Busch Jewelers

About Busch George Busch Sr. started the very first location of Busch Jewelers in Newark, New Jersey right after WWII. The success of that store drove the expansion machine. So in the next decade George Busch opened a store in Atlanta, GA and 2 stores in Dallas, TX. As the expansion stores began to prosper opportunities to expand started to come to Mr. Busch. Very few times did he ever find the right deal until a store named Sterling's Jewelry in Abilene, TX was presented. Mr. Busch liked Texas because of his Dallas stores and Abilene was the home of Camp Barkley. Camp Barkley along with the booming economy in Abilene made the purchase of Sterling's a reality in 1944. Sterling's had been in business since 1880 and had built a fine reputation. So, the only 2 things that were initially changed about the store was the name and the management. Thus, the original store location on Pine Street quickly got a new name and a new manager, Mr. Frank Fite. Mr. Fite, though everyone called him Frank, had been a successful manager of one of the Dallas locations of Busch Jewelers. It seemed natural that he be charged with the new store in Abilene. After a few successful years Frank Fite got together with Frank Bell and the 2 of them purchased the Abilene store from George Busch Sr.. The Bell/Fite partnership lasted for a few years and was very successful. But as the decade of the 60's rolled around Frank Fite became the sole owner. Frank ran the store from that point until his passing in 2003. By that time his son Don had been working in the business for some 20 years. The name of the business was never changed. Ownership and management has stayed in the Fite family since the Abilene stores inception. But the business model continues to adapt and evolve as our customers do the same. Most jewelry stores in the past were not simply jewelry stores. Busch Jewelers is no exception. The founder of our store George Busch Sr. liked to sell product that discriminating customers wanted. For example, as you look through the historical photos you will notice we sold typewriters, cameras, blenders a whole host of products. However, the reputation of the jewelry side of the business always drove sales in that direction. When new customers visit our store they are continually amazed and genuinely impressed with the quality and exclusivity of the products we carry. The Busch Jewelers way of doing business is to search the world for the best brands and bring them to Abilene. This insures that our customers will be able to access exclusive fine jewelry in every range, premier time pieces and prestigious gift items to indulge their unique personalities. We hope you have enjoyed this brief history and we invite you to experience for yourself why Busch Jewelers has been an Abilene, Texas landmark since 1944.