In the Loupe December 2012

in the loupe

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January 25-28, 2013

The 3 Rs: RJO, Rock & Restock

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fter the rush of the holidays, the flurry of end-of-the-year reports, and the planning for the year ahead, it’s time for a well-deserved break. RJO offers that and more, when we return to popular Phoenix, with the “Rock & Restock” Spring Buying Show on January 25-28.

Home to saguaro cactus, Camelback Mountain and plenty of sun, Phoenix has plenty of reasons to be outside. But inside, we’ll have valuable educational seminars, inspiring keynotes, numerous get-togethers, as well as wonderful events together. Of course, we’ll also host a tremendous Buying Show floor, featuring the best vendors in the jewelry world.

RJO’s numerous membership benefits continue as well, including: a $250 Travel Voucher, complimentary nights at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, exclusive airfare discounts, buying discounts via RJO Purchase Vouchers, lunch coupons, and cash giveaways.

The Vendor Registration Deadline is December 17, and the Member Registration Deadline is December 28. Member Registration online is easy – just go to: www.RJORegistration.com. Vendors, you can visit: www.RJOShowExhibitor.com. You may also complete the Registration Form located in the back of your Registration Packet and mail or fax it to the RJO office: P.O. Box 1045, Newton, IA 50208. Fax: 641-792-9251.

If you’re a jeweler member, call Kristi Nelson in the RJO office at: 800-247-1774 or e-mail: kristi@rjomembers.com with any questions. If you’re a vendor member, you should contact Mary Harger at: 800-247-1774 or e-mail: mary@rjomembers.com with any questions.

Registration Packets for RJO’s Spring Buying Show were sent out last month.

If you have not received yours, please contact the RJO office at 800-247-1774.

loupe

inside • Snowfall

• Marketing Matters: A Bite of Apple

• Phoenix Buying Show Guide

The Ultimate Jeweler Resource

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THE EXECUTIVE

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from Mary Peterson, CEO, RJO

Snowflakes

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iving in Iowa, I am able to enjoy all the unique offerings each season boasts. The Iowa winter season tends to bring lots of snow, covering the land in a beautiful white blanket. It’s best when it comes down in large, fluffy snowflakes, and I am sitting inside, all warm and cozy.

Those large, fluffy snowflakes come in such a wide variety of intricate shapes and patterns leading to the popular saying, “no two are alike.” This happens because of the variety of temperatures, climates and terrains in which they fall. When I think of the RJO family, I enjoy the wide variety of members and vendors. Just like snowflakes, there truly are no two alike.

It is important for all of our members and vendors to keep their uniqueness and style. No doubt we are a special and diverse group of individuals and businesses. I think what helps us maintain that ability is what we all have in common and our mutual support of one another.

As members of the RJO family, we share many things that are similar and important to us. So just like Santa, I made a list (and yes—I checked it twice) for those similarities: • Genuine pride in our profession • Creating and maintaining meaningful relationships with one another and our consumers • Willingness to share and learn from one another • Long term commitment to our family-owned businesses • The sense of community and serving others • Together, meeting the challenge of the changing times • Creating a show environment where laughter and smiles are essential All these similarities are what make the RJO family so incredibly special. To share each of them with you is a true honor.

Although we have ties that unify us, keep striving to keep your own uniqueness in our industry and remember the RJO Family is always there to support you no matter the temperature, climate or terrain.

RJO CEO

Dividend Checks Coming Soon!

As the year comes to an end, RJO will be calculating your 2012 patronage dividend percentage and sending you your first dividend check! One of the greatest RJO membership benefits is receiving a percentage back of all your purchases through the group. Watch the mail for your first check, which will be mailed the last week of 2013.

