Palloys’ newly appointed General Manager, Richard Ashman, brings 25 years of experience in brand, consumer and operations leadership to the Palloys team and business. Richard has worked with several global brands including Samsung Electronics as Group Head of Retail, cultivating a broad set of skills he now utilises for the evolution and reimagination of the Palloys brand and business.
Richard Ashman
What’s your vision for keeping Palloys at the top of the industry, and what’s first on your agenda?
In my first 10 weeks in the business, I’ve worked side by side with every member of our highly skilled and passionate Palloys team to learn about the processes, products and brands Palloys take to market.
My primary focus is always on people. How we engage, support and partner with our customers is critical to the ongoing success and growth of the Palloys business and brand. The customer experience starts and stops with the strength and capability of our team. Palloys has a highly experienced team trained in specialised skills including the latest CAD and CAM technology, casting, metallurgy, gemmology and jewellery finishing. Our team leads the industry and our ongoing attention to remaining ahead of the curve with skills, processes and technology is underpinned by our commitment to retaining the most highly capable people in the field. This strategy of ‘team and customer first’ builds the foundation of our thinking. We are the brand behind brands.
We work with amazing products but what we really do is about emotion; excitement, happiness and love. Our products and services support our customers to produce jewellery pieces that ultimately create all of these emotions and more. I’ve watched our team combine design, craftsmanship and imagination with science, chemistry and technology to create the amazing products we supply to our customers.
What are some notable, recent technological advancements in the jewellery industry, and what kind of progress do you project in the industry given these advancements?
Palloys is already a market leader in design, fabrication, and production. We’re constantly looking for technology and innovation that supports the delivery of new products and services to our customers and market. Some recently launched initiatives include our Fiber Laser cutting and engraving solutions and best-in-class casting processes that now include consistent high-density platinum and palladium casting. These innovations are just a few of the recent projects that anchor Palloys’ position as a category captain in jewellery manufacturing.
Our recently launched Livadi brand brings digital innovation to the wedding ring category. Made with 100 percent Australian gold, the Livadi ring configurator provides Palloys customers with a consumer-facing solution enabling the real-time design of bespoke wedding rings and unique couples’ rings via our revolutionary 3D Ring Configurator.
What new opportunities do you foresee for others who may wish to join the jewellery industry?
Consumer buying behaviour is evolving. Shopper engagement within many categories, including jewellery and luxury brands, has shifted. Our customers, retailers and brands are having to work hard to stand out from the crowd. My strategy has always been to adapt and innovate, leading market trends to deliver tactical solutions to our customers and remain an industry leader.
Uniquely positioned in the Australian market, Palloys has an unrivalled ability to provide our customers with an independently accredited end-to-end range of services supporting the complete jewellery production cycle. This includes the supply of 100 percent Australian gold (refined using the world’s largest environmentally friendly refining plant), the highest quality alloys and fabricated metal products, through to the most advanced CAD and CAM solutions, jewellery production, finishing and refining. And of course, Palloys is not just a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council. It is the only Australian Manufacturer Wholesaler independently accredited by the Responsible Jewellery Council. That means our clients can market with confidence the responsible supply chain and production processes that go behind their products and the precious metals contained in them.
At Palloys, we’re also looking ahead to provide social, digital and e-commerce platforms to our customers to ensure we’re supporting evolving consumer demands and market trends.
What are some of the unique benefits of Palloys, given the business heritage and legacy?
I am very proud to be leading an Australian brand with not only such a strong heritage, but also an extremely close connection to its sister companies under the Pallion group. This connection facilitates our ability to provide an unparalleled level of quality, supply chain confidence and services range to the jewellery market across every aspect of design, manufacturing, refining and finishing.
Palloys has been operating since 1951 and is Australia’s oldest and most respected brand for custom jewellery manufacturing and fabricated metal supply. Today, our mission to deliver superior quality, service and value remains at the core of everything we do. Our longstanding relationships with our customers, the jewellery industry and the overall market sit as the foundation of what we do and why we do it.
I am extremely confident in the capability of my team and I’m focused on supporting them to deliver the highest service levels to Palloys’ customers to retain and expand our market-leading position. Looking forward, I see exciting times ahead for the industry and Palloys.
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