Lauren Kozelka becomes owner of century-old jewelry store

as seen in the People’s Press OWATONNA localmatters Lauren Kozelka becomes owner of century-old jewelry store

By EMILY KAHNKE emily.kahnke@apgsomn.com

For being a mere 28-years-old, Lauren Kozelka wears many hats. Some of her notable hats include: Owatonna Business Women President, CoFounder of Box Babes, mother of two young children and, most recently, business owner.

Kozelka and her husband Kyle became official owners of Kottke Jewelers on Dec. 29, taking a leap on letting the 100-plus year old staple to downtown Owatonna become an even bigger, brighter part of their lives.

“My dream became a reality when I signed the papers,” Kozelka said. “My dad always said the day I started here that I was Bill’s succession plan … He told me that in 2010, and here I am.”

Becoming the owner of Kottke’s wasn’t initially in Kozelka’s vision plan for her future. When she first started, Kozelka needed a job to bring in some cash while she was still attending high school.

“I only got the job because someone Bill [Kottke] knew recommended me,” Kozelka recalled. “Bill only hired someone by recommendation, and even then it took him a while to finally hire me.”

Growing up on a farm, Kozelka recalled taking an interest in the whole farming operation, eventually attending college at South Dakota State for agricultural business.

“I wanted to give back to the community I grew up in in the agriculture world,” Kozelka said. “That didn’t work out. I didn’t love it.” Kozelka moved back home to Owatonna and attended Riverland Community College while continuing to work at Kottke’s. Rekindling her love for jewelry, fashion and business, Kazelka still felt she owed it to herself to earn a college degree.

That’s when she enrolled in college in Winona and completed her degree in business administration and human resource management. Living in Wisconsin with Kyle, Kozelka began searching for jobs in that area.

Eventually, the company Kyle was working for offered him a transfer to Owatonna. The pair jumped at the opportunity right away, and shortly after relocating back to her hometown in 2015, Kozelka was offered the store manager position at Kottke Jewelers. is a true passion for me that I never thought I’d discover. I have to thank Bill for introducing me to something I found a love for that I didn’t want to give up.”

Three generations of the Kottke family have owned and operated the store since first opening in 1919, ending with Matt Kottke selling the store to Kozelka. Some in the community are wondering what new ownership, specifically ownership outside of the family, will mean for the store.

“We want to keep the well-established traditions alive at the store,” Kozelka said. “The feel of walking into a modernized 1919 store, as well as the name, will remain the same. We want the transition to be seamless for everyone, and when people open the door, they’ll see we are still here in the same capacity we always have been and always will be.” Kozelka said the only change she would make to the way the store operates is eventually adding more of an e-commerce option where their full inventory would be available to shop on the store’s website. and now as a business owner, Kozelka is elated by the opportunity to join the ranks of her fellow downtown business owners that she has grown close to over the years as manager of the store. “I love being so closely tied with the other likeminded business women in the community, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. This is truly just the beginning.”

HISTORY OF KOTTKE JEWELERS

Founded in 1919 by Carl Kottke and John Jurgenson, three generations of Kottke family have been helping people celebrate life events with fine jewelry and engagement rings in Owatonna, making Kottke Jewelers a mainstay downtown. Carl Kottke bought out his partner in the late 1920s and the store remained solely in the Kottke Family until Matt Kottke sold the business to General Manager Lauren Kozelka.

In late December, Lauren Kozelka, along with her husband Kyle, became owners of Kottke Jewelers, the jewelry store that has been a fixture in downtown Owatonna for more than a century. They are committed to maintaining the Kottke legacy for the next 100 years. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)

Ambassadors of the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism visited Kottke Jewelers in January to welcome Lauren and Kyle Kozelka as the new owners of the store. (Emily Kahnke/southernminn.com)

Reach Reporter Emily Kahnke at 507-4442376. ©Copyright 2022 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.