Partnership
While working at General Mills, Helmuth met Carl Wikstrom another jeweler with whom he decided to enter a partnership. Together they opened a new location at 1106 West Broadway. The new store opened as Buchkosky Wikstrom Jewelers on December 1, 1945. Helmuth reminisced many years later that they ran a promotion where every lady who came by the store that day would receive a rose. On opening day it was rain and sleet making the streets slick like a skating rink. In spite of the nasty weather, they gave away each and every rose of the 500 with which they started the day.
It was a family business with both spouses working alongside them at the store.
In 1949 a second location near Strandquist, MN the hometown of Carl Wikstrom, was opened. The intentions were to continue to operate in partnership, but the it quickly changed when they realized that operating separately was a better business model for them both. The partners agreed to dissolve the partnership, leaving the West Broadway store in the hands of Helmuth.
