(Editor’s note: This is the 37th installment in a monthly series highlighting some of the region’s unsung manufacturers that make products essential to the economy and, in many cases, our way of life. See previous installments here.)
Haverhill Leach was by birthright heir to a Rhode Island family jewelry-making dynasty spanning five generations.
Her great-grandfather, Edwin Leach, founded Leach and Miller Co. in the late 19th century. But it was her father, Ted Leach, who she says is responsible for her foray into jewelry design, asking her to design a piece for a side project.
After stints as a handbag designer in New York and owner of a swimwear company in Los Angeles, in 2013 she founded Haverhill, which has since gained recognition for its bespoke jewelry featuring custom, made-to-order pieces crafted from 14-karat gold and personalized birthstones.
Leach took the show on the road, traveling up to 180 days a year, attending trunk shows nationwide and garnering connections in the industry.
It was the introduction of layered necklaces featuring family birthstones that cemented the vision.
“There was a consistent demand for birthstone jewelry,” she said. “I kept getting requests.”
Clients can customize their jewelry with unique lettering and various chain lengths, choosing from a selection of classic and lab-grown diamonds, and colored gemstones such as emeralds, rubies, sapphires and opals.
“Every piece is crafted specifically for the customer,” Leach said.
Leach met Andrej Strojin, a management consultant whose business acumen perfectly complemented Haverhill’s artistic vision, on the Bumble dating app in 2018.
They were married four months later.
With Strojin as CEO, the company has seen its sales quadruple.
As the holiday season approaches, Haverhill is preparing once again to scale operations by increasing its team of jewelers from four to 10 and more than doubling overall staff to roughly 65.
The company has streamlined production timelines from a week to just one to three days and can bring a new line from conception to completion in just a few weeks.
The various lines pay tribute to the diverse cities and towns, including Bristol, Warren, Providence and Newport collections.
Unlike typical manufacturing firms that maintain inventory levels around 30%, Haverhill keeps its inventory ratio under 8% of revenues.
“Our goal is to operate efficiently,” Strojin said. “We calculate all the necessary components, eliminating the burden of unused products. Costs in this industry can be highly unpredictable. Every jeweler is currently dealing with gold prices.”
Haverhill has achieved a compound annual growth rate surpassing 40% over the past four years and has surpassed the $10 million mark. Today, 30% of customers return for additional purchases within a year.
One strategy introduced by Strojin is the integration of artificial intelligence to analyze customer purchasing trends using big-data analytics.
“We can accurately forecast purchasing patterns six weeks in advance,” he said. “It’s an extremely efficient and data-driven approach.”
Haverhill’s strictly online made-to-order business model was further solidified during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We believe that personalization has not yet reached its full potential,” Strojin said. “Our aim is to disrupt this industry.”
In 2021, Haverhill established its headquarters in Warren, operating from a repurposed mill building adjacent to The Guild brewery and which has entire floors dedicated to design, production, customer service and quality control.
The company has a team of in-house graphic and user-experience designers and programmers.
[caption id="attachment_506132" align="alignright" width="298"]
BESPOKE PIECE: Haverhill is known for its items with colored gemstones, including emeralds, rubies, sapphires and opals. Pictured is a Greenwich mini-flower necklace.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
The precise and intricate process utilizes laser technology to etch designs, text, or patterns onto the jewelry, using design software to craft the desired text, logo, or image before going to the laser-engraving machine, which has several settings for intensity, speed and frequency. The beam is focused on the surface, where it vaporizes or melts away the material to create the engraving.
Active on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, Haverhill not only markets its personalized jewelry but also provides a glimpse behind the scenes of the process.
The company supplements its online marketing strategy with multimedia campaigns and influencer collaborations to enhance brand visibility.
Haverhill continues to invest in cutting-edge technology, including two 3D printers that complement the company’s arsenal of computer-aided design, or CAD-enabled, laser-engraving machines and specialized jeweler benches.
These printers allow for the rapid production of plastic prototypes so Haverhill can visualize designs before committing any costly materials.
Haverhill encourages employees, whether starting as polishers or stone setters, to learn and develop new skills under the mentorship of experienced jewelers.
Bailey Kent, Haverhill’s chief of staff, said that hires with no experience in a production facility or fine jewelry can get up to speed within a few months. She spent decades in the nonprofit and early childhood education sector before joining Haverhill.
Sydney Goulet, now process control manager, has been with the company for almost three years, spending thousands of hours meticulously scrutinizing and sorting gemstones.
“Now I track orders and make sure everything gets shipped on time,” Goulet said. “It’s pretty cool to see how creative our customers are.”
As Haverhill focuses on expanding market share and attracting new customers, Leach said it’s about connecting with loyal clients who return to add stones to their jewelry through the years as their families grow.
“It’s about forging human connections through jewelry,” she said. “No matter your style, whether you’re shopping for a grandmother or a daughter, there’s something to commemorate every milestone in your family.”
