America is full of business success stories that started in the home (or garage, think Microsoft). Wooster, Ohio-based White Jewelers may not be a global software and computer company, but the jeweler’s path to success is a familiar American business story that went from Your Street to Main Street.
In 2018, White Jewelers celebrated its 90th anniversary. With the Big 1-0-0 not far off, founders Orelin and Nellie White couldn’t have imagined in 1928 that their efforts would take the family business through the 20th Century and beyond.
Orelin and Nellie left Pennsylvania for Jeromesville, Ohio, in 1928. Orelin earned a clock and watchmaking certificate and took the skills and work experience with him to the Buckeye State. His clock and watchmaking work began in the home. Like most successful homespun efforts of the day, word-of-mouth spread and Orelin found business picking up.
In 1928, the couple moved 16 miles east to Wooster. Unbeknownst at the time, the couple made a wise business decision to start their family jewelry store there. In 2013, fDi magazine ranked Wooster among North America’s top-10 micro-cities for business friendliness and strategy.
White Jewelers went from the home to the heart of town in October 1928 when the couple opened a small store on the corner of Walnut and West Liberty. Sixteen years later, a 500-square-foot business opened up on East Liberty.
“Back then the store was flanked by a candy store on one side and Shines Theater on the other,” says store owner Heather Kobilarcsik.
Orelin and Nellie’s daughter, Chell came of age and began working at the family store, “when she could barely see over the counter,” says Heather. In the early 1970s Chell helped usher in gift items and a broader range of jewelry. Later that decade, Chell purchased the adjoining retail properties to the jewelry store.
The family business was blessed with a third generation of jewelers with Chell’s daughter, Heather. Heather left town and the family business to pursue other interests. Her first inkling for a career was restaurant and hotel management. Heather pursued those interests in Florida.
In 1989, at her mother’s request, Heather moved back to Wooster to help with the proposed store expansion. Three years later Heather purchased the family business from her mother. That’s when White Jewelers made a hard push to becoming a larger, more full-service destination store for the immediate market (serving roughly 27,000 people in Wooster), outlying markets and in some cases out-of-state customers.
In 1999, the old movie theater (purchased by Chell in previous years) was demolished. Traditional people at their core, Heather honored the family’s business history with a Victorian-style store. Warm to nostalgia, Heather kept the chandelier from the old movie theater and crowned the store with an Amish weather vane. For the sake of ongoing success, however, Heather had to skillfully pay homage to the past while building a store for future generations of customers.
Heather attended the Jewelers of America (JA) shows in New York. There she learned about state-of-the-art lighting fixtures, safes and security systems, visual merchandising, floor planning and interior design. The efforts paid off. “I received the JA Certified Management Professional Designation for exhibiting outstanding professional management,” says Heather.
Things were moving along well for Heather until January 8, 2000. During a local town celebration the store was robbed. “It was a smash-and-grab,” says Heather. “The thieves literally demolished the back door to get in and smashed all the cases to get at the jewelry.”
From adversity comes the chance to make better opportunities. Heather changed up security procedures and closing practices, then moved on. Such events, no matter how troubling and terrible, give a business owner pause to ponder.
With the added space Heather continued to hone her custom design skills, incentivizing customers with services that distinguished White’s from competing jewelry stores in the area. Be it a design from scratch or a remount, Heather’s design skills and shop capabilities garnered increasing numbers of customers.
Serious advances in the family business had consumed a lot of Heather’s time and efforts. In 2006, she slowed down her work life long enough to marry the “love of her life” (Andy Kobilarcsik). He wasn’t just a good life partner. Andy, a retired State Auditor for Ohio, brought much-needed skills to the family business.
“Andy had a good sense for inventory control and has an excellent grasp on Quick Books,” says Heather.
As Andy’s addition to White’s was coming to fruition, Heather became a JA member and joined the National Trade Association. Joining these trade and business-related groups certainly benefited her and the business. But Heather also wanted to give back to Wooster in ways that not only benefit the people but the town itself.
“Many small towns have died,” says Heather. “Improving business isn’t just good for us it’s good for the entire town. We’re very involved in the community.”
Heather is involved in Main Street Wooster, the Salvation Army’s “Coats for Kids” annual drive, the US Marine’s Toys for Tots Christmas program and is an active member of the Wayne County’s Women’s Network. The store also sponsors a host of local sports teams. The efforts are recognized. The Daily Record, a local newspaper, awarded her a first-place position as a general retailer for her sized business.
And, like a small market jeweler, Heather and her staff enjoy their regularly-scheduled events. People of Wooster have come to anticipate the store’s huge anniversary sales event every October, flowers and chocolates each Valentine’s Day, a writing contest to commemorate mothers every May, and Christmas coloring projects.
Of course, the tradition of hand-written thank-you notes is a must. “It’s a tradition we keep going and people expect,” says Heather.
The post OH jeweler celebrates 90+ years, three generations appeared first on Southern Jewelry News.
from Southern Jewelry News https://ift.tt/Ys59oky