Avery in the News

James Avery Craftsman: The Man & The Company

By Lisa A Bastian, Country Lifestyle Magazine
July/August 2006

SOMEWHERE IN THE HEART of the Hill Country, in a secluded enclave, a silver-haired older gentleman and his workers have spent decades handcrafting exquisite jewelry made from the earth and the sea. Does Santa have an outpost in Texas? No, but he does have a kindred spirit in the body of 84-year-old James Avery.

This local living legend is the founder, chairman and CEO of James Avery Craftsman (JAC). In the highly competitive world of jewelry, with tens of thousands of players, the privately held company recently achieved recognition as one of the nation's premiere jewelers. Indeed, JAC is peerless in many remarkable ways. Perhaps the most amazing thing about this family-owned enterprise, however, is its fiercely loyal and constantly expanding client base.

Most buyers are not jet-setting fashionistas, but rather everyday Texans who've worn Avery's work for decades, elevating both the man and his jewelry to icon status. In these parts, "Avery fever" is not a disease to avoid. In fact, the more Avery jewelry on your body, the better. Typically customers are females of diverse age and income who share one commonality; something that could only be described as a serious addiction to Avery's simple, timeless design. Generations of customers have been wearing and passing down his creations, destined to be cherished by more generations to come.

The human eye, and possibly the human heart, sees something truly special and different in the company's Texas-born products. From the beginning, JAC has been fortunate enough to have created and maintained a unique style easily recognized in thousands of original pieces sold over the past 52 years. Called "the Avery Look," it's clearly evident in JAC's active product line comprised of over 1,100 charms, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and gifts handcrafted in white, 14-karat and 18-karat gold; sterling silver; and gemstones.

FORTY BOUTIQUE STORES sell the company's products. Most are located in Texas, but a few stores are scattered in Georgia, Oklahoma and Colorado. Additional income comes from mail-order sales and an Internet store at www.jamesavery.com. In 2006 alone, management estimates JAC will post over $100 million in sales.

"He's just about the nicest man you'll ever meet in your life," candidly shares a smiling Avery retail store employee when I discretely ask for a description of The Boss. "He's a very down-to-earth person, and talks to everyone." Days later, I visit JAC's world headquarters to meet the master designer for an exclusive interview.

Avery's laid-back campus is situated in the tranquil community of Kerrville, sprawled on 40 acres of rolling, picturesque, Hill Country terrain. Its location may surprise some people, who envision such a successful jewelry business operating in a gleaming metropolitan skyscraper populated by bling-encrusted executives. But for true JAC aficionados — and those who know the Avery family — this place mirrors up perfectly to the corporate image on display in the retail stores and in the Avery Look.

Inside a few low-level, light-filled buildings connected by flower-lined walkways, employees seem to radiate pride and dedication as they quietly design, create, distribute or manage the firm's products. The networked creative process also spills over to five workshops in neighboring cities. More than 450 of the firm's 1,300 workers employed nationwide are skilled craftspeople.

James Avery's ground-floor office exudes a warm, comfortable aura courtesy of its large windows, earth-toned colors, captivating displayed art and jewelry, and large family photo collection. It is here that he still conducts business and creates innovative designs on a regular basis.

AVERY WARMLY GREETS ME FROM the other side of his desk, then shares a few stories and jokes. I immediately recognize he's a "character" — and that's a good thing. As the wife and daughter of benevolent characters, I instinctively understand this larger-than-life, confident personality type which tends to energize and command the attention of others. For the next three hours we talk about everything from art, his company and religion, to family, the meaning of life and the importance of helping others.

Sketches of new designs are piled up on one side of his desk. He shows me a new design for a cross pendant he's been working on. It's simple, attractive, and will undoubtedly be a good seller if made. Avery reveals that jewelry ideas come from his imagination, great art and architecture, and most notably, nature. At one point, we both admire the giant, symmetrical and lovely leaf on an office plant, marveling at how it has elements of the Avery Look. "You wouldn't believe how hard it is to do simple." he tells me, laughing.

JAC is one of the few jewelry firms that embraces a complete design-to-production-to-retail process. Its skilled craftspeople do die striking and casting, and many items are hand-crafted or feature hand-applied details. It can take six to seven months "from start to finish" for the typical piece.

