About Alan Lodinger

Texas Star and Road Warrior Alan Lodinger accidentally made his way into the jewelry business, and reflecting back more than 35 years later, he wouldn’t have had it any other way.  After graduating from the University of Florida in 1984, he moved to Texas to live near his brother.  Since his brother was already a sales rep in the jewelry business, he offered Alan the opportunity to “sub-rep” his lines.  Sales didn’t come easy to Alan, especially since he was not an outgoing person at the time.  Being new to the state of Texas and also new to the industry didn’t help, either.  However, Alan rose to the challenge by reading books (Zig Ziglar’s “The Secret of Closing the Sale” was one of his favorites), and putting himself on a fast-track learning curve which took him through what he jokingly refers to as “The School of Hard Knocks.”

Here is more from an an interview with a former Director of the Texas Jewelers Association – see the story as it appears in the magazine here.

TJA Magazine:  What was your first line, and how did it work out for you?

I sub-repped for my brother for 3 years, and Hadley Roma was my first line.  Hadley-Roma is a division of Roma Industries, and they are one of the leading manufacturers in watch attachments, men’s and women’s leather belts and fashion accessories.  Hadley-Roma is a proud manufacturer and distributor of Made in the USA products, and I still carry Hadley-Roma products to this day, which speaks to the quality of their products, and the success my customers have had in selling Hadley-Roma merchandise.

TJA Magazine:  Which line came next for you?

In 1996, I started carrying the full line of Charles-Hubert Paris  pocket watches, wrist watches and writing instruments to meet customer requests.

TJA Magazine:  How has the changing economy affected the lines you carry?

When the stock market crashed and metal prices turned high, I started looking for a quality product that could meet the needs of my customers and fit into the $100 – $300 price point range that jewelers lost because gold prices got too high.  I interviewed with ELLE Jewelry, and for my customers and their customers, ELLE Jewelry has been a perfect fit.  I expanded my territory from just 8 accounts to more than 100 accounts that I currently service with ELLE.  I was the top rep in the USA for 2014 (ed. update: and now 2021).  I think a lot of the success I’ve had can be attributed to the fact that the ELLE brand makes fashion accessible and speaks to feminine, positive and self-confident women.  Today’s consumers like to express their individuality, and ELLE jewelry is designed to do just that!

TJA Magazine:  What other products round out your lines?

I carry Hagerty jewelry cleaner, and I personally think it’s the best jewelry cleaning product on the market.  It not only works great on standard jewelry items (gold, diamonds, silver and gemstones), but also on pearls and porous materials.  The fact that jewelers can have the product branded with their store logo, and the unique, fast-acting, foam formula makes this product and easy one for me to sell my customers.

I also carry a great product called Universal EZ back.  It’s a patented earring back that comes in 14K Gold or Sterling Silver and encased in silicone which gives a very secure hold to any style of earring.  It’s a product that every store sells, it comes in 3 sizes, and it’s a high margin, high demand item, because it fills an everyday request for my retailers and is affordable.  This company now offers both freshwater and Akoya pearls too.

The Bassali Jewelry product line rounds out my selection, and the ultra-contemporary, fresh look of that line has been a fabulous addition for my retailers. This is the newest line I am repping.  I am the first and only rep they have had in this territory.

TJA Magazine:  What are the biggest changes you’ve seen over the 30+ years you’ve been in the jewelry industry?

I’m glad you said “Changes,” because I couldn’t name just one.  I think the first big change I really paid attention to was the transition from yellow to white metals and now, of course, we’re seeing the resurgence of Rose Gold.  And of course a big change in merchandising came when gold skyrocketed and jewelers had to source alternative metals to fill the “under $500” price point.

Branded jewelry brands such as ELLE now play a major role in most stores, and with the high demand for colored stones, the Bassali line is a great fit that gives showcases a nice pop at affordable prices.

As far as changes in the watch industry, when I stared 18mm bands for men and 12mm bands for women were standard.  Now the standards have moved to 22mm for men and 16mm for women.  I’m also seeing a huge increase in rubber and silicone styles, which used to be exclusive to diving watches, now being used in fashion.

I hear a lot of talk about watch sales dwindling because of smart phones, but that isn’t what I am seeing, at all.  Watches aren’t just a timepiece, they are a status symbol, and as long as people are still interested in “Keeping up with the Joneses,” watch sales will keep on ticking.