A word of caution should you ever decide to ask Ronaldo Needham about his business. Be prepared to be overwhelmed! Whether discussing the one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry in The Ronaldo Collection, or his contributions and fundraising activities to countless charities, or seeking his marketing advice, one word comes to mind: enthusiasm. Ronaldo radiates an infectious enthusiasm every time he speaks.

Although foremost an artist, Ronaldo is the third-generation son of an immigrant from Holland, and he inherited his talent honestly. His grandfather, Edgar Needham, migrated to America via Ellis Island, met a lovely woman in Kentucky who became his wife, and he then settled down to a career in jewelry making. Having brought with him European skills and methods for bending metals and fusing platinum to gold, he taught those skills to his son, Hobert, who in turn passed those skills on to Ronaldo.

“My father still helps with the business,” said Ronaldo. “He oversees the sketching process, shares formulas on bending metal, and occasionally attends his favorite shows but his hands prohibit him from actually building the jewelry.”

Many of the jewelry-making skills handed down through the Needham family tree have been lost by much of the industry. “We use jewelry-making methods that many people no longer use.” explains Ronaldo. “For example, we use electricity instead of flame when soldering platinum to gold.”

Ronaldo is most proud of his “Princess Bracelet” which was the winner of the “Who’s Who in America” Award for Jewelry Design. It’s made out of eight strands of 20 gauge, square platinum with five strands of 18 gauge half round, woven on top in the basket weave pattern with approximately 4 feet of half round woven in and out and around to secure it all together. This is one of the most difficult pieces in the world to create because, mathematically, it’s impossible to bend the metal without denting or scratching up the weaves.

“It’s like bending a coat hanger around a pretzel without breaking the pretzel,” explains Ronaldo. “This is highly limited in production because we’re one of the few that have discovered the secret way it needs to be handled.”

While many other companies are going through a slump, Ronaldo believes his sales continue to improve due to the winning combination of their unique talent and competitive price point.

Ronaldo has been exhibiting at Helen Brett Shows for more than 18 years. “I love arriving early for the shows and taking the time to visit store owners. We believe in rewarding our vendors and awarding sales prizes year long but,” he admits, “what I really like to do is buy them lunch and tell them how much I appreciate their business.” Last Christmas, he surprised some of their carriers with a catered breakfast.

Ronaldo is also very aware of the importance of each and every customer so he offers a “We’ll fix it for free” policy on everything he sells. Many vendors would be concerned about how their profits would be diminished by honoring such a policy, but not Ronaldo. “What’s the value of keeping a client happy? That’s priceless!”

One time he had a customer return saying, “Hey, I tore this bracelet up on the car door, can you help me?” Ronaldo’s answer? “I gave him a replacement free!” According to Ronaldo, it costs more to produce one television commercial than it does to repair jewelry for free for one year. It must work because his business keeps growing and growing.

“Heck, we’re buying so much platinum that I worry the government will show up and ask me about it!” laughs Ronaldo.

Currently, he and his family live in the town of Laconia, Indiana, and the company has one production facility in Indiana and one in Kentucky. Ronaldo’s wife, Linda, is also a great artist who’s currently completing her G.I.A. certification to become a gemologist.

Ronaldo’s successful jewelry line has enhanced his desire to give back to the community. In the last several years, Designer Jewelry by Ronaldo has made numerous donations to more than 55 different charities and school fundraisers. His first entrance into the world of fundraisers began shortly after 9/11. “I wanted to do something for the Americans that were affected by this tragedy,” recalls Ronaldo. “It was then that I created The America Bracelet.” At that time, a portion of each sale was dedicated to the firefighters and policemen who gave so much during that disaster by supporting the Louisville Red Cross.

“We sold more than 5,000 of The America Bracelet,” explains Ronaldo. More recently, he wanted to do something for the families of those Americans currently in the military so he reintroduced The America Bracelet and has allocated a portion of each new sale to the Military Officers’ Wives’ Club.

The company has created countless lines for charities including Breast Cancer Research; the American Red Cross; the Virgin Mary House Orphanage in Damascus, Syria; WHAS Crusade for Children; All Children’s Hospital in Tampa and many, many more. In addition to creating specialty lines for these non-profits, Ronaldo also makes countless appearances at their fundraising events, sometimes even hosting company events himself.

When Hobert assigned Ronaldo the fundraiser business 15 years ago, little did he realize that the fundraiser division would grow to such proportions. As a successful businessman, Ronaldo has enjoyed 30 years of success in the direct sales, marketing, and motivational fields. His business ventures have included more than 32 mall locations, as well as selling his products from 900 different jewelry stores, and being represented by more than 1,000 sales professionals in 35 states and 5 countries.

This experience has given him insight that’s been key to the success of his business. “There’s really only three ways to increase your business,” explains Ronaldo, “One, get people to buy more frequently. Two, find new clients. Three, take your existing clients and help them to sell at higher dollar amounts.” Ronaldo has found a way to increase business with all three of these methods.

“Be nice to people and treat people well,” he emphasizes. “I treat all of my customers the same. Whether you buy a $100 item, or something valued at $10,000, you’re important to us. It’s the little acts of kindness that get you where you want to go,” exclaims Ronaldo, still radiating that infectious enthusiasm. That’s definitely a philosophy worth trying.

For more information contact:
Designer Jewelry by Ronaldo
430 Scenic View Dr. SE
Laconia, IN 47135
PH: 812-737-2756
www.designerjewelrybyronaldo.com
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