Wheeler Manufacturing Celebrates 75 Years and Announces the Retirement of Rob Wheeler

By Susan Mease

It’s rare to find a business celebrating its 75th anniversary (and possibly even more rare for a family business) but April 1 is the landmark date for Wheeler Manufacturing of Lemmon, S.D.

RB and Fran Wheeler both served in World War II, RB in the military and Fran with the FBI in Washington, D.C., and after the war bought a small jewelry shop behind a store on Main St. in Lemmon. Wheeler is now the largest jewelry wholesaler in the tourism and travel industries. Lemmon may be a bit off the beaten path, but the town and surrounding area have provided dedicated and loyal employees, about 100 currently, for all these years, including some who are third generation.

The first catalog was a post card and the company started with mostly mountings. Now they introduce about 500 new pieces of jewelry annually. They started a national sales force when few companies had this and still have lots of reps from the ‘70s and ‘80s with them. Travis Maier , named Vice President-Sales and Marketing in 2018, joined Wheeler in 2012 and said, “this is a rep-driven company. We take a service perspective. We love feedback from customers and the reps. At sales meetings, we use a ton of time listening to the reps talking about product development ideas. We believe in a strong, quality sales force.” Sales reps are an integral part of how Wheeler does business. Throughout the United States and Canada, the sales reps visit all of their customers regularly – to help keep displays clean and up to date, write orders, and help manage inventory levels during peak and off-peak seasons. At the end of each season, the reps use data and analytics to evaluate each customer’s programs and make product recommendations for next season.

RB and Fran brought their sons, Brad and Rob Wheeler , into the business after they finished college and graduate school in the 1970s. Brad is the president and Rob has just retired as from the job Travis Maier has assumed, leaving, as Travis said, “incredibly big shoes to fill.” There’s a third generation in place as well. Lyndsey Wheeler, Rob’s daughter, is doing what he described as “really fantastic design stuff, an impressive looking name program Uniquely You with pendants and earrings.” The company added a new division about four years

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