Shane Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Jewelry retail |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Founder | Tom Shane |
| Headquarters | Denver , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Tom Shane (CEO) |
| Products | Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, jewelry |
| Website | shaneco |
Shane Company, also known as Shane Co., holds the distinction of being the largest privately held jeweler in the United States. The firm imports diamonds, rubies, and sapphires directly and maintains a network of 20 retail outlets across the country, complemented by its online platform, ShaneCo.com. Established in 1971 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Shane Co. has built a strong brand identity through radio advertisements featuring CEO Tom Shane, accompanied by the memorable slogan "Now you have a friend in the jewelry business."
History
The current incarnation of Shane Company was founded in 1971 by Tom Shane, who earned a degree in business administration from the University of Colorado in 1970. This enterprise extends a family tradition in jewelry that began with Tom’s grandfather, Charles Shane, who opened his first store in Cleveland, Ohio in 1929. After World War II, Tom’s father Richard and uncle Claude expanded the family business into two prominent Midwest chains under the Shane Company name. Under Tom Shane’s leadership, the company grew from a single location to a network of 21 stores spanning 13 states.
Bankruptcy
On January 12, 2009, Shane Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and subsequently shut down three stores located in Orlando, Florida, Morrow, Georgia, and Tukwila, Washington. By August 11, 2010, Shane Co. proposed a Plan of Reorganization that aimed to repay all outstanding debts in full while subordinating obligations owed to Tom Shane himself. The bankruptcy judge praised this plan as "the ideal Chapter 11." The company successfully exited bankruptcy proceedings on December 21, 2010.
In popular culture
Tom Shane made a guest appearance on an episode of South Park titled "Guitar Queer-o", which aired on November 7, 2007. He appeared alongside notable Colorado personalities such as Jake Jabs from American Furniture Warehouse and former Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler.
Shane Co. is widely known for its unique radio advertisements featuring the tagline “Now you have a friend in the diamond business.” The company has actively protected this slogan from infringement. Tom Shane’s sincere and straightforward delivery style has attracted both amusement and criticism; for example, the Atlanta Business Chronicle characterized the ads as having "all the flash and flare of a public service announcement," while the San Francisco Chronicle commented on Shane’s "earnest, monotone delivery" that has persisted for over three decades.
The company asserts that these radio campaigns constitute the longest continuously running advertising effort in radio history. In 2006, Grey Global Group revitalized the campaign with a new tagline: "He might be dull, but he's brilliant." These commercials continue to serve as a cornerstone of Shane Co.’s marketing approach.
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