Last Laugh: Joe Donlon

Published

16 years ago

January 5, 2010

This month’s joke-teller has come a long way since his first job as a part-time jewelry store stock-boy.

Last Laugh: Joe Donlon

[h5]ABOUT OUR JOKER[/h5]

In 1970, when Joe Donlon was 16, a family friend called and offered him a part-time stock-boy gig in a jewelry store. “They would pay me $1.25 per hour and I would get paid every Friday,” Donlon recalls. “I needed an 8-track stereo for my $200 used car, so I said “You betcha.” But, as these stories go, that was only the beginning of a long career in jewelry.

Donlon earned his diamond grading certificate from GIA and became interested in watch repair, learning the craft from the store’s watchmaker. When the store closed in 1983, he was immediately recruited by a high-end jeweler at the local mall, where he obtained his GIA colored-stone certificate and created and managed the watch department. Finally, in 2001, he started his own business, Donlon’s Quality Time watch repair shop in his home in Ventura, CA. He does work for 12 retail stores and his business is growing. “The only thing I hate is the commute from upstairs to downstairs,” Donlon says.

[span class=note]This story is from the January 2010 edition of INSTORE[/span]

Exceeding Every Expectation: How Wilkerson Helped d’Original Jewelers Achieve an Outstanding Retirement Sale

When David Rees decided to retire after 34 years of serving Bellevue, Washington’s Eastside, he and his wife knew their exit from d’Original Jewelers needed to honor their decades-long commitment to customers while meeting their financial goals. Since opening in 1990, David had built a reputation as one of the area’s most trusted names for diamonds, custom jewelry, and repairs. Understanding that a successful retirement sale requires more than just discounting merchandise, David chose Wilkerson to manage his transition. What impressed him most was their attention to detail, particularly in accounting and sales projections. The results far exceeded his expectations — the sale significantly outperformed projections, delivering exceptional financial results that surpassed his retirement goals. “They were always there for support. If we needed anything, they were able to accomplish that,” David shares. For jewelers contemplating retirement, David’s experience demonstrates Wilkerson’s proven ability to deliver outstanding results while providing comprehensive support throughout the entire process. His recommendation? “100% yes.”