My wife and I both were born and raised up locally - here in Lowndes County. I was raised in Hahira and Karen in Twin Lakes. We both graduated from Lowndes High School; I graduated in 1974 and Karen graduated in 1976. Karen and I married in 1977 and have always worked good as a team. We were not blessed with our boys until 1992 and 1996. Also, 1996 is  the year I finished college. I earned a BA from The University of the State of New York with a concentration in psychology and a minor in economics.

After working with my parents for 10 years in their jewelry store, I decided to open my own store. In 1984, my wife and I opened our first retail jewelry store in Adel, Ga. We started out small and the last 5 years or so we had 1 of the largest inventories you would find in south Georgia.

I finished my gemological training in 1987 and earned  my Gemologist Diploma from Gemological Institute of America. I was the only Gemologist for a 20 mile radius of Adel and 1 of only 3 for a 50 mile radius of Adel. Being a Master Jeweler and Gemologist I could make, repair, engrave, or appraise anything in the line of jewelry and I loved it.

Enjoying the jewelry business so much at the time, we purchased our 2nd jewelry store in 1989.  For about a 25 year period begining in the mid 70's I really was into the jewelry business and greatly enjoyed the profession.  My wife and I had our own jewelry business for 20 years, 18 of which on the side we tended to our rental property.

We sold our Nashville location and jewelry business in 1996. We decided to sell our Adel jewelry business in 2004. In November of 2004 we sold our Adel jewelry business to slow down, concentrate on, and have more time for our rental properties of which we were enjoying more than our jewelry business..