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MJSA Is Officially Now Under JA’s Umbrella
The two organizations have finalized and signed the affiliation agreement announced in May.
Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America is now part of Jewelers of America. The two industry organizations announced their intention to unite via an affiliation agreement in May and, on Monday, said the agreement has been signed.
New York—Jewelers of America and Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) have finalized and signed their affiliation agreement, the two organizations said Monday.
The completion of the deal, first announced in May, means that MJSA is now officially part of JA, though the organization will continue to have the same mission—connecting jewelry manufacturers, suppliers, and designers with providers of equipment, supplies, and services, and with educational and informational resources.
This includes the MJSA Journal, which will continue to be distributed monthly under the supervision of publisher Rich Youmans.
“Jewelers of America is thrilled to have the MJSA team, MJSA Journal, and the MJSA Foundation under our Jewelers of America umbrella,” JA President and CEO David Bonaparte said.
“By bringing together MJSA members with Jewelers of America members, we will be more united than ever in our efforts to advocate for the jewelry industry’s diverse needs.”
He added that the two organizations already are working to increase member benefits, enhance educational offerings, and streamline efficiencies.
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The completion of the deal, first announced in May, means that MJSA is now officially part of JA, though the organization will continue to have the same mission—connecting jewelry manufacturers, suppliers, and designers with providers of equipment, supplies, and services, and with educational and informational resources.
This includes the MJSA Journal, which will continue to be distributed monthly under the supervision of publisher Rich Youmans.
“Jewelers of America is thrilled to have the MJSA team, MJSA Journal, and the MJSA Foundation under our Jewelers of America umbrella,” JA President and CEO David Bonaparte said.
“By bringing together MJSA members with Jewelers of America members, we will be more united than ever in our efforts to advocate for the jewelry industry’s diverse needs.”
He added that the two organizations already are working to increase member benefits, enhance educational offerings, and streamline efficiencies.
Incorporated in 1903 as an organization for the industry’s manufacturers, suppliers and designers, MJSA was based in Attleboro, Massachusetts, but its office has been closed. All of the organization’s operations have migrated to JA’s headquarters in New York.
MJSA had eight employees, four of whom have become employees of JA.
MJSA’s board of directors has been dissolved. Its board members are now part of an advisory committee to JA’s board of directors.
The MJSA Education Foundation, a 501(c)3 subsidiary of MJSA, will continue to operate with its own board of trustees, and Youmans will remain its executive director.
The foundation supports career and training initiatives for students and workers throughout the jewelry industry.
This includes the MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program, which the U.S. Department of Labor recently designated as a Registered Apprenticeship Program, the first in the jewelry industry.
“Together with JA’s education and certification programs, MJSA and JA are working to create a clear pathway for aspiring jewelers to enter the industry and gain technical and business mastery,” the organizations said.
The affiliation agreement with MJSA marks JA’s third addition in the past decade.
The nonprofit trade organization acquired National Jeweler in 2015 and signed an affiliation agreement with the Diamond Council of America in 2017.
National Jeweler is a for-profit subsidiary of Jewelers of America, which purchased the publication in 2015. The two organizations act independently of each other.
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