“Upscale” also refers to Premier’s product
line. Rolex watches, diamond jewellery
and luxury purses (Coach to Louis Vuitton)
frequent the sales floor. Laptops, iPads
and vintage guitars round out the mix.
Each is pre-owned but has been careful-
ly examined for authenticity, quality and
value.
Strasser also points out their business
model required a lot of improvements
compared to general pawn shops. Addi-
tional training, special security measures
and customized insurance were needed.
Q: What experience do you and your employ-
ees have in the jewellery business?
Strasser started working in the jewellery
industry at age 23 when Premier first
opened. He said most of his professional
training has been done on the job over the
past 20 years, but he is also a GIA (Gemol-
ogy Institute of America) Accredited Dia-
mond Grader. Additionally, he has several
certifications through the Diamond Coun-
cil of America. Premier’s operational phi-
losophy includes continual improvement.
OCTOBER 2015
H
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