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From the RJO Chat Room

2013 Fall Dates Antwerp: Oct 5-10; Oct 12-17 Idar-Oberstein: Oct 10-14; Oct 17-21 (the first trip is hosted by Liz Schlauch and Jeff Horlacher; the second trip is hosted by Connie and Steve Matsen) [ Read more about the Antwerp Advantage on page 4 ]

SERVICES Centralized Billing Patronage Dividend RJO Website (rjomembers.com) Buying Shows (Fall/Spring) RJO Chat Channel In the Loupe – RJO’s newsletter Free Print and Radio Ad Library (on the RJO website) Educational Seminars (at the Buying Shows) Member-to-Member Incentive Program (Recruitment Program) Organized Buying Trips to Antwerp and Idar-Oberstein RJO Directory Peer Performance Program Travel Vouchers at Shows (offered at varying times) Free Hotel Room Incentive (at the Buying Shows) RJO Informational E-mail Blasts Purchase Vouchers (at the Buying Shows) RJO Membership Certificate Education on the Go Podcasts and Webinars Private Label Credit Card Service JewelConnect

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The Chat Room on the RJO website (www.rjomembers.com) hosts a variety of interesting discussions each month. Here’s an edited recent post—and responses to it—that can be found in the RJO Jeweler Business area, under the heading “How to respond to a going-out-of-business sale in December:”

Question: Wilkersons is running a going-out-of-business sale in our town for another jeweler starting the second week of December. Has anyone been through this, and how or what did you do to compete against this? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Response 1: Yes we had two—one each year for the last two years. Get a really big banner and have it say “Our everyday prices are the same as their goingout-of-business prices ... and we will still be here next year.”

REALLY BIG! SIZE COUNTS! It will really bring in the foot traffic and at least give you a chance to sell!

Response 2: We’ve been through it several times. But we’ve had our own inventory reduction sale at the same time. I agree the “We’re Staying In Business Sale” helps. The key is focusing on: “Compare price before you buy.”

Response 3: Check your state laws (general business possibly) for going-outof-business sales. Check with the state attorney general’s office. In New York state, a license is required, with strict regulations. We went though this last Christmas, and we forced the issue with the attorney general.

Don’t Be Left Out Of The Loupe The October issue of In The Loupe was an online-only version. If you don’t recall seeing it, you may still view it at: www.rjojeweler.com PAGE 3

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Antwerp Advantage Continues into 2013 RJO’s annual hosted buying trips to Europe are on a roll. In 2010, participant numbers shot up dramatically, and the increase was not merely a one-time blip. 2011 saw an increase in travelers (68), and this past October, the number of travelers reached 80.

Each trip has two stops: Antwerp, Belgium—the world’s diamond capital, and Idar Oberstein, Germany—the undisputed capital of fine-colored gemstones.

RJO’s Antwerp and Idar-Oberstein vendors generously offer first-time travelers excellent incentives. For more information about the trips to Europe or about its related marketing program, contact RJO’s Antwerp Coordinator Connie Matsen in the RJO Office at: 800-247-1774 or via e-mail at: cmatsen@rjomembers.com

Israel 2013 RJO is inaugurating a new foreign trip, this time to Israel and beginning next year. The first trip will run from Friday, October 18 to Saturday, October 26 in 2013. Members booking their trips before January 2013 will receive an additional two percent discount on all of their purchases while buying on the trip.

For more information on the 2013 Israel Buying Trip, please contact the RJO office via phone 800-247-1774, or e-mail: rjo@rjomembers.com Be sure to stop at the Israel Trip Reception at the Phoenix Buying Show on Sunday evening from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

New RJO website in final stages before launch “I’m getting updates every day about how our transition is going,” says RJO CEO Mary Peterson, "and every time they show me something new, I get so excited about how useful this will be for our members.”

The new RJO website is expected to launch before the Spring Buying Show in Phoenix. RJO has partnered with Global Reach, Oliant Solutions and Integrity Data to develop the new site.

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After a hectic end-of-the year holiday season, our Phoenix Buying Show is your chance to start the year 2013 off right. Restock your showcases and check out the latest vendor merchandise and lines, while enjoying a well-deserved warm, winter mini-vacation.

Join us for a night out in Scottsdale or go to one of the myriad entertainment activities in Phoenix. Additionally, RJO has made arrangements with Southwest Discovery Tours; you can find yourself exploring the Grand Canyon, the Sonoran Desert, Tucson and other excursions. Even better is that you’ll be there with all your RJO colleagues buying stock and sharing good times.

Register for Rock & Restock now, before the December 28 deadline!

