Caleb Martin and his wife, Stephanie, are pictured. Submitted photo

Jamestown native Caleb Martin began his custom jewelry company out of his garage and by selling items on Etsy.

These days the company — now known as Thorum — has its headquarters, run by Caleb Martin and his wife, Stephanie, in Tampa, Florida and sells custom wedding rings.

Mikinna Martin, chief marketing officer for the company, said Caleb Martin began by not just selling jewelry but also woodworking items like shelves and tables. The company currently sells custom wedding rings, but not one someone would find in a regular store.

“We are the company that you go to if you are looking to get married and want something besides a typical wedding band,” Martin said. “We offer unique items that match your story. For example, if you are a guitar player you can get a ring made from guitar strings. A history buff can get a ring made from real World War II rifles.”

Martin said the company tries to allow each customer the ability to get a ring based on their own unique story and persona. She added that if the couple has something in common like space, they also offer space themed rings. Rings are not only available as wedding rings either, Martin said collectors will find items for themselves as well. There are over 200 different non-traditional wedding band designs, and they also recently added watches to the website.

Martin said the company has come a long way since the beginning 12 years ago.

“Caleb started this as a way to make money for his family while he was unemployed for a time,” Martin said. “As it gained more traction on Etsy he was able to put more materials and time into it and realized it could be a real business. We have come a long way and he has grown this from literally nothing.”

Martin said that Thorum is not just a cookie cutter business that people see a lot of and it is a “really interesting” company. She said they are a small business with a unique product that they stand behind. They are also not a company like Amazon and they are “the kind of company you want to work with”.

“Amazon will just give you an automated response but someone from our team will actually be the ones to respond when you have questions,” Martin said. “We are a small business, and Jamestown is full of small businesses so we have the foundation of our roots in the small business mentality.”

While there is no physical shop, Martin said Thorum can be found on social media and they make sure to be engaging on Instagram and all of their other accounts. They make sure to respond to all comments and messages. Thorum’s website, thorum.com, has all of their products.

In the future, Martin said they plan on keeping their current trajectory going. Thorum was just recently included on the Inc 5000 list for 2023. This annual list celebrates the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States, and Martin said securing the number 361 spot is a testament to Caleb and Stephanie Martin’s unwavering commitment to excellence. The company also ranked 39 in the state of Florida, 23 in consumer products, and nine in the Tampa/St.Pete/Clearwater region.

Also in the future Martin said the company plans on releasing new products and adding members to their team.

“We are a force to be reckoned with in the ecommerce world,” Martin said. “We want to make our mark and brand ourselves as a household name.”

Martin thanked Thorum’s customers, brand followers and supporters throughout the years. She said the business would not be able to exist without them.

“Caleb would not be able to sustain this business without especially the support of friends and family in Jamestown,” Martin said. “For any budding entrepreneurs, it can happen for you, even if you are just a small brand. If you are passionate about what you are doing, big things can happen for small brands.”