Silpada Designs is shutting down after 19 years.
The Lenexa-based company, which sells jewelry and other accessories, notified its sales reps Tuesday that the business will close July 31.
The board of directors made the call after declining sales.
Silpada released the following statement on the closure:
“While we are deeply saddened, we are indescribably proud of the impact our employees and Silpada representatives have had on others. We have had the privilege of meeting such incredible people over the past 19 years that have turned from acquaintances, to friends, to family and we wish nothing but the best for our employees, Representatives, and their families as they look to the future.”
Silpada representative Amy Ahn-Roll said she was shocked and saddened by the announcement. "A mix of feelings. Grateful that I had five years with the company but also sad because not only was I a representative for five years but I have been buying the jewelry and that’s how I got started since 1999."
After 19 years in business, Andrea Carroll, Silpada’s vice president of marketing, said the business and its customers' habits had changed. "We saw a lot of changes just really socially and how women interact, how they earn income and how they shop."
In 2010, Avon bought Silpada for $650 million. Three years later, the original owners bought the company back for $85 million.
Carroll said the owners tried to turn the company around but sales kept trending downward. "The buyback was really important to the original owners and the families to get that back to keep it going for as long as it could."
According to Siplada's website, there are more than 25,000 Silpada representatives across North America.
The company said it will continue to sell products until the end of July.
The annual Silpada conference in Kansas City was scheduled to be held in July, but that has since been canceled.
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Shannon Halligan can be reached at shannon.halligan@kshb.com.