Show Perks • Show Perks • Show

Meet-A-Vendor Challenge

Purchase Vouchers

Discount on All Show Purchases

$100,000 - $149,999.99: 1% $150,000 - $199,999.99: 1.5% $200,000 or greater: 2%

Get a $250 Travel Voucher

RJO Members Stay Free

Sunday Lunch Coupons

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FRIDAY

MARSDEN BROTHERS HALF-DAY WORKSHOP

Preparing Your Business for Generational Transfer or Sale Cliff & Dennis Marsden, Marsden Brothers

1 - 5 p.m.

EARLY MEMBER SHOW REGISTRATION

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SATURDAY

8 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Hyatt Regency, Atrium l, 2nd Floor

SEMINARS

Please refer to the seminars page for complete descriptions of this show’s educational offerings.

8:40 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

ABBOTT USERS’ MEETING

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND LUNCHEON

TD RETAIL CARD SERVICES USERS’ MEETING

12:45 - 1:20 p.m.

7 - 10 p.m.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

WALDMAN USERS’ MEETING

The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

RDI USERS’ MEETING

1:20 - 1:50 p.m.

7 - 10 p.m.

7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Appetizers and beverages will be served throughout the reception.

EARLY PACKET PICK-UP

4 - 6 p.m.

7 - 10 p.m.

WELCOME RECEPTION

Presented by Ginny Carroll, inGiNuity

Buying: 2 - 7 p.m.

Convention Center, West Hall 1-2 Reception: 5 - 7 p.m.

Convention Center, West Hall 1-2

ANTWERP ADVANTAGE & IDAROBERSTEIN RECEPTION

Whether you’ve taken an RJOsponsored overseas buying trip or are exploring the possibility, this casual event is for you.

7:15 - 8:30 p.m.

PERSONALIZED ANTWERP DVD FILMING

This personalized DVD filming allows those who have traveled to Antwerp (or planning to go) to film personalized spots to run in their store or on TV. Shooting will take only 15 to 20 minutes.

7 - 9 p.m.

(Also 1 - 5 p.m. on Sunday and 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Monday)

EARLY PACKET PICK-UP

4 - 6 p.m.

Hyatt Regency, Atrium l, 2nd Floor

SUNDA

MEMBER & VENDOR KEYNOTE AND ROUN

Restocking Your Bus Relationships Join us for the Phoe moderated by RJO C Peterson. You’ll be s with vendors and ot encouraged to discu

by Mary.

Breakfast served up un begins. Please be sure eat breakfast you are in 8:30 a.m.

8:15 - 8:30 a.m.

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

BUYING FLOOR OPENING AND

Rock & Restock Seminars • Educational Seminars • Inventory Management Deal with Aged Inventory

Personnel Management Achieving Generational Synergy

Cliff Marsden, Marsden Brothers If you are like most jewelers, and we suspect you are, you sometimes find yourself with too much inventory on hand, tying up your cash. This makes it harder to purchase new inventory even though you know your customers are ready for something new. How do you deal with aged inventory and free up your cash for new purchases or for updating the look of your store? RJO vendor member Cliff Marsden offers solutions to implement as well as suggestions for working with outside help.

Ginny Carroll, inGiNuity Most people don’t think about age as a diversity issue. Rather, we just live with, or complain about, our frustrations with the “curmudgeons” and the “whipper-snappers.” The vast differences in the values and motivators of the generations often can lead to team dysfunction in the workplace and/or to customer dissatisfaction. In this session, you’ll gain perspective on the values and motivators of each generation and a better understanding of how to work with every generation more effectively.

Make Good Margins with Colored Gems

Peer Development, Peer Performance, Pure Profit

Earl Allen, Columbia Gem House Margins in the diamond market? Hardly. Margins in the colored gemstone market? Absolutely! To make good margins, though, you need to make good sales, and to do that, you need to understand what you are buying and buy in ways that support the good of those who work in the stream from mine to customer. You also must commit to effective displays in your store, and most importantly, train your staff to sell color.

Bridal Jewelry: More Customers, More Sales Laura Cave, The Knot If you’re looking for a great marketing opportunity for bridal jewelry sales, a way to reach bridal customers before they have a ring, or ideas to grow sales beyond the engagement ring purchase, consider how The Knot can help your business. Join us as Laura shares how to appeal to today’s couples and turn them into customers for life.

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Darci Aselage, The Edge Do you really have a beat on how your front line team affects your profit?

