Larry Lovelin offering 50% discounts on way to retirement
“I would like to extend my gratitude to my loyal customers. Without them, Springwater Jewelers would never have been possible.”
So says Larry Lovelin, on his way to a well-earned retirement after thirty-eight years as a master jeweler, including seventeen-plus years at his popular location at 35 East Powell Blvd. in downtown Gresham.
While the future of the retail space in the historic former Dowsett Building is not clear, Lovelin’s hope is to find another jeweler to set up shop there. “That would be ideal,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many times customers have asked, ‘who’s going to take care of us after you retire?’ I then decided to hire a professional broker, Murphy Business and Financial Corporation, which I think will be the best for my customers.”
As a further show of gratitude toward his 8,000+ customer base, Lovelin is offering a 50% discount on most merchandise. His collection of clocks is significantly marked down as well.
“My lease is up in February,” Lovelin affirms, as he prepares the store for its final holiday season. After that, he and wife Carla are headed for full-time rest and relaxation at their home in Bend.
“I am looking forward to creating our retirement years together,” says Carla, a career nurse now retired.
During the Northwest Connection interview, regular customers filtered in and out, all of them knowing that soon Lovelin’s proprietorship will end. Cindy Hulser, in to pick up a jewelry item that she had repaired, offered the following testimonial: “I have enjoyed Larry very much, have found him engaging, knowledgeable, quick with turnarounds, and reasonable.”
A great deal of Lovelin’s success can be attributed to his commitment to integrity. “I have tried to offer the very best service and give my personal best every day,” he says.
That’s the main reason that, rather than just close up shop and walk away, he considers it “very important” to at least try to find someone to take over the business he’s built over the years. If he is unable to do so, he intends to refer his customers to a reputable fellow jeweler.
Giving back is another key aspect of Lovelin’s commitment to the community. He has supported auctions for all the local Gresham schools’ athletics, music, and their supplies. In addition, has regularly contributed to Snowcap Community Charities.
In one ongoing philanthropic contribution, Lovelin donates one dollar to My Father’s House—a local family shelter—for every watch battery he sells in a given year. “One year I sold 1,036.00 batteries,” he remembers.
Whatever Lovelin doesn’t sell as part of his close-out sale and the upcoming busy holiday season, he will sell online, or by consignment at other locations. “I’ll probably be working some even after we close,” he says, “just to get everything squared away.”
In another indication of his desire to hand-off the business to another jeweler, Lovelin offers in his sales contract transitional training, which stipulates that he will make his expertise available for a period of time to any jewelry professional who buys the store after his departure.
It makes sense that 35 East Powell Blvd. should live on as a jewelry store. When Lovelin took over seventeen years ago, the location already had a 76-year tradition of jewelry sales and service. Do the math, and that’s almost a century of beautiful gemstones, classic wedding bands, and vintage watches!
Best of luck, Larry, and thank you.
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