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›RAZOR’S EDGE: Underwood’s commissioned Baccarat and Faberge to create Arkansas Razorback-themed jewelry items, for sale only at Underwood’s. OLD SCHOOL: Three bronze crosses, circa 1,000 A.D., call Underwood’s showcases home.

MORE DETAILSA R C H I T E C T / D E S I G N E R : E. Fay JonesT O T A L S T O R E A R E A : 7,000 sq ft E M P L O Y E E S : 182 0 0 5 R E V E N U E S : N/AL A N D C O S T : $13,500 (circa 1966)B U I L D I N G C O S T : $137,500 (circa 1966)I N T E R I O R B U I L D - O U T C O S T : $26,000 (circa 1966)D E S I G N / A R C H I T E C T U R A L F I R M S C O S T : N/AC U R R E N T E S T I M A T E D P R O P E R T Y V A L U E : Appraised at$1.45 millionS L O G A N : “Underwood’s... It’s Where You Buy The Best”

CAPTIONS:1 The store’s boldsquare lines provide aclue to its architect,the legendary E. FayJones.

2 Earring display.

3 The first half of theshowroom featuresbridal ware.

4 Underwood’stakes up most of thebuilding's three floors.

5 Embedded casesline the walls.

6 Necklace on show.

7 Bill Underwood hasa soft spot for sooth-ing fountains.

8 A display invitescustomers to inspectthe store’s diamondlasering.

9 Hallway-likeshowroom.

Historic bronzecrosses display.

Warm colors andlow ceilings provide afeeling of intimacy.

The entry show-room.

Floral ring tribute.

UNDERWOOD’S FINE JEWELERS

A D D R E S S : 611 West Dickson Street, Fayetteville, AR 72701

O W N E R S : Bill and Craig Underwood

P H O N E : (479) 521-2000

U R L : www.underwoods.com

Y E A R F O U N D E D : 1957

O P E N E D F E A T U R E D L O C A T I O N : 1966

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THE ARCHITECT

TrueGeniusEvery cool store fea-tured in this featurehas a great designer,but one of the greatestof his generation?That’s an honor onlyUnderwood’s canboast. The store wasdesigned by E. FayJones, who was oncenamed by theAmerican Institute ofArchitects (AIA) as oneof the country’s “10most influential livingarchitects.” Jones, whodied August 30, 2004,was a friend andapprentice of architec-tural legend FrankLloyd Wright. Unlike

Wright, Jones hadno real desire

for fame,

crushing blow,” saysUnderwood. “I don’tknow how I wouldhave made it.” Luckily,the burglar was caughtthree days later, alongwith all the stolenmerchandise. Themedia was all over thestory, as it was thebiggest burglary everin Fayetteville. “Itturned out to be greatpublicity for us,” saysUnderwood. “We werenow on the map.”

THE SERVICE

CertifiedExpertiseUnderwood’s has itsown accredited gemlab — it was the first inthe state — a nd is oneof only 12 stores in thecountry with four cer-tified gemologistappraisers under oneroof. Says CraigUnderwood: “We havea duty to be the bestwe can, to answer anyquestion.” The lab isalso part of the store’sbranding initiative. “Tobe stamped as anUnderwood piece, ithas to be at a high,high level of quality.Nineteen out of 20 dia-monds we see, wereject,” he says. —TRACE SHELTON

preferring to work onsmall projects. Soaringinterior spaces, openexpression of structuralelements, careful detail-ing and the use ofnative materials charac-terize his style. In 1991,the AIA ranked Jones’Thorncrown Chapel inEureka Springs, AR, asone of the five bestbuildings by anAmerican architect inthe 20th century. Jones’influence can be seen inhis trademark entrance“lantern” atUnderwood’s, as well asin the huge cantileveredroof. “The exterior isunique, inviting, andgives us lots of flexibili-ty in displaying ourjewelry,” says CraigUnderwood.“It’s not your typicalbox store.”