Which of the following performance/profit factors do you really know about each member of your team on a monthly basis: Total sales? Units sold? Average sale? Gross profit? Discount percent? Dollars discounted?

These measures matter because they affect your business. To improve the work of your team, learn how peer-to-peer work is truly profitable and what you can do to make it happen in your business.

Employee Evaluations Mary Peterson, RJO Most independent jewelers commit 20 percent of their budget to personnel, according to studies conducted by the Jewelers of America. To make that money work for you, you have to make sure your business is working for your employees’ success. In this session, learn what you can evaluate, why to do so at least once a year for compensation review, improving performance, and how to terminate an employee.

L o u p e

1 - 3 p.m.

AY

R JOINT BREAKFAST, NDTABLES

siness

enix session, CEO Mary seated at a table ther members, and uss topics presented

ntil the presentation if you would like to n the room prior to

We hope you spend most of your time on the show floor, but definitely be there during the following dates and times the drawings are held. You could be a big cash winner!

1:30 p.m. ($100) and 2 p.m. ($200)

Happy Hour will be held on the sales floor during the last 90 minutes of Sunday’s buying.

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

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MONDAY

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST ROUNDTABLE

Join Mary Peterson and your fellow RJO members for a continental breakfast and a discussion about successful store promotions.

Breakfast begins 8 a.m.

Panel discussions 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

RJO BIG CASH GIVEAWAY

10:30 a.m. ($100), 11 a.m. ($200), 2:20 p.m. ($200), and 2:40 p.m. ($500)

FAREWELL EVENT

Monday afternoon’s farewell event will be held on the showroom floor during the last hour of buying. Appetizers and beverages will be served

2 - 3 p.m.

Be sure to check your registration packet for excursion opportunities offered on Friday and Tuesday through Southwest Discovery Tours.

• Rock & Restock Seminars • Educational Seminars Technology Your Newest Worker: The RJO Website

Specialized Topics Develop Strong Customer Relationships

Carlos Frevert, Oliant Solutions RJO is relaunching a totally retooled website to better serve RJO members. Find out what’s new, what’s better and what we’re doing to make the RJO website a primary tool for your business from our expert Carlos Frevert, who has helped us through this process. He’ll be glad to answer your questions and to hear from you about your ideas for future updates as well.

Jan Thiel, Jewelers Mutual Inc. In this session, learn more about the benefits of educating your customers on how to best protect their personal jewelry and how the non-cash-out approach supports you.

JewelConnect 2.0 Launch: Web Marketing Innovations and More

Andy Boundy and Thomas Roethling, JewelConnect JewelConnect.com 2.0 is a total redesign of the system, incorporating the best new marketing technologies – and it will launch in Phoenix. We will be introducing many new features and applications, all deeply integrated with social media. New systems featured include “JewelProfile,” “Trending,”and “fast-movers.” There’s the retailer “Pin To” feature and a lot more – like mobile apps!

Laser Welders – Do you need one?

Gary Paresky, Jewelry Group at Rofin Baasel Inc. A laser welder is a major investment for a jewelry shop and this presentation will provide both technical as well as financial reasoning behind such a purchase. An audience interactive comparison of a bench jeweler’s present methods of repair versus the use of a laser welder will be covered. Specific examples of how a laser welder can increase your repair shop revenue also will be presented.

Watchmakers and the Future of Your Business Jim Lubic, American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute The American Watchmaker-Clockmakers Institute (AWCI) promotes the timekeeping or horology profession through a range of education, certification, communications and business services. Understand what scholarships, programs, and advocacy mean to you.

Lighting Options for Retail Jewelers Rick Szymanski, Arizona Lighting Sales, and Ben Cantu, OptoLum The lighting needs of the retail jewelry store are demanding. Color must be true; diamonds must be brilliant and full of sparkle; clients must see themselves at their best. These presenters bring direct experience with jewelry store lighting.

What is Pinterest and Why Should You Care?

RJO jeweler panel with Karla Doolittle, Marks Jewellers; Mark Ettinger, Waterfall Jewelers; Carlos Frevert, Oliant Solutions; facilitated by Charlotte Preston Pinterest is an online sharing tool, referred to as a pin board, and it lets its users collect, organize, and share images of things they love. Learn why it matters to jewelers.

