Anyone who has met Richard and Rodger Rosset, the owners of Savoy’s Jewellers in Sault Ste. Marie can see how close they are.
Their business, which was started in 1952, was created by their father, Edmond, and his close friend John Anthoine. The two had grown up together in Haute Savoie, France, a small village on the Swiss-Italian border.
Now 69 years later, Richard and Rodger have passed the baton to their own sons, marking the third generation of Rossets to run the successful family business.
History is clearly repeating itself. The brothers started working in the store at 19. They became full-time employees and eventually took over the company. Richard works at the Queen Street location, while Rodger works at the Station Mall store.
Richard’s son, Nicholas, and Rodger’s son, Ryan, grew up in the business just as their fathers did.
“They found it fascinating and decided they wanted to follow in our footsteps,” says Rodger, who couldn’t be happier. “It’s a wonderful business. We share in all the families’ milestones and special occasions. It’s a real privilege to be a part of all those events.”
Savoy’s Jewellers has been blessed to receive a lot of support from its community. They have a very loyal customer base and Sault Ste. Marie has been good to the Rossets from the start. The company even won the Northern Ontario Business Award in 1994.
Rodger has found working so closely with the next generation to be really rewarding. “They are millennials, so they’ve really embraced technology and they keep adding more and more every year, whether it’s a new interactive website, new POS equipment, all laser engraving or laser welders,” he says. “They’ve been embracing technology more than Richard and I have.”
“Every day they’re taking on more and more responsibility and Richard and I are working less every year,” says Rodger, who admits they’re both there for support now more than anything else.
He’s most proud of the fact that Nicholas and Ryan understand the culture and the way their fathers have done things, how they treat their customers. The business employs 25 staff and is important to many.
The success of the business is the continuation of a close-knit legacy. Richard and Rodger clearly have a unique relationship. “My twin and I share a special bond; we couldn’t be closer,” he says. “It couldn’t have been a better partnership and I hope the same for my son and his cousin.”
Rodger likens running the business to marriage: it’s about honesty, caring and hard work.
He and his brother are looking forward to having a little bit more time to relax together. The pair already play hockey and golf together regularly, which Rodger believes made the business aspect easy too.
“The relationship that you have—you can take on the world once you have that solid foundation, then the business is easy,” he says.
People often complicate business unnecessarily, though he has never found it difficult at all. He is quick to credit the wonderful community that surrounds them. When the people around you are so supportive and you treat them right, that’s really all you need.
“I look back on my career and I think I got the most enjoyment from being a part of all the many families that we got to know so closely, sharing in engagements, weddings, birthdays and anniversaries, the birth of a child, every occasion. We shared in all those moments,” he says. “That gives me the most satisfaction.”
He is confident the road ahead will be smooth for Nicholas and Ryan. “They represent the third generation and the future of our company. I think that the future looks bright.”
For more information, visit Savoy's Jewellers.