Fine Jewelry management with the William (Wag) Wagner Award in their store. (Left to right) Kristi Regan, Owner; Nathan Regan, Owner; Sean Hamlin, Sales Manager; Erin Carson, Shop Manager.
- Tyler Ross Jewelers website: https://www.tylerrossjewelers.com/ • Lamina of Vail website: https://laminavail.com/