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VENDOR

spotlights

TDRCS: Private Label Credit Cards Pack Purchasing Power Now more than ever, consumers are growing increasingly selective about the stores they patronize, and deciding where they will spend their jewelry dollars is no exception. Giving customers something “extra” is a great way to win their loyalty, and for many independent jewelry retailers, added purchasing power in the form of private label credit cards is just the ticket.

card created specifically for independent retailers of jewelry and other luxury items.

Private-label credit cards give customers the flexibility to purchase what they want, when they want it—even if they prefer not to use cash to do so. Because private label credit cards are separate and apart from bankcards, account holders can use them to complete transactions without worrying about exceeding the line of credit available on their Visa, Master Card or other similar account.

Feinsinger added that private label cards also give consumers an extra measure of buying power through special promotions, such as allowing no-interest payments to be made over a six- or 12-month period. Jewelry retailers also can offer promotions under which equal installments may be spread out over a period of 24 or 36 months, at a low annual percentage rate (APR). While customers do incur interest charges when taking advantage of promotions that involve low monthly installment payments—9.9 percent for L.J.C. cardholders—many will find that the rates are still better than those associated with traditional bankcards.

“With private label, there is a measure of shopping ‘leverage’ consumers just don’t have when they are limited to bankcards,” said Karel Feinsinger, National Account Manager at TD Retail Card Services (TDRCS). TDRCS provides a private label credit card solution for RJO members in the form of its L.J.C. (Luxury, Jewelry, Class) card, a full-featured, revolving private label credit

“When it comes to buying power, private label credit cards are a very attractive proposition,” Feinsinger concluded. “This is true for consumers as well as for the retailers that serve them.”

For more information on the L.J.C. private label card, contact TDRCS at (201) 818-4000 ext, 3603/3128, or visit www.rjomembers.com, login and go to TD Retail Card Services.

JewelConnect 2.0 Template Revealed JewelConnect, the RJO exclusive web marketing system used by more than 600 retailers, has released details of the new Store Profile page for members. See below. These new profiles have more functionality, more ways to index well on search engines like Google and many more features as well.

JewelConnect is presenting a seminar of the all-new “Version 2.0” at the upcoming Phoenix Buying Show, They will introduce three new web applications to make searching, discovering and sharing jewelry much more fun and interesting. Below is a sneak peek at the new template with a handful of features illustrated.

You can view a color version of this sneak peek at: http://www.jewelconnect.com/jc20sneakpeek.pdf

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JEWELER

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marketing

Mefford’s Jewelers Having a Blast with E-mail Marketing This past August Mefford’s Jewelers in Florence, Alabama, launched a monthly e-mail blast campaign, and so far, the response is good.

“We have had several positive responses, and we are beginning to see e-mails being forwarded to others,” says store manager Adam McCanless. “With the technically advanced generation coming up, it is a great way to get your name in their mind. It is also very cost efficient. We will send approximately 900 e-mails this month for $25. If we were to mail 900 postcards, it would cost us approximately $260.”

Mefford’s, owned by Olin and Russell Mefford, has addressed a variety of topics in their blasts, including an instore remount event, their RJO-hosted Antwerp trip, and popular items and lines. “We send out at least one e-mail per month,” says McCanless. “If we are having a

special event or sale, and of course during the holiday season, we will increase the number of e-mails to as many as one per week.

We attempt not to explode anyone’s inbox but still get his or her attention.”

The jeweler, which serves a population of about 50,000, starts their blast process by brainstorming topics.

“We think about our best sellers for holidays, special events, and time of the year, such as football season,” says McCanless. “We browse and find specific images for promotions, as well as use information provided by the company to describe each promotion or specific item.”

McCanless produces the blast with the help of three colleagues: “Rebecca Ivy maintains our e-mail list, and Mallory Gann and Jessica Keehn work with the design and writing,” he says. “We put all information and graphics into pre-created templates on Constant Contact, and after the e-mail is completed, it is proofed by at least two-to-three people before being sent out.”

Mefford’s maintains about 300 contacts on their e-mail blast list, and they acquire names via civic clubs, as well as collect them in the store.

