On the banks of the Palmer River in Warren is the headquarters of a company celebrating its third consecutive appearance on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies. The company is Haverhill and the milestone highlights the company's sustained momentum, operational excellence, and leadership at the intersection of technology, emotion, and craftsmanship. Founded by fifth-generation jeweler Haverhill Leach, the eponymous company is known for made-to-order, wearable, 14k gold birthstone jewelry.
The brand’s jewelry is handcrafted on Water Street using an intuitive online design tool which allows customers to instantly visualize their custom pieces, selecting birthstones, symbols, and initials. Each design is realized by Haverhill's team of in-house jewelers, combining decades of expertise with an industry-leading one-to-four day turnaround. Nearly 30 percent of customers return to make other purchases within 12 months, a testament to strong customer loyalty.
Unlike traditional inventory-based models, Haverhill's bespoke approach eliminates overproduction, minimizes waste, and creates a deeper emotional connection with each piece. "We see a wide-open opportunity in the market," says CEO Andrej Strojin. "Customers are increasingly embracing jewelry that's made just for them, not just pulled from a shelf. They want beauty, meaning, and intentionality. We're built to deliver all three."
In 2018 Leach had met and married Strojin, a management consultant with big ideas to grow the company, which at that point had annual sales of $250,000. A first order of business was to build a user-friendly website which would allow consumers to customize a range of pieces with selections like metal type, length, pattern, stone, and letters. “At the time, having a jewelry website like ours was unique,” says Leach.
With the site launched and a large shipment of gemstones received, the couple was poised and ready for Mother’s Day May 2020 orders, and then the world shut down. In what the couple describe as a “make or break moment,” they set up shop in their home, doing all facets of the work with Leach’s parents helping in the assembly line. They quickly realized that by doing all of the work in-house, custom pieces could be done much faster than relying on an outside vendor. “We could get turnaround from order to shipping down to three days,” says Leach. “I said to Andrej, I guess we need to do our own assembly.”
Which leads us to today, where a small-but-mighty in-house team is cross-trained to receive orders, create pieces from start to finish, ship, and even promote them. Touring the facility dispels visions of early manufacturing jobbers and rotework; the white brick interior is filled with light and water views, leading-edge machines assist with tasks like engraving and polishing, and brief chats with staff give the impression of pride of ownership and artisanship even though for many, this is their first time working with jewelry.
Leach shares that she strives to create jewelry that can grow with the wearer’s own story, with pieces easily added and expanded, and that can be worn all the time. “Solid 14-karat gold means you never have to take it off,” says Leach, and that means wearing jewelry to sleep, swim, exercise, and to the beach. “We strive for emotion and meaning, and efficiency.” Learn more at Haverhill.com
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