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Rio Grande Names Arien Gessner President

He’ll take over in early 2020.

Published

4 years ago

March 5, 2019

INSTORE Staff

Arien Gessner succeeds Alan Bell as president of Rio Grande.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Rio Grande Inc. announced that its board of directors has appointed Arien Gessner to succeed Alan Bell as president of the business, a division of Richline Group. Gessner is a current member of the board and vice president of sales and marketing.

Since joining the company, Gessner has led innovation and projects related to Rio Grande’s marketing and sales efforts, including the popular RioPro program.

“Having worked with Arien for over five years, I am very confident that he is the right person to lead Rio Grande into the future while protecting the culture and core values that are so much a part of Rio Grande’s DNA,” said Bell. Gessner will work alongside Bell for the remainder of 2019 and will assume the helm in early 2020.

“Arien is a proven leader with business vision and the ability to bring people together. His vision and energy will be invaluable to our leadership team and our company as we continue our next chapters of product innovation and legendary customer service,” said Molly Bell, executive vice president.

“The entire leadership team participated in a thoughtful approach in determining Alan’s successor, a careful process that our customers, partners and employees expected and deserved. As Alan plans for retirement in 2020 and I am just a few years behind him, Arien’s transition to this role provides a sound and exciting long-term plan for the future,” Molly Bell said.

Rio Grande’s executive team also includes Danny Cox, Mike Quinn, Nora Kennedy and Mark Weber.

Founded in 1944 by Saul Bell, Rio Grande is a supplier serving jewelers worldwide.

Time to Do What You've Always Wanted? Time to Call Wilkerson.

It was time. Teri Allen and her brother, Nick Pavlich, Jr., had been at the helm of Dearborn Jewelers of Plymouth in Plymouth, Mich., for decades. Their father, Nick Pavlich, Sr., had founded the store in 1950, but after so many wonderful years helping families around Michigan celebrate their most important moments, it was time to get some “moments” of their own. Teri says Wilkerson was the logical choice to run their retirement sale. “They’re the only company that specializes in closing jewelry stores,” she says. During the sale, Teri says a highlight was seeing so many generations of customers who wanted to buy “that one last piece of jewelry from us.” Would she recommend Wilkerson? Absolutely. “There is no way that I would have been able to do this by myself.”