Mefford’s store manager Adam McCanless may be reached at: meffords@comcast.net

NEW Adjewelation Jewelry

Brian Lewis Montrose, CO

Rome Jewelers Joseph Sodini, Lorie Jenkins Wilmington, OH

Hutcherson Jewelry, Inc.

St. John & Myers Jewelry

David Hutcherson, Debra Allen Monroeville, AL

Olivia Johnson Scholz, Louis Scholz Lexington, KY

James Martin Jewelers

Towne Square Jewelers

Lucas Doland Dubuque, IA

members

Warwick Jewelers

Barry Maglin Exton, PA

Referred by Greg Grefin, 24 Karat Rose Co., Wayzata, MN

Joseph Sodini Hillsboro, OH

Thank you to the jewelers referring new members to our group. These jewelers will receive a $1,000 finder’s fee for their referral, payable after a new member has been in good standing for six months.

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Marketing Matters: Apple—not Tiffany’s—is the Jewel of Retail Marketing

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hat is the typical customer experience in your store? How much does it really matter?

According to the research firm Retail Sails, Apple’s retail stores have passed Tiffany’s in sales-per-square-foot. Actually they didn’t pass them as much as they stomped them into the ground, more than doubling ($6,050) what Tiffany’s ($3,017) does.

Tiffany’s has been in the jewelry business for more than 175 years. Apple has not.

Tiffany’s has some of the most beautiful jewelry in the world, an expansive inventory, a fabulous reputation and prices that could shock St. Nicholas himself. The majority of purchases in the Apple store are for items under $500, and the range of the products they sell could fit on a kitchen table.

So how does a store selling electronic gadgets and goodies—which are, by the way, all available online at the Apple website and multiple other retail outlets— double the sales-per-square-foot of one of the most recognized and respected jewelry stores in the world?

Cool products, urgency and customer service to die for. Oh, and the stores look really great too.

I’ll assume that most of you have been to an Apple retail store, but for those of you that have not, it is a very fun experience.

The stores are airy, very large and very,

very well lit. There is nothing unique about the layout: two rows of tables run from the front of the store to the back. Each table is full of electronics on either side, while the walls also have a row of merchandise.

So you’ve got six rows of merchandise running from the front of the store (a huge glass display case) to the rear (the customer help center, which is also known as the Genius Bar.) In between the front of the store and the rear are anywhere from 15-25 employees.

It seems like a small army of geeky looking folks who are engaging and seem to be honestly interested in what they can help you with. If you are anything like me, technology is not the easiest thing to grasp, and this army of interested and concerned employees is very welcome.

You never feel stupid asking questions, and if you need any help or in-depth assistance, head right on back to the Genius Bar and spend a few moments of quality time with a geek of your own.

Let’s go back to the display tables for just a second: they are covered with internetconnected computers, iPads, iPods, Nanos, Shuffles, iPhones, etc. Grab one, take it for a test drive, spend time with it in your hands, ask questions, jump on the web and just enjoy using the products.

3) Offer the type of customer service that you love to get. A big warm smile and call them by name if you know it. If you don’t know their name, ask and remember it.

4) Engage the customer without hunting or chasing them around the store. Be attentive but not a pest. Give them their space, but be prepared to jump in to answer a question.

5) Answer any and all questions, and make them feel good about asking them. Give them a card, and encourage them to call or stop by anytime they have a question.

6) Set up your store to showcase the sizzle. Make it easy to get around and really show off your jewelry. Do you know how many businesses would kill to have a product as visually appealing as yours?

7) Sincerely thank your customers, whether they bought anything or not.

Invite them back. Start a relationship that could pay off for years.

Go experience an Apple store and see for yourself. It looks tough, but it isn’t. It does work though. I’ve just finished this on my new Mac laptop, sitting next to my iPad and keeping up with work on the iPhone.

Relationships are powerful!

So how do you recreate an Apple experience in your local jewelry store? It may not be as tough as it sounds.

I’m betting that I can break it down into a handful of items.

1) Know your products inside and out. You are expected to be an expert. Make sure that you are.

2) Be excited and enthusiastic about your products. There is no substitute for enthusiasm and energy. People gravitate to those who have it.

Michael C. Woody is President and Chief Idea Officer of Capital Ideas. He has nearly 30 years of experience in television advertising and loyalty marketing. Phone: 515-556-5373.

