Schwanke-Kasten plans expansion into neighboring property

Milwaukee jeweler Schwanke-Kasten, which has been serving the Whitefish Bay area for over 100 years, is planning to expand into its neighboring property.

As part of an in-depth interview with Watch Insider, third generation owner Tom Dixon explained that he has simply run out of space to carry the number of brands and the amount of product that his customers would like him to.

“We’re a little stretched thin and I just bought a building next door, so in the next couple of years we’ll expand our footprint dramatically,” he said.

Schwanke-Kasten had previously been operating two stores, but closed one down just before Covid — a decision that Dixon says has paid dividends.

“We closed the second one right before Covid, which was a really great decision. It wasn’t that hard to operate a second store, but your resources then are divided. When you can focus all your attention under one roof and under one staff, you can just do more.”

Having consolidated the business under one roof, Dixon explains why now is the right time to increase capacity.

“We’re getting squeezed for room. There are brands that we should have here, but we don’t have room for, so that’s the main inspiration. 

“ I don’t have this big ego, I just focus on what’s going on here and what our clients are asking for. They’re asking for some other brands and I say: “Yeah, that would be nice, but I don’t have room for it.” So that’s really where it’s coming from.”

The full wide-ranging interview will be published in the July 2026 edition of Watch Insider.