b'JEFFREY ZIMMERTHE REEDS UP NORTHSo, after he got his degree from North-Jeffrey, better known as Jeff, is theeastern, the logical next step was heading owner of Reeds Jewelers. to the Gemological Institute of America.Currently, the retailer operates fiveAt the time, GIA was headquartered stores: four along the thruway betweenin Santa Monica, California, a beachside Buffalo and Syracuse in New York, andtown about 20 miles west of downtown one in Duxbury, Massachusetts.Los Angeles, and it was a bit of a shock to The business was founded by thethe Buffalo native.Reed family in 1912, but its been in theIt was really a lot of fun but so dif-Zimmer family since 1932, when Jeffsferent. The values were so different than grandfather, Samuel, purchased the store.where Im from in upstate New York, Samuel worked briefly with his brother,which is more like a Midwestern city, Bill, who eventually moved to Wilming- Jeff says. I was thrown into the middle ton, North Carolina, where he bought aof LA, where its transient and the value jewelry store in 1946. That chain is stillsystem was so tremendously different. in business today and though it sharesIt was cool to be there, but it was really the name Reeds Jewelers, it operatesgreat to come home. independently from the New York-based business.A NEW VISION Samuel was a salesman with a robustWhen Jeff returned to New York in clientele in Buffalo, which, according tothe early 1980s, his father Arnold was Jeff, was once one of the largest jewelryhappy to have the support. manufacturing cities in the country.By this time, Reeds had expanded While the specifics of how Samuelfrom a single store to four stores. acquired the store are lost to history, theWhen I came in, it was my father, me, Zimmers know he had great support froma woman whod worked for my dad for 40 local manufacturers, who likely helped himyears doing some inventory control, and a with inventory and growing the business.bookkeeper. We didnt have professional When Samuel died in 1963 at agemanagement, he says. 54, Jeffs father, Arnold, took over theWe did virtually everything. From business. purchasing to inventory control to mar-At that point, Jeff was only a year orketing to store operations. I was thrown two old, but his close relationship within and we just ran. his father is part of why he eventuallyThe stores were open seven days a followed him into the business. week, from 10 in the morning As Jeff got older, hed workto 9 at night. in the store after school andI dont know how we did during the holiday season. Toit. I think youth was on my this day, he can remember theside and I had the strength to smell of his fathers old storebe able to do it. I dont think I on Main Street, where he soldcould do that today, Jeff says. his first diamond at age 16.When Jeff was in his 30s, After high school, he wentArnold exited the business to on to study marketing atcare for his wife Barbara, Jeffs Northeastern University, butmother, when she became school wasnt his strong suit.sick. He admired the decision. It was a miracle that IWhat a great role model. actually got into school. AndHe put what he built aside and maybe the second miracle wasgave himself to my mother graduating, but I did, Jeff says.until she passed. To this day, Ultimately, he missedhis mind is so sharp. Hes ques-working with his father andtioning me all the time, which was intrigued by the jewelryAt top, an old Christmas ad for Reeds Jewelers; directly above, Samuel Zimmer (left), Arnold Zimmer,Im so thankful for, he says. business, as well as gemstonesand Jeffrey Zimmer Taking over the business and diamonds. was scary, naturally, but Jeff NATIONAL JEWELER 33'