Rogers Jewelers offices leaving town
Corporate realignment has some jobs moving to Texas, with others eliminated; retail stores unaffected.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
MIDDLETOWN — Local jewelry store chain Rogers Jewelers will be moving its corporate offices from Middletown to Austin, Texas.
Local Rogers Jewelers store officials confirmed the corporate office at 1050 Central Ave. is moving, but area stores will not be affected. The jewelry shops in the Towne Mall and on Central Avenue will remain open for business.
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"We're definitely staying open. It doesn't really affect us since it's really a corporate realignment thing," said Jon Welch, store manager for the Rogers Jewelers in the Towne Mall.
Officials from the company's corporate offices refused to comment and would not confirm the number of employees affected by the transition.
Bill Murphy, the city's economic development director, said he was not sure what the effect would be on the city's tax base. From his understanding, he said some of the positions would move to Texas while others would be cut.
Murphy said the news was unfortunate but not unexpected since his office met with some resistance from the company's corporate officials after it was purchased by India-based jewelry manufacturer Gitanjali Gems Ltd. in November 2007.
"We knew from the initial buyout that there was some consolidation that was going to happen since they already had a retail presence in Texas," Murphy said. "We were working for the consolidation to not include Middletown for many of those corporate functions."
In his contact with the company, Murphy said he was assured there were no plans to close any of the store mall locations at this time.
Rogers Jewelers opened as a family-owned business in Middletown in 1920, according to the company.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jlander@coxohio.com.
