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Remembering Tom Young, Co-Founder of The Cargo Hold/Southern Gates® Collection

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Tom Young, co-founder of The Cargo Hold and the Southern Gates® jewelry line, passed away on August 30, 2025, at age 78 due to complications from glioblastoma.

Tom grew up in Pinopolis, South Carolina, and graduated from Wofford College in 1969.  His lifelong love of travel guided him in many ways. In his early years, he spent time in  Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, bringing home handmade crafts that influenced the entire direction of his career.

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In 1973, Tom and his close friend Bob Glenn founded The Cargo Hold. What started as  Charleston’s first retail bead store on King Street evolved into a wholesale jewelry business by 1979. To this day, The Cargo Hold remains a wholesale jewelry company that many jewelers trust and rely on.

Tom spent decades traveling to shows, including EJTA, SJTA, GLW, the International Gem and Jewelry Shows, and the Dallas and Atlanta Trade Marts. He never met a stranger, and the relationships he formed along the way helped build and grow the business.  

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The Southern Gates® Collection was established in 2004 and quickly grew in popularity with designs inspired by the South’s beautiful wrought ironwork. It became The Cargo  Hold’s signature line and has continued to thrive for more than twenty years. 

Beyond his business endeavors, Tom was just a genuinely good person. He loved reading, playing golf, skiing, exploring new places, and having long, meaningful conversations. He deeply loved his family. He is survived by his wife of fifty years, Catherine, his daughter, Isabelle, her husband, Paul Pearson, his two grandchildren, and his extended family.


Tom’s curiosity, kindness, and decades of dedication shaped The Cargo Hold and left a lasting impact on many people, especially the jewelers who knew him not only as a business partner but also as a friend. He will be deeply missed.

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The post Remembering Tom Young, Co-Founder of The Cargo Hold/Southern Gates® Collection appeared first on Southern Jewelry News.



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