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Crown Jewel: Mel’s Diamond House celebrates expansion with ribbon cutting

Mayors, employees and members of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley gathered at Mel’s Diamond House to help celebrate the store’s expansion with a ribbon cutting in Vienna. In front from left, Tori Tadlock, membership and events specialist with the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp, Jean Ford, store owner, Justin Shuman, goldsmith, Sarah Hall, office manager, Belpre Mayor Mike Lorentz and Bernard Mullenix, goldsmith. In back from left, Allen Butterfield, goldsmith, Linda Mullenix, store manager, and Christie Goubeaud, saleswoman. (Photo by James Dobbs)

VIENNA — Mayors, employees and members of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley met at Mel’s Diamond House to help celebrate the store’s expansion in Vienna on Wednesday.

Tori Tadlock, membership and events specialist with the chamber, started off the event by introducing Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp, who shared some kind words about Mel’s.

“It’s a privilege to be here,” said Rapp. “I’ve known Jean (Ford) for a long, long time and this addition to her store means a great deal to the city because of the creativity they bring.”

Rapp said Mel’s does incredible work. He had a ring made by the store that he intends on giving to one of his grandsons in the future as a family heirloom.

Rapp introduced Jean Ford, store owner and previous Williamstown mayor.

Mel’s Diamond House at 2651 Grand Central Ave., Vienna, recently undertook a store expansion to increase design work. (Photo by James Dobbs)

“We’re so happy to be here and we’re so happy we came here in 1990, 32 years ago,” she said.

Ford said when they started, they originally occupied one of the rooms in the building, but gradually took over the entire building.

“This is our greatest experience with our design and creation, it’s so wonderful,” she said.

Ford said her late husband, Mel, was the one responsible for the store, she said he always believed that Mel’s had the best quality and the best priced jewelry available.

“And he always said that Mel’s has the quality you expect and the personal service you deserve,” she said.

Justin Shuman, middle, gives a tour of some of the design and repair equipment at Mel’s Diamond House in Vienna. (Photo by James Dobbs)

Ford handed things off to Justin Shuman, goldsmith, who has worked at Mel’s since he was 15 years old.

“Coming over here has been one of the greatest things to happen to our store and allowing us to increase the services we already offered to something far beyond what we ever imagined,” he said. “We were always able to do simple repairs and watch repairs and engraving, but coming over here has allowed us to take on the new aspect, which is our design work. And that’s what I’ve always been passionate about.”

Shuman said he’s excited to see the business keep expanding, growing and doing new things.

Rapp, Ford, Shuman, Belpre Mayor Mike Lorentz and Mel’s Diamond House employees gathered in the store to help cut the ribbon to inaugurate the new shop area.

After the ribbon cutting, Shuman gave a tour of the new shop area where the goldsmiths design the jewelry for customers. He said the expansion allowed Mel’s to get all of the shop equipment in one place to help speed up the custom jewelry making process, it also allowed them to install more equipment to help with design work. He said the equipment was previously scattered throughout the store, making the process more difficult.

“So it just really allowed us to have a completely separate aspect of the store that was all contained and just more efficient,” he said.

Shuman said having an in-house shop is one of the things that chain stores lack.

“We don’t ship their jewelry off, we don’t have to wait weeks to get a ring sized,” he said. “All that’s done right here. And in addition to that, I don’t believe that any chain has the level of customer service that you’re going to find here.”

James Dobbs can be reached at jdobbs@newsandsentinel.com.

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