Montana Silversmiths

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Montana Silversmiths
IndustryJewelry, Silversmithing
Founded1973
Headquarters
Columbus, Montana
,
US
Key people
Kent Williams, founder; Jack Gunion, CEO
Productssilver products, western-themed jewelry
Number of employees
250
Websitewww.montanasilversmiths.com

Montana Silversmiths is a buckles and jewelry products seller located in Columbus, Montana. They produce the hand-engraved trophy belt buckles that are awarded to the winners of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo each year.

History[]

Montana Silversmiths was founded in 1973 by Kent Williams. Seven years after being founded, the company moved to its permanent location in Columbus, Montana. Williams sold the company in 1993.[1] In October 2004 the majority of Montana Silversmiths stock was sold to Thompson Street Capital Partners.[2] It is currently run by CEO Jack Gunion and employs approximately 250 people,[3] some of which have worked for the company for decades.[1] The company's blue velvet presentation boxes have been manufactured since 2011 by residents of Special K Ranch, a home for adults with disabilities. They had previously been manufactured in China, but company officials decided to make production local as the products are made in the USA.[4] In June 2017 Montana Silversmiths opened a brand store in Bozeman, Montana. It is the first store of its kind, but the company expressed interest in opening more in the future.[5]

Products and commercial partnerships[]

Montana Silversmiths makes a variety of silver products, but Western-themed jewelry is their biggest seller.[1] The company also produces trophy belt buckles, which are awarded annually to the winners of the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and numerous smaller rodeos.[1][6] Each NFR buckle is hand-engraved and takes a silversmith 30 to 40 hours to complete.[1] Montana Silversmiths buckles are also awarded to winners of various competitions sanctioned by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA),[7] including the , and have been since 1992.[8] The company also partners with Miss Rodeo America.[9] In 2013 Montana Silversmiths partnered with Girls With Guns, a company that designs and sells hunting and outdoor clothing for women, to produce branded jewelry and belt buckles.[6] They have been named the official buckle supplier for the United States Team Penning Association for 2017-2018.[10] They are also a corporate sponsor for the Arabian Horse Association.[11] While the company has two stores of their own, their products are additionally sold in approximately 2500 stores across the United States.[12]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e News, Samantha Harrelson - MTN. "Montana Made: Montana Silversmiths". Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  2. ^ Staff, JAN FALSTAD Of The Gazette. "Montana silversmiths: … hits the mother lode". Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Montana P-78 : Absarokee to Columbus (P.M.S. Control #0920) in Stillwater County: Environmental Impact Statement". 1 January 2002. Retrieved 11 January 2017 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Gazette, By LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA For the. "Bright new day for Montana Silversmiths". Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  5. ^ "Montana Silversmiths opens downtown 'brand' store".
  6. ^ a b "Girls with Guns Clothing Partners with Montana Silversmiths". 26 November 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  7. ^ "AQHA: Young Horse Development Scholarship Winners". Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  8. ^ "AQHA: Montana Silversmiths". Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  9. ^ "Membership".
  10. ^ "USTPA Partners with Montana Silversmiths". Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  11. ^ "ArabianHorses.org - Corporate Support". Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Montana Silversmiths opens downtown 'brand' store".
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