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This North Carolina Jeweler Is Passing the Torch
The owners of Gregory Jewelers in Morganton, North Carolina, are heading into retirement.
Gregory Jewelers’ owners are preparing to retire. (Image courtesy of Gregory Jewelers’ Facebook page)
Morganton, N.C.—The owners of Gregory Jewelers in Morganton, North Carolina, are ready to retire and pass the torch to a new owner.
The jeweler was established in 1948 by Lavone Gregory, whose family operated the business for decades.
Darwin Wilder purchased the business in 2017 after working for the previous owners for many years.
He got his start in the jewelry business in 1982, earning his Graduate Gemologist diploma from GIA and his AGS Certified Gemologist diploma.
Darwin, 65, alongside his wife Debbie, 68, have run the business together for nearly a decade, but they’re now ready to retire.
“It’s not from lack of business at all. It simply was just time for us to retire and be able to do something,” said Darwin in an interview with National Jeweler.
Former owner Steven L. Gregory died earlier this month. While his passing didn’t factor into this decision, Darwin said he was in full support of the couple retiring and taking some time for themselves.
While business is booming, the couple is ready to enjoy their golden years.
“We’ll be able to do some things while we’re still able to,” he said.
They plan to travel to state parks and to Michigan to see their family, with their 10th grandchild on the way this fall.
The pair plans to stay in Morganton. They chose the town because they love the Great Smoky Mountains and it seemed to be the perfect spot to live and retire.
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The jeweler was established in 1948 by Lavone Gregory, whose family operated the business for decades.
Darwin Wilder purchased the business in 2017 after working for the previous owners for many years.
He got his start in the jewelry business in 1982, earning his Graduate Gemologist diploma from GIA and his AGS Certified Gemologist diploma.
Darwin, 65, alongside his wife Debbie, 68, have run the business together for nearly a decade, but they’re now ready to retire.
“It’s not from lack of business at all. It simply was just time for us to retire and be able to do something,” said Darwin in an interview with National Jeweler.
Former owner Steven L. Gregory died earlier this month. While his passing didn’t factor into this decision, Darwin said he was in full support of the couple retiring and taking some time for themselves.
While business is booming, the couple is ready to enjoy their golden years.
“We’ll be able to do some things while we’re still able to,” he said.
They plan to travel to state parks and to Michigan to see their family, with their 10th grandchild on the way this fall.
The pair plans to stay in Morganton. They chose the town because they love the Great Smoky Mountains and it seemed to be the perfect spot to live and retire.
“We thank you for the many years of loyal patronage, for supporting our local family business, and the privilege of sharing in all the happy occasions that are conveyed with a beautiful piece of fine jewelry from Gregory Jewelers,” said the jeweler in a letter to its customers.
Rather than closing the doors, the couple wanted to find a buyer to continue running the store.
While the deal is still in the works, the buyer is someone Darwin has worked with for several years, with more details to follow.
The buyer initially said they didn’t want the store, Darwin said, in the hopes the couple would stay just a little longer.
Retiring is a bittersweet moment for the two, particularly not seeing their customers on a regular basis.
“We’ve seen five generations of people come through,” he said. “The people coming in are your friends. If they’re not when they come in, we hope they are before they leave.”
Beginning today through May 2, the store is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.
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