INDUSTRY LEADERSMakingthe GradeThirty years ago, as amember of the AGSDiamond StandardsCommittee, BillUnderwood witnesseda lawsuit between rivaldiamond factions. Theissue: could one of thecompanies continue toclaim their new dia-mond cut was the mostbrilliant in the world?Experts were broughtin and tests conducted,but ultimately, theclaim could not be con-clusively proved or dis-proved. Underwoodthought, “Wouldn’t itbe nice if we had a sim-ple way to measurelight return?” Today,Underwood is onlymonths away fromreceiving his patentrequest results on his

first device that willquantifiably measurelight return for any sizeor shape of diamond.The secret? A tiny laserbeam that passes intoeach portion of the dia-mond as it spins 360degrees. A gauge meas-ures the number oflight returns, and any-thing that blocks thelight shows up as adiminished reading.The diamond is thengraded from 1.00 to100.00. “Currently, theAGS gives out 11 cutgrades,” saysUnderwood. “Thisdevice provides 10,000possible grades.”

DO-IT-YOURSELF

AgencyManMost ad agencies maketheir money on a com-mission basis — what-

›

WHAT THEJUDGES SAID:

LES HISCOESHAWMUT DESIGN

® The exterior feels veryrich and the store has anice vertical layering.

® I definitely think thegold-leafed vitrine wall isthe most striking element.

® The layout is a bit toonarrow. It seems it wouldbe hard to drive customersto the rear of the store.

RUTH BATSONAMERICAN GEM SOCIETY

® At Underwood’s thepeople are the coolest. Youhave an award-winningdesign team, you haveknowledgeable credentialedstaff for sales andappraisals, and you have theUnderwoods themselves.

® It is unusual for a retailstore to compete and wininternational jewelry designawards. Now that is cool!

®There are a number ofin-wall museum cases thatare not only attractive buthold items of interest thatwill not be found anywhereelse. Even if you do notmake a purchase you willnot forget the specialdesigns and items you findat this store.

RICK SEGELAUTHOR/CONSULTANT

œ The exterior design isthe store’s coolest featurebecause it is so high,unusual, and different.

œ The interior is not inperfect alignment with theslogan “It’s where you buythe best”.

ELLEN FRUCHTMANFRUCHTMAN MARKETING

® I would never believethis store could be inFayetteville, Arkansas!

® The structure (exterior)is one of the coolest I’veever seen. And I love thecurved interior wall show-casing product.

® So many stores make itdifficult for customers tobrowse or sit down andrelax. This store welcomesboth!

B R U C EB R I G H A MRETAIL CLARITY

œ This store has a verystrong architectural exteri-or. It is very welcoming.The fixturing is absolutelybeautiful — without takingaway from the jewelry. Theoverall effect of this designis breathtaking and memo-rable.

œ I normally do not displayso much merchandisebehind sales counters. It isa bit overpowering in termsof merchandise quantityhere. That is the one thing Imight change here — a bitless merchandise behindthe counters.

œ I love the simplicity ofthe color scheme … inwhich there is still a greatnumber of textures and avariety of tones and values.

GARY AND KATHY BIGHAMBIGHAM JEWELERS

œ You’ve got to love therags-to-riches story of thisaward-winning store!

CELESTE SOTOLAINTERIOR DESIGNER

œ The outside is as beauti-ful as the inside.

œ Its low center-of-gravitybenches present jewelry forthe perfect view. A gener-ous bench size encouragessharing and kindness andthe curved wall with vit-rines adds a nice visualstaccato to the space.

œ The interior looks likeI'm on a train going to awonderful adventure. Thedisplays behind the coun-ters are intimate and yettell a story along the walls.This is a great way to utilizeinterior surfaces without

beingredundant. I would spendsome time in here lookingfor just the right gift formyself or someone else.

KATE PETERSONPERFORMANCE CONCEPTS

œ I can see how theUnderwood family has cap-tured the interest and thefondness of the local com-munity. The public tends torespect a store that is a“part of them” — and itlooks like the Underwoodshave conveyed that mes-sage.

œ I'm not sure I like theshift from the ultra-contem-porary outside to the com-bination of slightly contem-porary and very traditionalinside.

œ I might try to minimizethe “alley” effect of havingshowcases straight downboth sides of a narrowspace.

LORI WEGMANWEGMAN DESIGN GROUP

œ It’s a compact store sowell detailed all the piecesseem to fit together as one.

