Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Small Business Association
Korthuis Jewelry received the 2026 Family-Owned Small Business award from the Minnesota office of the Small Business Administration.
GRANITE FALLS — Members of the Small Business Administration made a visit to Korthuis Jewelry and Gifts in Granite Falls last month to understand what makes a small town family business so special.
Also present were members of the SBDC, part of the Small Business Administration (SBA), a federal organization that works to provide grants to small businesses and help them grow. The SBDC is a branch that works to be in person with the businesses and help them one-on-one.
On May the SBA presented the 2026 Family-Owned Small Business Award to Korthuis Jewelry and Gifts.
“We help businesses expand. Business plans, cash flow, social media, succession planning, anything that a small business needs help with. We help with that,” said Christine Fischer, regional director for Southwest Minnesota SBDC.
According to Fischer, in just the southwest Minnesota area last year, the SBA assisted 470 businesses, started 38 and generated $18.6 million in capital.
Korthuis Jewelry and Gifts has been family operated since 1958 and specializes in fine jewelry, custom engagement rings, and repairs, including watch repair. They are a second-generation business and could soon be a third. That familial and generational aspect won the attention of the SBA, much to the surprise of Betty Korthuis Pfaff, the store’s owner.
“When I first found out I was nominated for the award, my first thought was ‘Why me?’ Pfaff said. “It’s what I’ve been doing all my life.”
The road to win the award was a rocky one. COVID was a tough time for many small businesses. But it was extra tough for Pfaff, who bought the business from her dad in the middle of 2020. The pandemic had their business closed for eight weeks. Korthuis Jewelry had neither a retirement party for their dad or a grand opening after Pfaff bought the store.
Never letting a tough situation be the end. The family’s determination and the Granite Falls community got them through. In December of 2020, Granite Falls had its Winter Solstice event, where businesses would tend bonfires on main street, hold sales, and some would sell apple cider and hot dogs. That event – which brought many customers to the community – combined with Pfaff’s love for the store and refusal to shut down kept the store alive in what was a tough time for many.
“It’s in my blood,” Pfaff said. “It’s my passion.”
On Tuesday, members of both the regional SBDC and statewide SBA came by to visit some of the winners of their award. One of those stops was Korthuis Jewelry.
“We want to come in and support the businesses,” said Tim Green, the district director of the wider Minnesota SBA. “It’s easy to sit in all day, it’s a different thing to go out and see it for yourself.”
