6" tall heavy, marked AGC.
 
The Occasion: Belk was founded in 1888. In 2013, the company hosted massive nationwide celebrations to mark 125 years in business.The "AGC" Mark: The "AGC" insignia stands for AGC Inc. (formerly Asahi Glass Co.), a world-renowned premier glass manufacturer. AGC produces high-quality art glass, blanks, and crystal pieces often utilized by trophy and corporate award designers.Who Received It: These custom glass awards were not mass-retail consumer items. Instead, they were corporate longevity awards presented to long-serving sales associates, store managers, and executives during the 2013 anniversary breakfast ceremonies.

Belk is the largest privately owned main-line department store chain in the United States, deeply tied to the history and economic growth of the American South.Founded on a philosophy of honest pricing and customer satisfaction, the company grew from a single 1,500-square-foot storefront into a multi-billion-dollar retail empire.1888: The New York RacketThe company was founded on May 29, 1888, by 25-year-old William Henry Belk in the small town of Monroe, North Carolina. Belk used his life savings of $750, took out a $500 loan, and acquired $3,000 worth of consigned merchandise to open a small discount shop.He named it The New York Racket because he thought the name sounded "big" and prestigious. To survive the tough post-Reconstruction economy, Belk introduced revolutionary retail strategies that were highly unusual for the late 19th century:No Haggling: All merchandise featured fixed, clearly marked prices.Cash Only: He refused to sell goods on credit, a practice that kept costs low and allowed him to pass the savings to customers.Money-Back Guarantee: He promised full refunds on returns if customers were dissatisfied.1891–1920s: The Belk Brothers ExpansionThe store thrived, and in 1891, William Henry persuaded his brother, Dr. John M. Belk (a practicing medical doctor), to leave medicine and join him as a business partner. The business was renamed Belk Brothers Company.In 1895, the brothers opened their fourth location in Charlotte, North Carolina, which quickly became the company’s permanent corporate base of operations.Instead of opening wholly corporate-owned branches, the Belks expanded by partnering directly with local merchants in new markets. They frequently mentored trusted former employees and financed them to open co-branded partnerships—such as the famous Leggett Bros. stores in Virginia (1921) and Belk-Jones west of the Mississippi (1947). By 1923, the brothers operated 20 partnered stores generating $10 million in annual sales.1950s–1990s: Modernization and Mall CultureDr. John Belk passed away in 1928, and William Henry Belk led the company until his death at age 89 in 1952. Leadership passed to William Henry's sons, John M. Belk and Thomas M. "Tom" Belk.The second generation completely transformed the business model. They shifted Belk away from its rural, downtown "bargain box" origins and repositioned it as a modern fashion destination. They anchored newly built suburban shopping malls across the Southeast throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.Administratively, the business was incredibly complex, functioning as 112 separate, distinct corporations. In 1998, under third-generation family leadership, the family consolidated all 112 entities into a single, unified company: Belk, Inc..2000s–Present: Consolidation and New OwnershipBelk continued aggressive regional growth by acquiring competing department store chains, including Parisian in 2006. In 2010, the company rebranded to focus explicitly on modern Southern culture, introducing its current logo and the tagline: Modern. Southern. Style.After 127 years of continuous family control, the Belk family sold the company to private equity firm Sycamore Partners in 2015 for approximately $3 billion. Like many brick-and-mortar retailers, Belk faced financial headwinds during the digital shift, briefly entering and successfully emerging from a rapid Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring in early 2021.Today, Belk operates roughly 300 stores across 15 states, still headquartered in Charlotte, NC, and remains an iconic retail fixture of the American South.