Koop shines as family business
From cutting, to design and through to the manufacturing of custom jewelry,
Koop Diamond Cutters does it all from the fourth floor of the Queen City Building in downtown Cincinnati.
Koop Diamond Cutters has a total of 12 employees. Cincinnati native Clarence Koop started the business in 1966 to provide diamond-cutting services. Soon after, his son Butch began designing jewelry pieces on an order-by-order basis. Butch continued making custom jewelry on a small scale until 1974, when he created the Cincinnati Casting Company. Both companies operated under the same roof for many years, until the family decided to incorporate the companies into one.
Now in its third generation of family ownership, Koop now has a full manufacturing plant and sales center to provide customers with a complete, in-house shopping experience. But one aspect of the business hasn’t changed. “We want to keep a really personal jeweler experience,” says Melissa Renner, who works in sales and marketing. “We try to pay attention to the way we work with out customers as well as how we create our jewelry.”
Renner has only been at the company for one year, but has been a Koop family friend for more than 20. It’s a common theme for Koop employees and customers. “Almost all of our business comes from referrals,” says Renner.
However small and family-oriented Koop stays, they don’t slack on quality. Butch Koop is one of few Diamondtaires in the country, meaning he can cut “gem-quality” diamonds, as well as a master jeweler. Butch Koop, his two sons and small staff remain on the cutting edge of diamond manufacturing. After Butch cuts the diamonds, the next step of the process is design. Using computers to design and render custom jewelry, the Koops allow customers to view full-color print and even wax models of their jewelry.
“The Koop business is a family heritage,” says Renner.
By Evan Wallis