Throughout the previous months following Starnes Jewelers declared it was closing soon after extra than 120 years of serving the community, Chris Bramlett, a certified gemologist appraiser who labored at the retail outlet because 1981, understood he was not however ready to retire and was also not completely ready to see this kind of a traditionally sizeable establishment close its doors.
It became apparent in talking to individuals throughout the community that it would not be pretty excellent if Albemarle were remaining without having a jeweler the stature and variety that Starnes experienced been for 124 a long time, he stated.
So even although his brother-in-law Gene Starnes, who experienced owned the store considering that 1976, could no lengthier work the organization due to a variety of health difficulties, it was decided amongst the two gentlemen that Bramlett would take more than as owner and keep on operating the keep, this time less than the title Starnes Bramlett. The rebranded business officially reopened past week.
Chris Bramlett is getting above as proprietor of Starnes Jewelers, which is now Starnes Bramlett.
This is not Bramletts initially time proudly owning a jewellery retailer. Throughout a around 15-yr stint in the 1990s and early 2000s, Bramlett left the Albemarle small business to establish his individual retail store in downtown Concord identified as Christophers Jewelers. He served as president and operator right until 2004 in advance of closing and coming again to Starnes.
Apart from a couple of variances, there will be much less of an emphasis on reward products and residence merchandise for instance the shop is much the exact same as it is always been. He claimed longtime worker Dolores Talbert will turn out to be general manager and consider on more duties.
You could not have a improved staff to run a jewelry store than what we have, he claimed. They realized the persons and they know the merchandise.
Bramlett explained the general public response to the news that the shop, which features customs from close to the region, has been better than he at any time could have predicted.
Its been incredible, he reported. I had no plan that it be received like its been acquired. Just about everywhere I go persons look for me out and notify me how happy they are that Starnes Bramlett is listed here and that were going to be the very same jewelry keep that they have been accustomed to all their life.
Bramlett notes that although Gene Starnes was disappointed that situations prevented him from continuing the retail outlet, he has finished almost everything inside his power to guarantee the new iteration of the shop will be a extended-long lasting achievement.
Gene will not be an operator, but Gene Starnes can hardly ever be separated from the jewelry keep in downtown Albemarle, Bramlett said.
Even while hes 83, Bramlett, who not long ago served a stint on the Albemarle City Council, claimed hes in outstanding well being and has no programs on retiring whenever before long.
As long as Im healthful and can really appear to perform in the mornings, I system to do that, he stated. If someday in the long term the time comes for me to action apart, Ill do anything I can to make confident the retail store proceeds.
Starnes Bramlett is open up 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.