OCALA, FL (352today.com) – If longevity is the true measure of success, Gause & Son has set the standard for fine jewelry in Ocala and beyond.
Cammie McLeod’s grandfather, Otho, was one of many siblings. Coming from a farming background, he found he didn’t want to work outside anymore–which is kind of ironic, she said, because Marion County and Ocala used to be such an agrarian and rural place. Otho and Claudie Gause established a business that has undergone its own evolution, stocking items like fine China in addition to the expected jewelry items during its nascent stages, said McLeod, who is Gause and Son’s CEO and buyer. The Ocala institution was founded in 1950.
Connecting with the community
Gause & Son remains an independent jeweler, and a true family business, as it’s still owned and operated by the same family, said Cammie McLeod.
“I’m third generation. I came to work here when I was 21, 22,” said McLeod. “Jerry Gause (McLeod’s father) came from a military background. You start from the bottom, you just don’t pop in and say, ‘Hey, I’m selling all these beautiful diamonds.’ And at the time, we had three locations. My grandfather started out with just one location.”
Familial foundation
Jerry Gause took over in 1980 and expanded the operation. At that time there were three stores, but the store on Ocala’s Historic Downtown Square was always the main location, said McLeod…