E-mail: MichaelC@ideas2burn.com Website: www.ideas2burn.com

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Meet the RJO Staff: Linda Brown

B

ack in 1988, RJO hired Linda Brown as their receptionist, but she quickly became the organization’s data entry manager, This probably provides great comfort to vendors, whom Brown works with to determine vendor payments, to post invoices and calculate Buying Show vouchers.

Consistency is typical for Brown, who grew up in

Make Sure RJO Has Your Most Up-to-Date E-mail Address

Reasnor, Iowa (population 245), went to school in nearby Monroe, Iowa, and now resides there.

Her family includes her husband Curt, and their four children: Cyle, Lacey, Christina and Whitney. She also enjoys her role as grandmother of nine, “with two more on the way.”

“I enjoy working outside in my yard and doing landscaping,” says Brown. “I take care of three large fish tanks in the house and a pond out back. Also I take care of an African Grey parrot named Bentley that thinks he is human.”

When she’s not tending to animals of the air or water, Brown is still nearby. “I spend the weekends working at the golf course,” she says, “behind the counter and as a bartender. My husband spends a lot of time there as well.”

To make our contacts with you more efficient and timely, RJO is increasing the use of e-mail as a contact medium.

From regular electronic newsletters to buying show announcements, our e-mail notifications are getting more common and more important.

If you’ve changed your e-mail address lately or would prefer to receive RJO communications at a new or different address, please let us know.

Address updates and changes can be directed to Mary Harger in the RJO office at: mary@rjomembers.com or call the RJO office at: (800) 247-1774.

NEW

vendors

Grot Imaging Studio

James Grot Dixon, IL

milestones Catherine A. Mottet Dickens, wife of Willa Dickens, Herteen & Stocker Jewelers in Iowa City, IA, passed away October 25, 2012. Catherine also was mother of RJO President Terry Dickens and grandmother of RJO COO Sarah Streb. She was 83.

Barbara Morrison, co-owner of Harvey’s Diamonds and Gifts in Downtown Miami, FL, died October 21, 2012. She was 77. In 1975, she married Harvey Morrison and moved to Miami. Harvey and Barbara have owned and operated Harvey’s Diamonds and Gifts for more than 30 years and were married for 37 years.

Robert Armbruster, owner of Armbruster Jewelers in Cedarburg, WI, died November 16, 2012. He was 92. He is survived by his four children and 12 grandchildren.

Our thoughts go out to the families.

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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRAINERD MN PERMIT NO 472

The Ultimate Jeweler Resource

P. O . B o x 1 0 4 5 N e w t o n , I o w a 5 0 2 0 8 8 0 0 - 2 4 7 - 1 7 7 4 FA X : 6 4 1 - 7 9 2 - 9 2 5 1 r j o m e m b e r s . c o m

CALENDAR OF

events

December 17 Vendor Buying Show Registration deadline.

January 1 Happy New Year - RJO Office closed.

December 20 All invoices must be received in the RJO office to count towards patronage dividend.

January 10 All payments must be received in RJO Office.

February 14 Valentine’s Day

January 23 All invoices due in RJO Office.

February 18 Presidents’ Day

January 26-28 Buying Show in Phoenix, AZ.

February 22 All invoices due in RJO Office.

December 24-25 Happy Holidays - RJO Office closed.

December 28 Jeweler Buying Show Registration Deadline (to receive $250 travel voucher)

February 11 All payments must be received in RJO Office.

FREE Wanted: The Gem Gallery, Bozeman, MT, is looking for an experienced goldsmith to work full-time. E-mail resume with three references to info@gemgallery.com with “GOLDSMITH Position” in the subject line. Be sure to include a phone number.

classifieds

For Sale: Jewelry Showcases. We have jewelry showcases and related items for sale. See October In the Loupe to see a photo gallery of items available. Call Wayne at: 301-845-2200; e-mail: Wstarkey666@aol.com

To place your FREE classified advertisement in the next issue of In the Loupe, send your items by February 10, 2013, to Christopher Green via fax: 800-597-2107; via e-mail: sheridanavenuedesign@earthlink.net; or via mail: RJO, P.O. Box 1045, Newton, IA 50208.

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