Page 10 - Albert's Diamond Jewelers

our history
CELEBRATING
MILESTONES with Layers of Love
Join us as we celebrate big milestones here at Albert’s Diamond Jewelers. The ride sure has been sweet, and we’re ready to close out this decade by reflecting on someone near and dear to the heart of Albert’s.
For 60 years, Fred Halpern and his family have been the proud owners of Albert’s Diamond Jewelers in East Chicago, IN. Fred turned 80 in August, and over the last six decades, he’s watched his small store front blossom into one of the largest jewelry stores in the country.
With an unwavering commitment to providing a warm, friendly, and personal experience, the staff here at Albert’s reflects Fred’s positive mindset and dedication to giving you the best customer experience you can find. For Fred, jewelry store ownership goes beyond who walks through the front door.
“It’s not about selling something. It’s about making a friend or building a relationship,” Fred says. “I make friends for life.”
When you step inside our doors, you’ll feel an instant connection: Like you’re meant to be here. And, no customer is to feel left out or undervalued. You’ll find a wide variety of designers and watch brands for every price point or taste in style, as well as unmatched customer service.
In 2010, Josh Halpern was named president of the company, and if you asked him to describe his father, he’d more than likely tell you that Fred has been a mentor to him and has always set a good example of what a leader should look like.“Working for and working with my father has been the greatest time of my life,” Josh says. The journey has been long and not always easy, but we’re glad you’re here to celebrate with us as we take a look at what makes Albert’s so special to us and to the community we serve.
LOOKING BACK
Albert Rubinstein first opened the small jewelry store in 1905 on the corner of Main Street and Broadway in the Harbor neighborhood. With a diverse and hard-working community, the economic atmosphere of the steel mills lent a helping hand to the success of the Alberts, right up until Fred’s dad purchased it from a gentleman by the name of Bernie Davis in 1960.
That year, the steel mills closed due to strikes and the surrounding community struggled. Most of the surrounding community that frequented with Albert’s either stopped coming in or moved elsewhere to find work.
At 21-years-old and in the middle of a semester break from the University of Alabama, Fred found himself the owner of a bankrupt store with no inventory and no customers. The store did $27,000 his first year in business and Fred didn’t get paid. The following year Albert’s did just $36,000 in business, and Fred still didn’t collect a paycheck. In fact, Fred continued to live at home for the next five years, never taking a penny from the company for himself.
There were times when he struggled to pay the bills that kept that small store running. He even had to ask his small staff to wait a couple of days to cash their paychecks.
“I can’t tell you all the times I had to get on my hands and knees and beg the guy who was turning off my lights and my water,” Fred says. “And I said, ‘Please, I will pay you. Just give me another couple of days.’”
Fred was determined to succeed. He got creative and decided that if he couldn’t compete with the other stores and their inventory, then he’d outhustle them by staying open later and focus on building relationships rather than making money. Eventually, the hard work paid off and Albert’s flourished.
Josh remembers the old store well, recalling that the Main and Broadway store was full of characters and blue-collar folks; folks that came to love Fred and even followed his business when we opened our new flagship store in Schererville, IN, in 2002.
10]ALBERT’S DIAMOND JEWELERS MAGAZINE