From restoring wooden boats to leading jewelry manufacturers, Lance's career has taken a few unexpected turns!
Originally from Minnesota, Lance Neirby graduated from Carleton College in 2002 with a BFA in Studio Art. "I graduated with an art degree, no job prospects, and no real plan," he says with a laugh.
A friend helped him land a job restoring antique wooden boats, but it didn't take long to realize it wasn't where he wanted to be.
"I remember laying on the cold concrete underneath a wooden boat covered in lead paint, sharing a respirator with a guy who had terrible breath, thinking, 'This cannot be my life.'"
That moment led him to Rochester Institute of Technology, where he enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts and developed the technical skills that would shape the rest of his career. His hard work earned him the prestigious Tiffany Award after his first year, opening the door to a 12-year career at Tiffany & Co.
Lance started as a bench silversmith before eventually leading the Hollowware shop responsible for creating some of the world's most recognizable championship trophies.
"I made plenty of mistakes learning to be a leader," he says. "Over time, I realized I enjoyed helping people succeed even more than making trophies myself."
After more than a decade at Tiffany, Lance was recruited to Montana Silversmiths in 2016, where he and his young family traded New York for Montana.
"Mountains and no traffic. What more could you want?"
As he stepped into executive leadership, he recognized there was still more to learn. While his years in jewelry and manufacturing gave him a strong foundation, he wanted to continue developing the business and leadership skills needed to guide an entire organization.
He earned his MBA from the University of Montana in 2023 and was promoted to CEO of Montana Silversmiths that same year.
From his early days as a bench silversmith to leading teams of skilled craftspeople and business professionals, he found that his greatest impact came from helping others grow, solve problems, and succeed.
Life eventually brought another change. In 2025, Lance and his family made the difficult decision to leave Montana to be closer to the healthcare specialists they needed.
Fortunately for JK Findings, the timing couldn't have been better! After years of building his career around craftsmanship, manufacturing, and leadership, Lance was looking for an opportunity where he could combine all of those experiences to have a global impact. When the opportunity with JK Findings came along, it felt like a natural next step.
In fact, JK Findings brought his journey full circle. Our company is located just down the road from Rochester Institute of Technology, where Lance first discovered his passion for jewelry and earned his degree in the craft that would shape his career.
"We arrived in Rochester in August 2025, and JK Findings has been amazing. It's such a gem of a company with great people, deep jewelry findings expertise, a diverse customer base, and a creative community surrounding it."
He believes high-performing teams thrive when people understand each other's strengths, feel empowered to make decisions, and aren't afraid to learn from mistakes.
"The team needs to know the goal, but even more importantly, they need to understand why."
On the inventory side, balance is everything. Too much inventory ties up cash, while too little means missed opportunities. Lance introduced an inventory strategy that combines pull manufacturing with safety stock and uses A, B, C, and D rankings to help every department stay aligned on priorities.
Looking ahead, Lance is excited about what's next for JK Findings. "We already have the right people, the right expertise, and amazing customers. Our biggest opportunity is to continue to communicate well and work together. If we do that, there's no limit to what we can accomplish."
Outside of work, Lance's favorite role is being a husband and dad. Since moving back to the Rochester area, his family has enjoyed discovering everything the Finger Lakes area has to offer.
"We've fallen in love with the Finger Lakes. Whether we're hiking, exploring local parks, or spending a summer afternoon kayaking, we're happiest when we're outside together."
We're excited to have Lance leading the JK Findings team and look forward to what's ahead, both for our employees and the customers we serve.