Helzberg Diamonds - Corporate

Helzberg started as a family business with the Helzberg family in 1915 and kept that family mentality as it grew. The culture absolutely expects and requires the highest of ethical standards. The headquarters is in North Kansas City Missouri. We operate in about 37 states and we have about 240 stores. We have 2000 to 2500 associates and in corporate we have roughly 200 people. The organization here is relatively small compared to many of our competitors so that gives us the ability to be more agile and improve our performance out in the field. In a larger corporation you often don’t have that opportunity. If you’re someone that has a lot of drive you can make things happen. You get that feeling that you are part of a team people want to partner with you to get things done. It’s really nice to work for a company that is so about ethics and integrity. The integrity goes throughout the entire company. It's how I deal with you as a fellow associate, it’s how I deal with a vendor and it is how they deal with me and what we expect of each other and that really carried over from when Barnett Helzberg was running the company and then it’s continued as Berkshire Hathaway became our owner. The stability is evident. We’re going to make good, sound business decisions. I see a long history for Helzberg Diamonds. To run a retail chain involves a lot of different moving parts, whether it’s an IT department, loss prevention, marketing, training, merchandising. We’re here to support the stores. The exciting part of the industry is that we provide something very special for people to buy. The exciting part of Helzberg Diamonds is that we are on the cutting edge with our merchandise. We are so committed to making moments that sparkle. That makes us happy when we’re able to deliver a superior product, superior service, put a smile on their face and they come back. Helzberg is actually unique in my work experience. The people care about not only how well I do here at work but they actually care about what is going on in my life. People welcome you and accept you into the group very easily. The reality is that each one of us plays a bigger role and that also means that each of us gets noticed more. I am not just a number. I talk to the CEO on a regular basis. They expect a lot of you, they expect for you to contribute and when you do there’s an admiration. We feel like a family. As an employee it’s very important to work for a company that’s not just about making money. On a weekly basis we talk about the good things we do for charities. Helzberg Diamonds has always been committed to the United Way campaign. We devote a lot of time and energy around Jewelers For Children. Each store has an opportunity to sell a stuffed animal and we raised an incredible amount of money last year. We’re very proud of that and have a legacy that dates back many, many decades. I originally moved here from a small town. It’s a big city but a small community. Kansas City has a jazz district which is really nice. We have two major sports teams. The downtown area has a variety of nightlife and restaurants. You’ve got universities here, you’ve got a great culture, but you don’t have the headaches of high traffic and all those other things. We’re kind of a hidden gem. The people here, they absolutely are about people. The relationships that I’ve developed are very important to me and make me want to work harder and do better and produce better results. So that’s one of the huge benefits of working at an organization like Helzberg Diamonds.