MacKenzie-Childs

MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. is a manufacturer of ceramics and retailer of hand-painted imported furniture and home décor, based in Aurora, New York, and founded in 1983 by Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs.[1][2][3][4][5]

The company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2000, and in 2001 Pleasant Rowland, founder of American Girl, purchased MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. In 2005, the company laid off several workers.[6] After Rowland restructured her management team in 2006, MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. became profitable again. In 2008 Rowland sold MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. to Lee Feldman and Howard Cohen, part owners of Twin Lakes Capital.

In 2006, MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. sued founders Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs citing trademark violation, as their last name and trademarks referencing it had allegedly been sold off in the bankruptcy proceedings.[7][8][9]

In 2014, Castanea Partners, a private equity firm, invested in Aurora Brands, the owner of MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd.[10] In 2018 MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. acquired Patience Brewster Inc.[11] Patience Brewster, an Upstate New York book illustrator and ornament designer, joined the company's creative team, supporting the design and development of products for the Patience Brewster by MacKenzie-Childs collection.

MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. is well-known for its annual Barn Sale, which in 2017, drew more than 26,000 shoppers to the company's 65-acre property in Aurora, making the event one of the premier draws for tourists in Cayuga County, New York. Held over four days, the sale draws shoppers from around the globe who come for discounts that range from 40 percent to 80 percent.[12]

References

  1. "Functional fantasies grab imagination Wichita shop promotes MacKenzie-Childs designers featured in Neiman Marcus holiday catalog". Wichita Eagle. October 12, 1996. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  2. Thomas, Laura (May 12, 2004). "Hot Stuff". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  3. Peterson, Deborah (September 3, 1992). "Whimsy: MacKenzie-Childs Gives Wings To Flights Of Fancy". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  4. Barrera, Sandra (2009-07-20). "MacKenzie-Childs brings fun back to home decorating". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on 21 June 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  5. "MacKenzie-Childs | MacKenzie-Childs | About Us". www.mackenzie-childs.com. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  6. "20 employees laid off at MacKenzie-Childs". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, NY. November 17, 2005. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  7. Telesca, Michael (January 9, 2008). "Mackenzie-Childs, Ltd. v. Mackenzie-Childs, 06-CV-6107T | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  8. "MacKenzie-Childs trademark case decision due March 21". syracuse. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  9. Astor, Will (2006-03-03). "Company sues former owners over name use". Rochester Business Journal. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  10. "Castanea Partners Announces Investment in Aurora Brands | Castanea Partners". Castanea Partners. 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  11. "MacKenzie-Childs acquires Skaneateles' Patience Brewster Inc". syracuse.com. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  12. wilcox, David. "'We sell fun': The 2018 MacKenzie-Childs Barn Sale, by the numbers". Auburn Citizen. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.