Roman Research-25 Years of Jewelry Innovation
Roman Research, a Pembroke MA based jewelry
manufacturer, introduced the world's first ear piercing gun in 1970 and
the world's first line of allergy safe earrings in 1980. As the company
heads into the 21st century, it remains a study in both innovative product
development and far sighted management.
PEMBROKE MA (October 1995) - "Twenty five years is a long time-especially
in today's competitive business world", notes Roman Research President
Sharon Ryan. Those who remember the social and technological upheaval of
1970 would doubtless agree. Reflecting on the many ambiguities of that turbulent
time, Ryan adds yet another: "In 1970, we had just put a man on the
moon, and yet ear piercing was still done with a needle in kitchens and
doctor's offices."
Thanks to the efforts of two medical supply salesman from Massachusetts,
that was about to change. In November of 1970, the world's first mechanized
ear piercing unit went into production-and an entire industry was created
overnight. Roman Research's "Steri-Quik" ear-piercing gun turned
ear piercing into a service to be offered throughout the health and beauty
industry. As a result, ear piercing as a fashion statement skyrocketed in
the late 1970's-and so did the companies' fortunes.
Not content to rest on their laurels after ten years of steady growth, Roman
found a new niche in the fashion industry to fill. "Metal allergies
are nothing new to fashion conscious women," explains Roman Vice President
Dale Southworth. "At one time, garter belts were the primary cause.
Today, jewelry is the main culprit sighted in a dramatic-and worldwide-increase
in metal allergy." Pointing to a stack of extensive documentation,
Southworth emphasizes that "all of the research points to jewelry as
the leading cause of metal allergy. Many dermatologists have called for
restriction on the components used in fashion jewelry. In essence, they're
calling for the industry to do what we've been doing for the last 15 years!"
Roman's 1980 introduction of "Simply Whispers Fashion Earrings for
Sensitive Ears"-a line of fashion earrings made from surgical grade
stainless steel-resulted in the company once again creating a market where
none had existed before. Today Roman's "Simply Whispers Catalog"
boasts a base of 500,000 mail order buyers, and Simply Whispers are found
in retail outlets throughout the U.S. The catalog has featured a steady
stream of new product innovations, including a line of children's earrings
("Pink Elephants"), an Ear Care Gel ("Misty"),a line
of earring accessories ("Ear-Replaceables"), and "Perfections
Fashion Jewelry"-a complete line of allergy safe accessories. "New
plating techniques utilize brass and palladium-the two metals most often
sighted by those calling for alternatives to standard jewelry components.
Not only that, we can now create casted designs that approach the look and
feel of fine jewelry."
The newest innovation from Roman is "Perfections Fashion Jewelry",
a line of allergy safe watches. "We've received literally hundreds
of requests for them," says Ryan, "and since introducing them
in our last catalog, the orders have been flooding in." She also hastens
to add that "long before the notion of the 'customer driven marketplace',
we were paying close attention to customer suggestions and made customer
service our top priority. The result has been 25 years of unprecedented
growth."
Roman's line of "Perfections Fashion Jewelry" is marketed exclusively through their "Simply Whispers" catalog. Roman's "Simply Whispers Fashion Earrings for Sensitive Ears" are also sold through discount stores, cosmetic centers, and pharmacy chains throughout the U.S. A free catalog and free introductory pair of Simply Whispers earrings can be obtained by calling 1-800-451-5700, or by writing to: Roman Research, c/o Simply Whispers, 33 Riverside Drive, Pembroke MA 02359-1910. For the location of a local Simply Whispers retailer, call 1-800-854-4548.