œ Execution of the FrankLloyd Wright theme isaccomplished with ele-gance and beauty.

œ Shows a real commandof detail and appreciationfor the expression of natu-ral materials as a thoughtfulbackdrop to the jewelry.

œThe product is not over-shadowed by the displayswhich frame them as a workof art in some areas. Thestore and merchandisingwork well —seamlessly.

œ Warm color palate andlow ceilings creating a veryintimate experience.

1 DOES UNDERWOOD’S ALWAYS HAVE TO BE THEFIRST, BIGGEST, AND BEST AT EVERYTHING? It’s

very important to be first in every category, but notnecessarily the biggest. Just because a diamond is bigdoesn’t make it desirable or pretty... the same is true inbusiness. Quality, attention to detail, and profitability should take precedence.

2 HOW HAS UNDERWOOD’S THRIVED DOWNTOWN WHEN SO MANYJEWELERS ELSEWHERE HAVE LEFT FOR OUTLYING RETAIL CENTERS?

Being close to a college campus (the University of Arkansas) means this area staysrejuvenated. The second reason is the industry itself. People won’t make a long drivefor a $100 shirt, but for an important purchase, they’ll make a road trip in search of thebest. The more important the purchase, the larger the geographic range.

3 WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO BE SO INVOLVED IN AN INDUSTRYORGANIZATION LIKE AGS? Working in AGS gives you great contacts and a

chance to talk to the best, most talented people in the field. It’s also a way to give backto the industry. But it doesn’t work if you only take and never give.

4 SO YOU’RE FEELING PRETTY COOL NOW, RIGHT? I’m floored! Words can’tdescribe the excitement and satisfaction. It’s encouraging to be recognized by

your peers for your hard work, and it’s very special to have this award.

5 WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OTHER STORE OWNERS WHO WANT TO BE ASCOOL AS YOU? Attention to detail is #1. Constantly innovate. We’re never afraid

to try new technology. Although we’re a mature business, we’re always looking for themost cutting-edge gemological skills, education, hardware, inventory control, et cetera.

FiveQuestionsWith

CRAIG UNDERWOODP R E S I D E N T , U N D E R W O O D ’ S F I N E J E W E L R Y

MUSEUM-WORTHY In 1978, Bill Underwood was one of 33 jewelers picked by the Smithsonian to create an item for a special collection. I’VE GOT I.D. Every diamond over 1/4-carat is laser-inscribed with the Underwood’s name and a serial number.

own invention ... theBeauty Grade.Developed with assis-tance from theUniversity of ArkansasDepartment of OpticalPhysics, it will be the

JUMP FOR JOY. Underwood’s elegant ads make itclear to shoppers that ‘it’s where you buy the best’.

ever their clientspends, they earnup to 15%. CraigUnderwooddecided he’drather save the15% for the store.So, he created hisown in-houseagency, which buysmedia, writes adcopy, shoots videoof jewelry and evenproduces television

commercials. “I’d putour jewelry footageagainst anything elseout there,” statesUnderwood.

THE COMEBACK

DisasterAvertedIn 1960, after threeyears in business, BillUnderwood had finallyaccumulated about$15,000 in inventory.He knew it was time tobeef up security, so hebegan installing analarm system.Everything was in placebut the master controlbox. He came into thestore on a Saturdaynight to take displaysout of the windows,and found the storecompletely empty.Underwood’s had beenburgled. “I had insur-ance, but it was a

COOL THINGSABOUT UNDERWOOD’SFINE JEWELERS5

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Three things you mightcatch staff saying atUnderwood’s, accordingto Craig Underwood:

1 “It’s Mean Jean theSelling Machine!” (Craig:“It’s our affectionatename for our longest-tenured employee, JeanPhillips, who has 26years on staff.”)

2 “Big ‘coons walklate.” (“An old sayingabout raccoons, but thestaff uses it to describeBill because he tends tomake a big sale or twoevery year right beforeChristmas to put us overour goal.”)

3 “High fives allaround!” (“Celebrate!”)

H E A R S A Y

1-2-3 ACTION. Craig Underwood at the video-editingsuite of his store’s in-house advertising agency.