AVERY ENJOYS TALKING ABOUT the beginnings of his business. After piloting bombers in World War II, Avery earned a B.F.A. in industrial design from the University of Illinois, and taught art a few years (1946 to 1954) at the university level. It was here he discovered jewelry as a form of applied art. After years as an agnostic, he recently had embraced Christianity, so a religious symbol seemed like a natural thing to make. A book on making jewelry served as his teacher, and Jesus Christ, his inspiration. For his first piece: a silver cross.

In 1954, Avery moved to Kerrville to be closer to family. With a $250 investment and workshop space in a two-car garage, he decided to enter the entrepreneurial world. Letters with money — $6 here, $15 there — came pouring in for payment of a variety of things he began to handcraft. "They always had a thank-you note in them for some reason," he recalls. "I thought to myself, "I think I'm going to make it." (He laughs recalling how the bank wouldn't use the mountain of letters as collateral for a loan.) Sales topped $5,500 that first year. Word of mouth spread news about the young silversmith, and sales continued to increase.

Early on, Avery discovered a lucrative niche market in terms of sales and marketing: Hill Country summer camps for girls. Camp Mystic, Camp Waldemar and similar camps played a huge part in jump starting the company, he notes. Campers and their parents fell in love with the specialized silver charms Avery made helping the youth mark play-time memories. Then, after the girls returned home, the little silver charms from Avery drove future sales.

Today, JAC produces about 200 charms specifically for 10 camps; ting reminders of cabins, activities and awards, years attended, and shared fun. Charms remain a backbone of the company, and are represented in one-third of the products offered.

IN 1957 AVERY HIRED HIS FIRST EMPLOYEE, Fred Garcia, and put together his first Christian catalog featuring 39 handmade pieces. He remembers Fred (deceased 20 years) as being "a natural teacher; he did such a great job training others. I've had some wonderful employees over the years." Humbly, he acknowledges that much of his success is due to those people who have helped him. "I am only as good as the people around me."

In 1969, Avery (incorporated then as james Avery Craftsman) moved his operations to the present location, a few blocks from the garage, with 20 employees. The firm posted $150,000 in sales that year. The first retail store opened in 1973 in Dallas, with a second one opening the following year in Houston.

Notable public accomplishments are many. They include designing and making the communion vessels used by Pope John Paul II during a Mass in San Antonio (1987); "San Antonio Entrepreneur of the Year" recognition (1988); and producing special charms for astronauts on the Space Shuttle Endeavor (1996).

With all this success, nothing yet has eclipsed the joy Avery experienced when two of his sons joined JAC in 1990 and 1991. Paul is executive vice president and oversees company sales, customer service, real estate and retail development, Chris, Paul's older brother and a board-certified anesthesiologist, serves as president and chief operating officer.

TACKED ON THE WALL of the main design studio are four plaques; each with a different word carved in it. Together, these four words — simplicity, integrity, meaning and universality — describe the attributes and values Avery desires both his jewelry and company philosophy to convey.

The founder hasn't forgotten his original inspiration. Like the charms, today about one-fourth of JAC's items are symbols of faith. "We're a faith-based company," he says with conviction. "I follow Christ because I think He wanted to teach us how to live...I give thanks daily to the Creator. And I believe in the Lord, and trust in Him, with all my heart and soul."

That strong belief is visually represented in the company's logo. "I got tired of seeing fish representing Christianity," he explains, "So I thought about using a small candelabra to represent that Jesus is the light of the world." It's also seen in JAC's 50th Anniversary Cross, depicting the Creation along with other relevant Christian symbols. Avery designed it "in thanksgiving" for his firm's prosperity.

Being a light to the world takes many forms. The Avery family (which includes wife Estela, seven children and numerous grandchildren) enjoys finding ways to give back to others. That may take the form of donating to efforts to build hospitals and schools or funding scholarships benefiting American youth as well as Third World children. Recently, on behalf of employees, JAC donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to aid families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

"To be born in this country along is a blessing," reflects Avery as we wind down our interview. "Giving is what life's all about. Everything I had was given to me; my life, my education, supportive friends and family. I am truly blessed."

Lisa A. Bastian, an award-winning journalist, is managing editor of Country Lifestyle. Product photos courtesy of James Avery Craftsman.