Avery in the News

From the Hill Country to the Rockies

By Gerard MacCrossan
Kerrville Daily Times

Published August 13, 2005

On Friday, James Avery will open its 40th retail store in McAllen, less than a month since store no. 39 opened in Colorado.

The move into the Centennial State, the fourth for the company, comes more than 50 years since the first James Avery jewelry was created there. Jim taught design at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the early 1950s, and created his first piece of jewelry. It came at a time when he regained his Christian faith and it was a turning point in his personal and professional life.

“It was a big turn in my life, taking the right road for a change,” Avery said. “I saw a cross in a store window called Colebergs (now closed) — at that time they were a store known for their antiques, especially Indian pawn pieces.”

Avery said he saw an Indian cross in the window and decided to make one for himself.

“I sawed it out for myself, filed it and sanded it and put it on a string around my neck,” he said. “Some kids in the Canterbury (Episcopal) Club (at U.C. Boulder) saw it around my neck.”

Avery said two of them persuaded him to make them versions of the cross, a design still available in the James Avery line. He gave them the crosses, and to their surprise would accept no payment.

“One of the guys started to cry,” Avery said. “I thought, ‘Avery, you’ve touched somebody’s heart.’”

Within a couple of years, James Avery Craftsman, as the company was known until last year, was in business. The secular jewelry forms a large part of the Kerrville-based company’s range of designs and is a major part of the $85 million in annual retail sales.

Jim Avery, now in his 80s, returned to Colorado for the July 22 store opening in Littleton, Colo. A lot of former Texas residents live in the area, and came to the new store’s opening, he said.

The company’s executive vice president and one of Jim’s sons, Paul Avery, has taken a lead role in establishing the new stores. Opening in the Denver area has been an intention for a couple of years, Paul said. Another store in Boulder, north of the Colorado capital, is likely to follow before long.

Increasing retail outlets is a good avenue for the company to grow as it looks at moving beyond the borders of Texas. A special Colorado charm helped launch the company’s presence in Colorado, Paul said. The company’s often quiet commitment to its communities wasn’t ignored in Littleton, either, with all jewelry sale proceeds at the opening event donated to The Children’s Hospital of Denver.

“We do have a lot of Texas-type pieces but we think our designs are pretty universal,” he said. “We appeal not just to Texas, but also everybody. We sell to customers in all 50 states and some foreign countries.”

Internet and mail-order sales account for about 10 percent of James Avery’s business. The retail stores account for the remainder. In conjunction with new-store openings and a change in catalog marketing this year, retail shops have helped boost sales.

“Our store sales have improved about 4 percent from last year,” Paul said. “That’s good to see; it shows some healthy recovery,” he said, referring to the company’s ability to rehire some personnel laid off on the manufacturing almost two years ago.

We’ve done a few things differently this year, including designing five catalogs instead of three,” Paul said. “We’re trying to be a little more proactive than we were in the past.”

Next week, attention will turn to McAllen, a very different community from suburban Denver, whose predominantly Hispanic population also is recognized as a strong market by the James Avery company.

“I’m really surprised and overwhelmed and really full of gratitude how the Hispanics accepted our work,” he said. “Visiting Mexico many times, I’m in awe of their culture. I love Mexican folk art and have a real affinity for that.”

That appreciation has been a strong influence in Avery’s design over the years.

A substantial portion of the company’s workforce is composed of Mexican nationals and Mexican-Americans. He said many of them have demonstrated great creativity on the production line and amazing hand-eye coordination.

“There is a lot of hand work in our production,” he said. “We have some women who can tie beads beautifully; I’d have a hard time doing one in 30 minutes.”

While James Avery is a long way from the one- or two-person business that operated in the 1950s, its founder still offers his input on the designs that bear his hallmark.

About 120 to 130 new designs will be produced this year. Many are in the popular charm market, but coming, too, is more jewelry featuring precious stones.

“Our (typical) customer is someone with children, who has a good income but is not the Hollywood crowd — celebrities that can afford $10,000 or $15,000 pieces,” Jim said. “Our average price is $40.”

That is reflected in the new designs and the materials employed in production. More than half the pieces sold are silver, but quality is a must, he said.

“ I want substance, not so much hype. That’s what sells our jewelry.”

A new design this year is a charm for autism awareness.

“It was an idea some one gave to me,” Jim said. “We may not sell that many, but I wanted to make it available to others.

“We’re not so interested in getting big as meeting our customers needs,” he said. “The longer we stay around, the more customers we have.”

For more information about James Avery, visit www.jamesavery.com. The James Avery retail store in Kerrville is located north of Kerrville on Avery Road off Harper Road.

Gerard MacCrossan may be reached at gerard.maccrossan@dailytimes.com.