Tony Schiffman
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Arnold Anthony "Tony" Schiffman Jr. (June 26, 1937 – February 9, 2015) was an American dealer of fine jewelry. He was the chief executive officer and controlling stockholder of Schiffman's, a chain of jewelry stores. Schiffman was the third-generation owner of Schiffman's, considered the oldest, locally owned jewelry store in
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,
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.


Biography

Schiffman's parents, Arnold and Camille Schiffman, were the second-generation owners of the jewelry store. The Schiffmans were one of the earliest Jewish families to settle in Greensboro. A namesake of his father, Schiffman's sister bore their mother's name, Camille, with another sibling named Harry. Schiffman and his wife, Madeline, have three sons—Arnold Anthony III, Lane, and Vance. They also have 8 grandchildren; Anthony, Brinkley, Margo, Rives, Allen, Kiley, Ren and Layton. Schiffman attended UNC-Chapel Hill where he became an All-American swimmer under Coach Ralph Casey. He was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and graduated in 1959. Schiffman was very active in the Greensboro business community including the Rotary Club of Greensboro, past president of the Guilford Merchants Association and the Greensboro Sports Council. Schiffman died on February 9, 2015, in his home in Greensboro, North Carolina after his long fight with Parkinson's disease. He continued his lifelong passion to actively greet and work with his family, friends, and customers at Schiffman's in downtown Greensboro until his sudden departure.


Joining the family business

Schiffman joined the family business in 1959. When his brother, Harry, followed suit in 1964, the company began expanding and bought the Carpenter-Matthew Jewelers, based in
Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populous city in Western North Carolina a ...
,
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, the next year. In 1975, they acquired the McPhails Jewelers of
Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina and the 91st-most populous city in the Uni ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. In 1985, Schiffman's bought Sylvan's Jewelers of
Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...
. In 1992, the company bought Shreve & Co.,
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
's oldest jewelry retailer. In 1994, the company bought
Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...
's leading jeweler, Keller & George, which has been operating since 1875. Schwarzschild Jewelers, opened in 1897, was bought in 2007.


National Jeweler Retailer Hall of Fame

The 75-year-old Schiffman was inducted into the 2012 National Jeweler Retailer Hall of Fame, under the Multi-Store Independent category. The award, which began in 1989, is based on peer recognition: new inductees are voted into the Hall of Fame by prior inductees.


Philanthropy

The Schiffmans supported the Children's Home Society of
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
by donating proceeds from events organized by the company, such as the 5th Annual Schiffman's Charity Golf Classic held in September 2007. According to the CHS, the Schiffmans had been helping for the past century. In March 2012, the Schiffmans organized the Schiffman's Charity Classic Bridge Benefit, with all proceeds going to the programs of the CHSNC.


References


External links


Official Website of Schiffman's
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schiffman, Tony 1937 births 2015 deaths 20th-century American jewellers 20th-century American Jews People from Greensboro, North Carolina 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American jewellers