FAYETTEVILLE? NO, COULDN’T BE.Maybe it was all those hillbilly jokes, but I just could-

n’t believe I N S T O R E ’ S “America’s Coolest Store” wasgoing to be found nestled among the backwoods of theOzark Mountains.

I now stand corrected. And Arkansas, I owe you onebig apology.

The moment I drove out of the airport, it became clearthat Fayetteville is one of our country’s most beautiful,and best-kept, secrets. The soaring trees and quaintfarms that welcome the visitor soon give way to a gor-geous vista — the rolling hills that are northwestArkansas. Fayetteville is also home to one of the loveliest

college campuses I’ve ever seen, the University ofArkansas, and some genuinely friendly locals.

So it was with great anticipation that I

arrived at Underwood’s Fine Jewelers, less than a blockfrom campus on lively Dickson Street. The store — and itspeople — did not disappoint. They proved to me that tobuild a cool store, you don’t need a big city... just a doggeddevotion to quality, a terrific attitude, and a ton of passionfor the jewelry business.

F R I D A Y , J U N E 3 0

10 A.M.One of the most striking jewelry-store exteriors in the

world greets me as I approach Underwood’s. With so manyretailers moving towards curved shapes and circles in theirbuild-outs, it is refreshing to see such an innovative use ofsquares and rectangles, layered and intersecting my line ofvision in such a way as to force me to stand motionless fora few seconds just to take it all in.

America’sCoolestStores5

INDUSTRY LEADERS: Both Bill and Craig Underwood have served as president of the American Gem

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THE TEAM.BOTTOM ROW: Billand CraigUnderwood; SECOND

ROW: Laurie Harrison,Jean Phillips, Racheal Sullivan,Julie Garton, AngieSpencer, Cindy Beil,and Candy Icenogle;THIRD ROW: TomWeishaar, KaryEnnis, JenniferJohnstone and LauraUnderwood; BACK

ROW: PhoebeGrothaus and SarahVan Asche.

Hipsville, AR.SPECIAL FEATURE: FIGURING HE KNEW COOL, TRACE SHELTON HEADEDOFF TO THE ARKANSAS HILLS. HE RETURNED A WISER MAN.

›That’s Cool!

America’sCoolestStores5

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I enter the store to find a long, hallway-likeshowroom, impeccably kept, with just a fewsubtle features to draw the eye. A wall of verti-cal “sawtooth” showcases lines the right sideof the entryway, while on the left, shadowbox-es are spread along a wall that runs up towarda showroom before curving away from view.An open doorway in that wall allows a peek ofthe private showing room, and a line of AGSdiplomas hanging along the back.

At the entryway to Underwood’s H-shapedshowroom stands a fountain made from a solidblock of wood. (Craig Underwood will latertell me that his father, Bill, has a soft spot forthe soothing nature of fountains, and tries toinclude one in each of his developments).Above, a sparkling Baccarat chandelier hangsfrom the ceiling.

While the first half of the showroomincludes the bridal and watch areas, accentedby a large plasma screen TV displaying videofootage of Underwood pieces, the second halfincludes designer jewelry and a small kids’area. As I stand admiring a former AGTASpectrum Award-winning design, CraigUnderwood approaches, offering a big smileand a firm handshake.

10:05 A.M.At 44 years of age, Craig (who looks

nowhere near 44) is already president of bothUnderwood’s and the American Gem Society.He will later confess to being rather high-strung, but this doesn’t show through in hiseasy, affable manner.

He begins by taking me on a tour of thestore. It turns out that when Bill Underwood,who carries the title company chairman, builtthe store in 1966, Underwood’s only occupiedthe first half of the space. The other portionwas rented out to another retailer, and theentire second floor served as office space forother tenants. Today, Underwood’s takes upthe entire first floor of the building, most ofthe second, and will fill more space once anextension to the building is complete.

Both Craig and Bill credit the store’s successto its reputation for an unswerving commit-ment to quality. As a reflection of this commit-ment, Craig points out the five microscopesplaced around the store. “Everything we sell atUnderwood’s must pass the microscope test,”he says. “Most customers have never seen jew-elry through a microscope, as many jewelrystores just use a loupe, if anything.” A micro-scope offers customers the chance to see the

item in stereovision, using botheyes instead of just one,

giving them a better

sense of depth and feel. It also offers the bene-fit of controlled lighting.

