Silpada Designs Sterling Silver Jewelry

The founders of Silpada Designs took a small jewelry business and grew it into the world's largest seller of sterling silver through home parties. VIDEO: Jewelry desgin owners discuss the passion behind growing their small business MORE: Tips for starting a business and keeping your day job Canyon Ranch spa grew by keeping its special brand identity When the trio began to consider selling... Instead, they hoped to transform into a global jewelry giant. Founders Teresa Walsh, Bonnie Kelly and Bonnie's husband, Jerry Kelly , reaped a huge payday. Among the most important items: keep Silpada a stand-alone company and continue to manage the operations. "This was not about selling the company and making money and retiring," Walsh says. It catered to women and would know how to work with Silpada's more than 30,000 existing sales reps. CEO Jerry Kelly says they grew in a "conservative and stable and sound way," which increased the value of the firm.

With operations in the U. S. , Canada and the U. K. , and a sales force 32,000 strong, the 13-year old company is the largest and fastest-growing direct seller of sterling silver jewelry with an estimated $230 million in annual sales. Jewelry is a smallish segment for Avon (around 17 percent of the total business ) and most of the products it carries retail for under $25. Growing the jewelry business is another matter. In addition to detailed retail company profiles, we bring you industry analysis on new retailers, products, mergers and acquisitions, consumer spending figures, and a host of other important issues pertinent to the retail sector. BNET Retail provides daily industry trends and news coverage with insights for managers and executives about the key players in the consumer retail industry. And instead of investing millions on R&D, sourcing materials and suppliers (read: reinventing the wheel) Avon simply snagged Silpada.

More than 200 pieces of sterling silver and semi-precious gemstone jewelry by Silpada Designs will be on display noon to 4 pm April 30 at Discovery Shop West, 20470 Lorain Road, Fairview Park, said Cindy Guay, Silpada consultant.

In addition, the show will include a raffle for items donated by the show's vendors, which in addition to the above mentioned are: Air Chair, Au Naturel Designs, Bath Fitter, BeadJeweled, Brown Hill Tree Co., Emilie Artistic Design in Sterling Silver,