After more than thirty years in business – twenty spent in The Old Ingram Loop – Clint Orms has moved into a spacious flagship showroom and state-of-the-art studio in downtown Kerrville, ushering in a new chapter for the seasoned silversmith.
“I always wanted to buy a building,” Orms said of his new Water Street address, formerly a Bank of America. “We felt like it was a real opportunity to be a cornerstone in the city.” Three years of negotiations, design work and execution later, the site has been deftly reimagined with the visionary aid of Nelson Partners Architects from Austin.
On a recent visit, just days before their grand opening, sunlight streamed through the walls of glass and onto cabinets shimmering with sterling money clips, bolo ties, jewelry and bespoke belt buckles.
When designing the space, Orms knew he wanted to champion the team of 26 people – polishers, engravers and veteran silversmiths alike – who bring his coveted creations to life, while giving visitors a firsthand look at their age-old artistry.
Growing up in Wichita Falls, the entrepreneur remembers frequenting Shakey’s Pizza Parlor and watching transfixed as the chef shaped the dough, tossing it high in the air before patting it down with cornmeal, every step a labor of love. “Shakey’s was the first place I went where you could actually go up and see a guy cook,” he shared. “You could just tell how much he loved his job, and it made a super lasting impression on me.”
Though his world is far removed from Shakey’s, the sentiment is the same. In his Kerrville shop, wide windows partition the storefront from the back of the house, allowing patrons passing through to see his craftsmen at work. This transparency and celebration of slow, skillful artisanship is a rarity in today’s market, and one of the foremost reasons why Orms’ brand is beloved by everyone from ranchers and politicians to businessmen and famous faces including Cody Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Drake and Harrison Ford.
In every direction, artisans sitting at long wooden benches shape silver and gold into wearable works of art, their precision and focus a sight to behold. Here, everything has its place, from the hammers and chasing tools to the jeweler’s saws and engraving blocks. In cabinets fit with long slender drawers, thousands of handmade buckle parts and cut design motifs are alphabetized by name, including figures of flowers, stars, animals, and leaves. Bending down, Orms pulled out a solid sterling door pull he designed for the tour bus of singer-songwriter and rapper Post Malone. The entrepreneur is no stranger to celebrity, yet he remains humble and modest, talking warmly of his clientele, like close friends.
Part of Orms’ magic is the way he carries forth timeless tradition in a decidedly modern world. One need only look at his atelier to see this at play, with historic machinery – including a 19th-century screw press and Deckel pantographs – situated alongside state-of-the-art Indutherm casting equipment. Meanwhile, precious and semi-precious stones glimmer amid sterling silver and multi-colored golds, making this a veritable Aladdin’s cave in the heart of the Hill Country.
Even still, when asked what excites him most about the new space, he points to the vacant benches they’ve yet to fill, leaving room for growth as the brand continues to evolve and grow over the next generation.
Today, Orms’ passion and ambition are shared by his team, including his son and business partner, Clayton, along with others who’ve been with him for decades. His latest hire was the company’s former UPS driver who made deliveries to the shop for years before settling into retirement. Shortly thereafter, he approached Orms about a job, lured by the brand’s ethos of excellence.
“I think anybody can be anything they want to be with the proper training,” he explained, his eyes bright behind horn-rimmed glasses. “What I look for is someone who is polite and wants to work – and they have to have a kind heart.”
Orms himself is a living embodiment of these values. The soft-spoken entrepreneur leads with integrity, nurturing a family spirit and company culture that are shaped by values of the West, chief among them the gratifying rewards of a hard day’s work.
At least once a week, he and his team meet to talk about what they’re making, while hashing out challenges, and the ways they’ve overcome them. It’s that unrelenting dedication to their art that makes every finished product under the Clint Orms’ brand a timeless treasure and precious heirloom to be passed down for generations. “What I want more than anything is for my craftsmen to grow,” Orms said, smiling. “The more we can share our knowledge and experience here, the more efficient we will be.”