Shoppers who visit Erik Runyan Jewelers in Camas, Washington, are looking for something special, says fourth-generation owner Erik Runyan. In many cases, they want something customized and totally unique.

“There’s a lot of demand for custom design,” he says. “We probably have 30 custom jobs at any one time.”

About 30 percent of Runyan’s business now comes from custom work. That number has doubled over the past decade as the jewelry market has been reshaped by e-commerce, making mom-and-pop stores a rare breed.

Runyan quickly realized that offering custom jewelry would give his store a competitive advantage, but as his order volume grew over time, he needed help meeting the demand. “The business volume superseded what I could internally do,” he says. “It was all done in-house prior to Malakan, and I couldn’t do more. When it was obvious that this was becoming a part of our business—and that it would be as big as we would let it be—we needed an answer.”

Malakan’s technology and seamless communication make it easy for Runyan’s staff to help customers bring their ideas to life, he says. With a team of more than 190 CAD designers and a 24-hour CAD turnaround time, Malakan guarantees retailers quick results to keep their customers happy. The company’s designers can use anything from a drawing to a Pinterest board as a springboard to bring a customer’s inspiration to life, Runyan points out. The company’s 3-D CAD tools give customers the ability to see what their finished piece will look like—often from their own computer or phone screen—saving them the time and hassle of multiple in-person visits to Runyan’s store.

This process requires a lot of trust, especially when customers are handing over cherished pieces to be turned into something new. Runyan says his store’s partnership with Malakan helps his sales team forge that trust. “It’s very personal,” he says of the custom process. “It’s important for us to work with people who understand it and take it as seriously as we do.”

Each of Malakan’s multiple dedicated sales teams handles their own individual groups of clients, which reduces the potential for miscommunication or conflicting messages that can happen when vendors pass a job from one person to another, says Marketing Manager Cristian Juarez.

“If we can make sure our retailers are happy, then they can make sure their individual customers will be over-the-moon happy,” he says.

For Runyan, these distinctions make Malakan a valued and trusted partner. “We get continuous support on a job as we work through it,” he says, adding that the personalized service his staff gets from Malakan goes a long way toward keeping his own customers happy—and his business thriving.

“If they say they’re going to do something, they do it,” he says. “It’s not just a job. There’s pride involved.”