“Most jewelry is not made to be scrutinizedunder a microscope,” says Craig. “Thin prongsand poor workmanship are much easier todetect. Here, we use heavy prongs, durableand well-mounted. It’s riskier and more diffi-cult for the jeweler, but worth it for the cus-tomer.”

After touring the showroom, we move tothe back of the store — and enter a warren ofcluttered, tightly-packed office space. Craigshows me upstairs, where the jewelers’ shopfeatures a laser welder, a fully accredited gemlab, and the nation’s first certified masterbench jeweler, Tom Weishaar. Weishaarspeaks at Jewelers of America events severaltimes a year, and has written columns forProfessional Jeweler magazine. “Everythingand everyone up here has to be top of the line,”explains Craig, “since the majority of our salesare custom work. We do everything from startto finish in-house, with the exception of plat-inum casting.”

While upstairs, I get to see the store’s video-editing suite, where Craig produces all thestore’s television ads and annual video catalog.Additionally, Underwood’s has a room dedi-cated to shooting jewelry footage for these ads.It can be a time-consuming process; shootingone piece of jewelry can take upwards of 30minutes. “Hundreds and hundreds of hours oflabor have gone into shooting this footage,”

›

RISING UP. An artist’s view of UnderwoodPlaza, due for completion this September.

Society (in 1987 and 2006, respectively).

America’sCoolestStores5

TECH LEADERS: Underwood’s was the first jewelry store in Arkansas to have CAD/CAM software in-house, the first to have a laser welder in-house, and ›8 0 A U G U S T 2 0 0 6 W W W . I N S T O R E M A G . C O M I N S T O R E A U G U S T 2 0 0 6 8 1

says Craig, pointing to a wall bookcasestacked with videotapes from top to bottom.

As we turn from the video-editing station,an older man rises to shake my hand — BillUnderwood, the company’s founder. Far fromsitting back and reaping the rewards of hislong service, Bill is busily working on a newcustom design at the GemVision CAD termi-nal. With a Southwestern drawl and quicksmile, Bill tells us he’ll catch up with us later.

With just a few minutes to spare before anupcoming photo shoot for I N S T O R E , Craigshows me back downstairs, whereUnderwood’s latest venture is taking shape —a 1,000 square-foot office space addition atthe back of the store. The expansion willinclude offices for both Bill and Craig, as wellas a mail-processing area and main secretari-al and support office. An elevator will beinstalled to connect all three floors (the base-ment serves as a storage area). “They’re put-ting the doors on now, and it should be fin-ished by the time your August issue hits mail-boxes,” says Craig.

10:37 A.M.The professional photographer is ready in

the showroom to shoot the entireUnderwood’s staff, so we make our way backto the front. While setting up for the shot,Bill, smiling and chatting, walks over tostraighten the apron of a young bench jewel-er. The unforced rapport between the store’semployees and its owners is obvious.

At this moment, an elderly couple fromFort Smith, a town 50 miles away, walks into

the showroom. Craig andBill wring their hands

nervously behind their backs as there’s noone available to help customers as everyoneis in this shot. “Trace, would you mind strik-ing up a conversation with these folks whilewe take this photo?” Craig asks.

Curious to speak with an Underwood’scustomer, I comply. (I figure it’s the least Ican do, since store business has been inter-rupted on behalf of this I N S T O R E feature.)

It turns out that the couple has never beeninside Underwood’s before. They sawUnderwood’s recent TV ad, which encour-ages people to come in and buy a diamondnot only on special occasions, but also “justbecause.” So, they’re here “just because”... tobuy an Underwood’s diamond.

10:54 A.M.In the time it takes to learn this, the staff

has finished their photo shoot and the sales-person returns. I take a brief break to down asoft drink while the photographer moves hisequipment to the private showing room. Ipeek around the corner to see Bill in full con-versation with the Fort Smith couple, show-ing them a diamond ring through the nearestmicroscope. I feel confident it will pass thetest. Sure enough, Bill later tells me the salewas closed, and the two lovebirds are comingback later to pick up the ring once it’s sized.

