Manager celebrates 40 years at Palmer's Jewelry - Kokomo Tribune
John Martin wasn’t planning on mentioning to his colleagues at Palmer’s Jewelry he had recently celebrated his 40th anniversary working at the retail store.
His wife mentioning it at the store’s Christmas party is what tipped off his co-workers that he had quietly passed a milestone.
So, how was the Palmer’s staff planning to celebrate?
“I’m not supposed to know it, but I think there’s a cake over there,” said Martin in his office, motioning to an adjoining room.
While steadily approaching 69 years old in February, Martin said he’s cut down his hours as store manager, but his love of the business, and the people who are along for the ride, are keeping him working.
“You know, our customers … aren’t just our customers, they’re our friends. We get very close with our customers,” said Martin, adding he’s sold jewelry to three generations at this point.
“When you have a home-owned store like this downtown, your customers are your friends, and they’re loyal customers. Some people were in here yesterday and said I sold them their rings 32 years ago.”
Before managing, and before making sales, Martin started out stringing beads, sizing rings and repairing electric razors.
“Back in the old days, jewelry stores sold electric razors. Drug stores and other places didn’t have them,” said Martin. “Drugs stores back then were soda fountains — they didn’t sell stuff like that. A drug store was a place you went to get ice cream and other things like that.”
He was 14 years old at the time, working at Ferris Bower Jewelry in his home town of Decatur. As an apprentice watchmaker, he said he had the chance to do a little bit of everything, but remembers the day he first got into sales.
He was outside washing a window when a friend from Boy Scouts came up to him and said he wanted to buy a diamond ring.
So, he took his friend into the store, and helped him choose and buy the ring he wanted.
“The owner of the store, Ferris, said, ‘Well, it looks like you’re going to be in sales now.’ So I started selling,” he said.
He worked there until he graduated in 1966.
“Three days after graduation, I was on a bus headed for the military. I joined the Air Force.”
After serving as a weapons specialist, he went back to Ferris Bower until he was married, at which time went to work at the Crawfordsville location of Hillman Jewelers.
During that time he learned a lot about the art of merchandising and advertising, although, he added, even after all this time, he’s still learning new things.
Since filling in as store manager of Palmer’s just over 40 years ago, Martin has seen a lot change. The store has expanded — both in square footage and in stock as the showroom expanded further back from its spot at the corner of Sycamore and Main streets in downtown Kokomo.
It has included the Kokomo Watch Co., which Martin says receives pieces for repair every day, and from all across the country.
“We do a lot back here that people don’t know about, that comes in through the mail,” said Martin, referencing the watch repair shop in the back of the store, out of view from inside the showroom.
The three watch repair people employed at Palmer’s go to classes annually to continuously learn and update their craft.
That theme — learning and updating — is paramount in the business world, Martin said. It’s something he’s picked up throughout all his years of experience. As the world changes, Martin’s learned you have to change with it to succeed, something he says he’s grown accustomed to doing.
“So many … people go into business, and they try to sell a product that they love, but they don’t do their research to find out whether anybody else wants to buy that product. You can like something, but you have to sell what somebody else wants to buy,” he said.
“And that is the secret.”
He’s seen the Palmer’s staff change, too, and recognizing he’ll hang up the reins eventually, he’s been training Jessica Keller to take over the manager position at some point.
“My dad always said the best sign of wisdom is knowing who to ask for advice, and definitely when it comes to this industry at all, John is the man to ask,” said Keller.
Other employees at Palmer’s took some time to brag on Martin, too.
“John has always created such a positive work environment for everyone here. He’s always happy and joking around, laughing and just keeping everyone upbeat. He’s very approachable when we have questions about the jewelry business and also when it comes to personal business,” said Michelle Shoemaker. “He really truly cares about each person that walks through our doors and people feel that, and that’s why they keep coming back.”
And although Martin wanted to keep his 40th anniversary low-key, his co-workers didn’t feel the same way.
“We do have a cake that we brought in today,” said Keller.
