Hannon Jewelers owners Bayardo Hannon Jiron and Anabel Jiron are retiring after more than 40 years in business.
“It was very hard for me to make a decision to slow down because we are so strong in the business, but this is when you want to consider retiring,” Bayardo Hannon Jiron tells Daily Report. “You want to retire when you are at the top of your game, not when the business is down.”
After starting the company in 1981 originally on Essen Lane, Bayardo Hannon Jiron says it is time for him and his wife to retire so they can travel and spend time with family. Bayardo Hannon Jiron plans to transition to part-time beginning in April for the next two years as he hands over the business to a trusted employee: Blake Graham.
In preparation for the change in ownership, Hannon Jewelers has begun selling its inventory at marked-down prices. Bayardo Hannon Jiron says he plans to sell the existing inventory and move away from retail so the business can focus more on custom jewelry, repair and appraisal.
With gold reaching its highest price point in history this year, Bayardo Hannon Jiron says the transition to customized services will be more profitable.
“No one else has this approach in Baton Rouge or Louisiana — focusing on designing and repair while carrying a more special, curated inventory,” Bayardo Hannon Jiron says. “We want to focus on what we do best for the future.”