11:20 A.M.After the photographer finishes the indi-

vidual shots, Bill pulls me aside to show mehis “baby” — the new, patent-pending BeautyGrade machine. He believes the device,

which uses laser light to measure the lightreturn of any size or shape of diamond, willrevolutionize the industry. He gets no argu-ment from me. Bill is still unsure whether hewill market the Beauty Grade commercially,or sell the technology to diamond cutters,enabling them to better replicate the highestpossible cut grades.

Meanwhile, Craig returns from the back ofthe store with photos of another soon-to-be-realized project: Underwood Plaza. Breakingground next door in September, it will be thelargest building on Dickson street at nine-sto-ries tall. A 15-18 month buildout is expected.Craig and Bill plan to lease the first floor toretailers, with some space reserved for restau-rants, complete with outdoor eating areas.“The look will be similar to the Underwood’sstore building, but more urban,” says Craig.

12:31 P.M.We phone in our orders at Penguin Ed’s

Barbeque (they have phones at each booth inthe restaurant), and I settle down to listen toBill’s tale of Underwood’s beginnings, whichare as humble as they come. Bill grew upworking in his dad’s service station back in“Dust Bowl, Oklahoma”. They were dirt-poor.“It was real Grapes of Wrath stuff,” he claims.

Seeking to make his way in the world, Billset off for Southwestern Oklahoma StateUniversity. He wound up going to the college’swatchmaking school — one of the best in thecountry. The three-year program taught himnot just how to repair watches, but how tomake them. He left with a degree as a certifiedmaster horologist.

Bill then spent four years in the Navy dur-ing the Korean War. During that time, he tookgemology classes by correspondence. Whenhe got out of the service, he realized thatwatchmaking was a dying art. He came toFayetteville in search of a business degree,and fell in love with the area.

The regional jewelry store chain that Billwas working for decided to close itsFayetteville location, and offered to sell thestore to Bill. The only money he had was$1,000 borrowed from his parents. “Iapproached banks and told them I was a cer-tified master horologist,” he says. “They’dnever heard of such a thing. They probablythought I wanted to start a whorehouse.”Regardless, they refused to loan him anymoney.

But, he bought the store anyway — onDecember 28, the worst possible time to buy ajewelry store. “I was inept and very naïve,” Billadmits.

The G.I. Bill kept him alive, as he’d go toclass in the mornings and work the after-noons. The store did jewelry repairs and soldanimals and trophies. “We had no gold, nowatches, no diamonds,” marvels Bill. Thebusiness turned over just $25,000 the firstyear, and no profit.

But in three years, Bill had his businessdegree. And over the next 46 years, he wouldsee Underwood’s grow slowly but surely. “Inever compromised on quality, even in thebeginning,” he states.

He became involved in the AGS, somethinghe’d wanted to do since visiting AGS stores upand down the Northeastern seaboard duringhis time in the Navy. His stature in the indus-try grew. And the store really took off onceCraig came on board in 1987.

Over the years, the store became known asa destination for bridal jewelry. Peter Fondaonce purchased a custom wedding band (“Idon’t know if the marriage lasted, but I’m surethe wedding band did,” says Bill). RaymondFloyd, the pro golfer, shopped stores inFlorida and New York before settling onUnderwood’s for a custom ring and one of thelargest diamonds in the store’s inventory forhis wife Maria on their 10th anniversary. Sheflew into Fayetteville with her daughter on aprivate jet to pick it up.

Perhaps the most unusual occurrence hap-pened when a young couple came in to look atdiamond engagement rings. They were seatedin the private showing room, and the womanbecame so overwhelmed at the idea of receiv-ing such a ring that she fainted. “She just fellover,” says Bill, who was working with thecouple at the time. “We laid her down on achair and she was okay. I tell people she’s theonly woman who ever swooned over anUnderwood diamond so visibly!”

It’s quite a story, and quite a meal (the bar-beque sandwich is fantastic). “Shall we takeTrace up to see The Cliffs?” Bill asks Craigcryptically.

“Lead on,” I say, ready for more adventures.

1:40 P.M.The Cliffs, it turns out, are the nicest apart-

ment complex and town homes in northwestArkansas. There are 750 apartments in all,covering 110 acres. The entire development,located just five minutes from downtown, wasdeveloped by the Underwoods... and there arestill 50 acres left.

