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Monday, June 30, 1997

Small-town jewelry factory continues to thrive in unique surroundings

By MARK BABINECK / Associated Press Writer

ROARING SPRINGS, Texas (AP) - The intricacies of jewelry design always appealed to Kelly Keltz, though it's not the typical line of work for someone rooted in rural West Texas.

When his farm went bust more than a decade ago, struggling Motley County didn't offer many options. For a farmer-cum-artisan who wanted to stay close to home, however, Thacker Jewelry was a dream.

"It was very important to stay in a small town," said Keltz, who carved molds for 11 years at Thacker Jewelry's factory here in Roaring Springs. "It's great that this opportunity was here."

Thacker Jewelry employed 45 of the town's 270 or so residents during the oil boom, when money flowed like the namesake springs nearby. Since the mid-80s bust, the workforce has slipped to 15.

"The town has continued to survive even when the oil boom took a nosedive," said Jeff Thacker, who owns the business with brother Joe. "We were able to get through that and keep our heads above water."

Inc. Magazine listed the company among the nation's fastest growing 500 during the heyday. The Thackers grossed as much as $5 million before the economy crashed.

The company, which consists of the factory and a retail outlet in Lubbock, an hour to the southwest, grosses around $3 million annually, Joe Thacker said.

People still stream in from across the state to see the rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings displayed in the tiny Roaring Springs showroom, set up in what was a bank lobby until 1932. Joe Thacker estimates that his storefront provides a third of the town's annual sales tax revenue.

Motley County's only other incorporated town, Matador, earns roughly the same amount of sales tax as Roaring Springs despite being three times larger.

"We have a large calling that come to us from the cities around here," said Jeff Thacker, president of the county's school board. "Before we opened up the Lubbock Store (12 years ago), it wasn't unusual to have the store filled."

Beyond the display cases lies the heart of the operation. Keltz crafts the wax molds, which are cast in the plaster that shapes molten gold into expensive jewelry.

Thackers' team of jewelers, who also make up the heart of Roaring Springs' volunteer fire department, finish off the pieces. The U.S. Postal Service and UPS take care of the rest.

The shop is connected to the Thackers' other business, the dry goods store that their grandfather established in 1920. Selling everything from screwdrivers to satellite dishes, it serves larger towns for a 50-mile radius.

Together, the stores provide about half of the town's annual $19,000 or so in sales tax rebates from the state. Both Thacker brothers vow never to abandon the hamlet that's been part of their family for more than a century.

"There might not be anything left," said Joe Thacker when asked to imagine a Roaring Springs with the stores and the pipe plant. "We've got a strong connection to Roaring Springs. Some people don't realize how important that is."

Jeff Thacker echoed his brother.

"When I graduated from high school, this was the last place I thought I'd be," he said. "I wouldn't be anywhere else now." Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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