In 1989 Ramon Pagan immigrated to Ohio from Puerto Rico, bringing along with him his wife, young child, ten moving boxes, and a ten thousand dollar debt. Growing up, Pagan’s mother was an entrepreneur that ran a neighborhood store that sold everything from jewelry to household items. Pagan inherited his mother’s strong work ethic – and entrepreneurial spirit – and was driven to succeed.
Pagan was familiar with Cleveland’s Rust Belt economy, and was content to work his way up to the business owner he is today. He began working at a local bread baking company, followed by a stint at a boxing company, while attending jewelry trade schools during his time off.
By 1992, Pagan was running a small jewelry sales and repair business out of a local barbershop located in the heart of Cleveland’s Hispanic community. He slowly expanded the business to another four locations in the neighborhood, and in 2000 Pagan opened the doors to his shop, the Old San Juan Jewelers Inc.
Although Pagan has had his share of struggles, Old San Juan Jewelers continues to flourish. In 2014, Old San Juan Jewelers was a runner-up for best designer jewelry store on Cleveland’s Hot List, and prior to that the store was awarded the Northeast Ohio Chamber of Commerce Community Pillar Award. Pagan is proud to have served the Hispanic community for over 20 years, and is looking forward to continuing to provide friendly and affordable services to the community.