“All the streets are named after gemstones,”says Craig as we pass Tourmaline Way andCitrine Link. The complex features a 2,500square-foot workout facility, two pools, tan-

TIME TO SHOP. Great attention is paid totelling “product stories” at Underwood’s.

That’s Cool!

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ning beds, a masseuse that gives free massagesto tenants — and oh yeah, drop-dead gorgeousviews from its hillside perch.

Bill purchased most of the land from a localfarmer as an investment, with Craig buying 30adjoining acres later on. The investment haspaid off in spades, as the complex was fullyrented out almost even before it opened.

“Not sure yet what we’re going to do withthe last bit of acreage,” says Bill. The space stillleft offers the best views of all, as it sits right atthe top of the hill. “Might turn it into luxuryhomes,” he says, “or maybe even more apart-ments.” Between the Underwood’s store, TheCliffs, and Underwood Plaza, it seems thatdespite their humble origins, the Underwoodsnow have the Midas touch.

2:35 P.M.Over the next few hours, I interview Craig,

Bill, and manager Cindy Beil. One aspect of thebusiness that intrigues me is the fact that Craigand Bill are both so involved in every facet of thecompany, from the front of the store to the back.All this in addition to the building developmentnext door, the apartment /townhouse complex,and AGS committee work. How do they havethe time — and energy — to be so involved? Andhow well do they work together?

“Wearing so many hats is what makes it somuch fun,” replies Craig. “It never gets old.Dad and I get to build on the foundation thathe laid down. Now we’re hitting two differentgenerations of customers.”

Clear differences mark son from father, andnot just in height (Craig is noticeably taller).Bill is laid back, where Craig is more intense.“Maybe it’s because Dad’s been through thebattles, and knows it’s not worth gettingworked up,” says Craig. “I seize things andfocus on them.”

That said, the two work together smoothly.“I’ve never heard them argue,” says Beil, who’sbeen with the store for 15 years. “They havelots of respect for each other. They debate, butalways in a friendly manner. It makes for apleasant work environment.”

One project the two work on each year isthe annual video catalog. Craig develops theconcept, Bill writes the script, and then Craigproduces it. “We may bounce a script back andforth eight, 10, or 12 times before we finallysettle on it,” says Craig.

The bottom line, he says, is that they bringdifferent strengths to the table. “Dad is stillheavily involved in design work, while I han-dle vendors, advertising, and the sales floor,”

says Craig. “Meanwhile,Cindy is a walking

encyclopedia. She knows everything in stock,and who sold what to whom.”

5:00 P.M.As I get ready to take my leave, Bill regales

me with stories from the past 50 years in busi-ness. In one, a man asked Bill to make his wifea pin shaped as a turkey vulture. It’s not a birdmost people consider attractive, but the cou-ple had a special place in their hearts for it.The man said he’d even given the bird a name.As Bill handed over the piece, he said, “I hopeyour wife, Frances, likes it.”

The man responded with chagrin: “Francisisn’t my wife ... he’s the vulture!”

Another customer asked to have a machine-gun bullet from World War II turned into anecklace centerpiece. Yet another requested hiskidney stone be turned into jewelry for his wife.

In the end, says Bill, the thing he hears mostoften from customers is, “I came here becauseI wanted to deal with someone I could trust.”

“People don’t generally know as much aboutjewelry as other things they buy,” says Bill, “andthey don’t want to overpay or be embarrassed.We make sure that doesn’t happen.”

He adds: “We never say ‘trust us’ in our ads,because it’s not something you ask for. It’ssomething that’s given freely after you’veproven you can be depended on.”

After everything I’ve seen and heard on thisday, it makes perfect sense. Underwood’s inFayetteville? It’s no longer a mystery to me. Inow understand it’s a place where residentsknow they’ll find the friendliest service, thebest-quality merchandise, and people who willstand behind their jewelry and tell God’s hon-est truth no matter what.

Oh, and they just happen to work in a storedesigned for the ages.

Now that’s cool.

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HATS OFF. A plaque purchased in honor ofBill Underwood, the store’s “big raccoon”.

the first to digitally image all inventory.