What started as a goal more than 30 years ago for independent retail owners Mark and Rhonda Jacobson hit a new level of reality this year. The husband and wife team proudly cut the bright orange ribbon on the grand re-opening of their store, Cumberland Diamond Exchange, and celebrated not only the new look and feel of their store, but the enormous impact they’ve had on their Smyrna, GA (Atlanta suburb) community.
Fast forward 32 years to Mark and Rhonda Jacobson cutting a bright orange ribbon signifying the re-model of this same space, and the goal hasn’t changed. “We wanted to create a living room experience,” explains Rhonda. “We have always sought to make our customers feel like they’re visiting our home and this remodel had that concept as its core.”
The June celebration was the culmination of almost two years of discussions, planning, and labor. Mark and Rhonda thought carefully about the details while working closely with their architect. Expansion of floor space to 2800 square feet was at the top of the list, followed by new carpet, new lighting, and a new entrance.
“Our 90 day project quickly turned into a 5+ month project,” commented Mark. “We added a foyer-type space at the front of the store that measures 9×20 and includes sofas, chairs and coffee tables on either side of the front doors, inviting our customers to sit and chat in a comfortable setting. We’ve also added new landscaping and a flagstone walkway to the entrance making it feel very warm and familiar as our customers enter the building. Prentice Johnson, our general manager, also played a key role in overseeing the work during off hours, giving up his off days and ensuring the security of the store was not compromised.”
As impressive as their remodel is, the most noteworthy feature of this event was enormous community support. A local “Who’s Who” were in attendance at the ribbon cutting event, including the Smyrna city mayor, members of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia attorney general, all celebrating and extolling the philanthropic contributions of Cumberland Diamond Exchange.
“We are, and have always been, about supporting the local community in which we do business,” explains Mark. “We believe in giving back and eagerly support the YWCA, American Cancer Society and SafePath, a children’s advocacy center. We can’t imagine doing business for 32 years in a community we didn’t support. It’s not who we are.”
Maybe that’s why Cumberland Diamond Exchange was named in the top 25 Small Businesses of the Year for Cobb County this year, or why out of the 55,000 businesses evaluated Cumberland Diamond was in the top five.
Maybe that’s why Cumberland Diamond Exchange is on track to have their best year ever, with a potential increase in sales of more than 20%.
Congratulations Cumberland Diamond Exchange, not only on the remodel, but on 32 years of solid service to your customers and your community.